Optimization of Fixture Number in Large Thin-Walled Parts Assembly Based on IPSO

There are lots of researches on fixture layout optimization for large thin-walled parts.Current researches focus on the positioning problem,i.e.,optimizing the positions of a constant number of fixtures.However,how to determine the number of fixtures is ignored.In most cases,the number of fixtures located on large thin-walled parts is determined based on engineering experience,which leads to huge fixture number and extra waste.Therefore,this paper constructs an optimization model to minimize the number of fixtures.The constraints are set in the optimization model to ensure that the part deformation is within the surface profile tolerance.In addition,the assembly gap between two parts is also controlled.To conduct the optimization,this paper develops an improved particle swarm optimization(IPSO)algorithm by integrating the shrinkage factor and adaptive inertia weight.In the algorithm,particles are encoded according to the fixture position.Each dimension of the particle is assigned to a sub-region by constraining the optional position range of each fixture to improve the optimization efficiency.Finally,a case study on ship curved panel assembly is provided to prove that our method can optimize the number of fixtures while meeting the assembly quality requirements.This research proposes a method to optimize the number of fixtures,which can reduce the number of fixtures and achieve deformation control at the same time.

Development of Fixture Layout Optimization for Thin-Walled Parts:A Review

An increasing number of researchers have researched fixture layout optimization for thin-walled part assembly during the past decades.However,few papers systematically review these researches.By analyzing existing literature,this paper summarizes the process of fixture layout optimization and the methods applied.The process of optimization is made up of optimization objective setting,assembly variation/deformation modeling,and fixture layout optimization.This paper makes a review of the fixture layout for thin-walled parts according to these three steps.First,two different kinds of optimization objectives are introduced.Researchers usually consider in-plane variations or out-of-plane deformations when designing objectives.Then,modeling methods for assembly variation and deformation are divided into two categories:Mechanism-based and data-based methods.Several common methods are discussed respectively.After that,optimization algorithms are reviewed systematically.There are two kinds of optimization algorithms:Traditional nonlinear programming and heuristic algorithms.Finally,discussions on the current situation are provided.The research direction of fixture layout optimization in the future is discussed from three aspects:Objective setting,improving modeling accuracy and optimization algorithms.Also,a new research point for fixture layout optimization is discussed.This paper systematically reviews the research on fixture layout optimization for thin-walled parts,and provides a reference for future research in this field.

Optimization of material removal strategy in milling of thin-walled parts

The optimal material removal strategy can improve a geometric accuracy and surface quality of thin-walled parts such as turbine blades and blisks in high-speed ball end milling.The dominant conception in the material removal represents the persistence of the workpiece cutting stiffness in operation to advance the machining accuracy and machining efficiency.On the basis of theoretical models of cutting stiffness and deformation,finite element method (FEM) is applied to calculate the virtual displacements of the thin-walled part under given virtual loads at the nodes of the discrete surface.With the reference of deformation distribution of the thin-walled part,the milling material removal strategy is optimized to make the best of bracing ability of still uncut material.This material removal method is summarized as the lower stiffness region removed firstly and the higher stiffness region removed next.Analytical and experimental results show the availability,which has been verified by the blade machining test in this work,for thin-walled parts to reduce cutting deformation and meliorate machining quality.

Initial residual stress experiment and simulation of thin-walled parts for layer removal method

Thin-walled parts have low stiffness characteristic. Initial residual stress of thin-walled blanks is an important influence factor on machining stability. The present work is to verify the feasibility of an initial residual stress measurement of layer removal method. According to initial residual stress experiment for casting ZL205 A aluminum alloy tapered thin-walled blank by a common method,namely hole-drilling method,three finite element models with initial residual stress are established to simulate the layer removal method in ABAQUS and ANSYS software. By analyzing the results of simulation and experiments,the cutting residual stress inlayer removal process has a significant effect on measurement results. Reducing cutting residual stress is helpful to improve accuracy of layer removal method.

Mapping relationship analysis of welding assembly properties for thin-walled parts with finite element and machine learning algorithm

The finite element(FE)-based simulation of welding characteristics was carried out to explore the relationship among welding assembly properties for the parallel T-shaped thin-walled parts of an antenna structure.The effects of welding direction,clamping,fixture release time,fixed constraints,and welding sequences on these properties were analyzed,and the mapping relationship among welding characteristics was thoroughly examined.Different machine learning algorithms,including the generalized regression neural network(GRNN),wavelet neural network(WNN),and fuzzy neural network(FNN),are used to predict the multiple welding properties of thin-walled parts to mirror their variation trend and verify the correctness of the mapping relationship.Compared with those from GRNN and WNN,the maximum mean relative errors for the predicted values of deformation,temperature,and residual stress with FNN were less than 4.8%,1.4%,and 4.4%,respectively.These results indicate that FNN generated the best predicted welding characteristics.Analysis under various welding conditions also shows a mapping relationship among welding deformation,temperature,and residual stress over a period of time.This finding further provides a paramount basis for the control of welding assembly errors of an antenna structure in the future.

A model of deformation of thin-wall surface parts during milling machining process

A three-dimensional finite element model was established for the milling of thin-walled parts. The physical model of the milling of the part was established using the AdvantEdge FEM software as the platform. The aluminum alloy impeller was designated as the object to be processed and the boundary conditions which met the actual machining were set. Through the solution, the physical quantities such as the three-way cutting force, the tool temperature, and the tool stress were obtained, and the calculation of the elastic deformation of the thin-walled blade of the free-form surface at the contact points between the tool and the workpiece was realized. The elastic deformation law of the thin-walled blade was then predicted. The results show that the maximum deviation between the predicted value and the actual measured machining value of the elastic deformation was 26.055 μm; the minimum deviation was 2.011 μm, with the average deviation being 10.154 μm. This shows that the prediction is in close agreement with the actual result.

Numerical simulation analysis for deformation deviation and experimental verification for an antenna thin-wall parts considering riveting assembly with finite element method

In the process of thin-wall parts assembly for an antenna,the parts assembly deformation deviation is occurring due to the riveting assembly.In view of the riveting assembly deformation problems,it can be analyzed through transient and static simulation.In this work,the theoretical deformation model for riveting assembly is established with round head rivet.The simulation analysis for riveting deformation is carried out with the riveting assembly piece including four rivets,which comparing with the measuring points experiment results of riveting test piece through dealing with the experimental data using the point coordinate transform method and the space line fitting method.Simultaneously,the deformation deviation of the overall thin-wall parts assembly structure is analyzed through finite element simulation;and its results are verified by the measuring experiment for riveting assembly with the deformation deviation of some key points on the thin-wall parts.Through the comparison analysis,it is shown that the simulation results agree well with the experimental results,which proves the correctness and effectiveness of the theoretical analysis,simulation results and the given experiment data processing method.Through the study on the riveting assembly for thin-wall parts,it will provide a theoretical foundation for improving thin-wall parts assembly quality of large antenna in future.

Welding thermal characteristics analysis with numerical simulation for thin-wall parts assembly under different conditions

In order to analyze the welding thermal characteristics problem,the multiscale finite element(FE)model of T-shape thin-wall assembly structure for different thicknesses and the heat source model are established to emphatically study their welding temperature distributions under different conditions.Simultaneously,different welding technology parameters and welding directions are taken into account,and the fillet weld for different welding parameters is employed on the thin-wall parts.Through comparison analysis,the results show that different welding directions,welding thicknesses and welding heat source parameters have a certain impact on the temperature distribution.Meanwhile,for the thin-wall assembly structure of the same thickness,when the heat source is moving,the greater the moving speed,the smaller the heating area,and the highest temperature will decrease.Therefore,the welding temperature field distribution can be altered by adjusting welding parameters,heat source parameters,welding thickness and welding direction,which is conducive to reducing welding deformation and choosing an appropriate and optimal welding thickness of thin-wall parts and relative welding process parameters,thus improving thin-wall welding structure assembly precision in the actual large-size welding structure assembly process in future.

Joint optimization of maintenance inspection and spare provisioning for aircraft deteriorating parts

With the wide application of condition based maintenance(CBM) in aircraft maintenance practice, the joint optimization of maintenance and inventory management, which can take full advantage of CBM and reduce the aircraft operational cost, is receiving increasing attention. In order to optimize the inspection interval, maintenance decision and spare provisioning together for aircraft deteriorating parts, firstly, a joint inventory management strategy is presented, then, a joint optimization of maintenance inspection and spare provisioning for aircraft parts subject to the Wiener degradation process is proposed based on the strategy.Secondly, a combination of the genetic algorithm(GA) and the Monte Carol method is developed to minimize the total cost rate.Finally, a case study is conducted and the proposed joint optimization model is compared with the existing optimization model and the airline real case. The results demonstrate that the proposed model is more beneficial and effective. In addition, the sensitivity analysis of the proposed model shows that the lead time has higher influence on the optimal results than the urgent order cost and the corrective maintenance cost, which is consistent with the actual situation of aircraft maintenance practices and inventory management.

Deformation Analysis and Fixture Design of Thin-walled Cylinder in Drilling Process Based on TRIZ Theory

Thin-walled cylindrical workpiece is easy to deform during machining and clamping processes due to the insufficient rigidi.Moreover,it’s also difficult to ensure the perpendicularity of flange holes during drilling process.In this paper,the element birth and death technique is used to obtain the axial deformation of the hole through finite element simulation.The measured value of the perpendicularity of the hole was compared with the simulated value to verify then the rationality of the simulation model.To reduce the perpendicularity error of the hole in the drilling process,the theory of inventive principle solution(TRIZ)was used to analyze the drilling process of thin-walled cylinder,and the corresponding fixture was developed to adjust the supporting surface height adaptively.Three different fixture supporting layout schemes were used for numerical simulation of drilling process,and the maximum,average and standard deviation of the axial deformation of the flange holes and their maximum hole perpendicularity errors were comparatively analyzed,and the optimal arrangement was optimized.The results show that the proposed deformation control strategy can effectively improve the drilling deformation of thin-walled cylindrical workpiece,thereby significantly improving the machining quality of the parts.

Dimensional Variation Modeling of Aircraft Compliant Part Assembly Considering Clamping Force Change

Compliant parts are widely applied to aircraft structures.Due to the ease of deformation of compliant parts in assembly,the prediction of assembly variation is especially important for assembly quality control.A dimensional variation model considering the clamping force change in assembly is proposed based on the method of influence coefficient(MIC).First,the assembly process is decomposed into several steps including positioning,clamping,joining,and spring-back.Then,the force-displacement relationship is formulated according to the varied force conditions on the parts in each assembly step.Finally,two examples are illustrated to validate the proposed assembly variation model.The results show the impact of clamping force change is significant on the assembly variation,and the proposed model can predict the assembly variation more accurately than the referred method without clamping force correction at the over-constrained locating points of fixture.

Relative Varying Dynamics Based Whole Cutting Process Optimization for Thin‑walled Parts

Thin-walled parts are typically difficult-to-cut components due to the complex dynamics in cutting process.The dynamics is variant for part during machining,but invariant for machine tool.The variation of the relative dynamics results in the difference of cutting stage division and cutting parameter selection.This paper develops a novel method for whole cutting process optimization based on the relative varying dynamic characteristic of machining system.A new strategy to distinguish cutting stages depending on the dominated dynamics during machining process is proposed,and a thickness-dependent model to predict the dynamics of part is developed.Optimal cutting parameters change with stages,which can be divided by the critical thickness of part.Based on the dynamics comparison between machine tool and thickness-varying part,the critical thicknesses are predicted by an iterative algorithm.The proposed method is validated by the machining of three benchmarks.Good agreements have been obtained between prediction and experimental results in terms of stages identification,meanwhile,the optimized parameters perform well during the whole cutting process.

Riveting Process Modeling and Simulating for Deformation Analysis of Aircraft＇s Thin-walled Sheet-metal Parts

The riveting joint is one of the important joint methods to permanently fasten two thin-walled sheet-metal parts. It is most ba- sic to efficiently analyze and estimate the deformation of the riveting joint for the performance, fatigue durability and damage of the riveting structure in the aircraft. This paper researches the riveting process mathematics modeling and simulating to more accurately analyze deformation of thin-walled sheet-metal parts. First, the mathematics and mechanics models for the elastic deformation, plastic deformation and springback of the rivet are built by mechanics theory. Second, on the basis of ABAQUS system, a finite element system, an instance made up of the rivet and two thin-walled sheet-metal parts of aluminum alloy is used to analyze and simulate the stress and deformation. What＇s more, a comparison is made between the results obtained by the mathematics and mechanics models and those by finite element method （FEM）. The models are proved true by the calculating and simulation results of the instance.

Elliptical vibration cutting of large-size thin-walled curved surface parts of pure iron by using diamond tool with active cutting edge shift

Large-size thin-walled curved surface parts of pure iron are crucial in aerospace,national defense,energy and precision physical experiments.However,the high machining accuracy and surface quality are difficult to achieve due to the serious tool wear and deformation when machining the parts with conventional cutting tools.In this paper,an elliptical vibration cutting(EVC)with active cutting edge shift(ACES)based on a long arbor vibration device is proposed for ultraprecision machining the pure iron parts by using diamond tool.Compared with cutting at a fixed cutting edge,the influence of ACES on the EVC was analyzed.Experiments in EVC of pure iron with ACES were conducted.The evolutions of the surface roughness,surface topography,and chip morphology with tool wear in EVC with ACES are revealed.The reasonable parameters of ultraprecision machining the pure iron parts by EVC with ACES were determined.It shows that the ACES has a slight influence on the machined surface roughness and surface topography.The diamond tool life can be significantly prolonged in EVC of pure iron with ACES than that with a fixed cutting edge,so that high profile accuracy and surface quality could be obtained even at higher nominal cutting speed.A typical thin-walled curved surface pure iron part with diameter φ240 mm,height 122 mm,and wall thickness 2 mm was fabricated by the presented method,and its profile error and surface roughness achieved PV 2.2μm and Ra less than 50 nm,respectively.

基于机器视觉的飞机故障检查系统

针对当前飞机维修检查工作以人工目视检查为主、效率低且存在人为因素影响的情况,设计一套基于图像识别与机器深度学习的飞机部件表面无损检测系统。收集并整理了某航空公司一线飞机维修员拍摄的飞机机身及发动机部件图片,对图片集进行预处理,包括通道提取、Sobel滤波处理及二值化;最后用Blob分析对处理后的图像进行特征提取与系统分析。系统运行速度快、准确率高且可连续自动识别图像。利用机器视觉技术对飞机部件表面进行无损检测不仅可以提高生产效率,同时可以去除人为因素对航空器飞行安全的影响,使得飞机的飞行安全得到进一步提升。实践证明,该系统性能稳定可靠,具有极高的推广应用价值。

基于机器视觉的飞机电镀部件曲表面无损检测

[目的]为解决机器视觉在曲表面无损检测中算法复杂的问题,以及克服传统光源在曲表面检测中的局限性,开发了一套基于格栅光源的飞机电镀部件曲表面无损检测系统。[方法]该系统通过格栅光对电镀部件曲表面进行成像,随后进行图像分析,包括图像导入、预处理、Blob分析等步骤。[结果]该系统能够快速、准确地检测出电镀部件曲表面存在的缺陷,检测效率高且稳定可靠。[结论]该系统在飞机制造企业及航空公司飞机维护一线的初步工程应用中取得了良好效果,有望进一步推广。

“飞机构造”实践教学改革探索

飞机结构及零部件特征决定了“飞机构造”这门飞行器制造工程专业基础课具有很强的理论性和工程技术性,教学过程中需要完善的实践教学资源做支撑。针对“飞机构造”实践教学过程中存在的问题,从教师自身素养、实践教学方法和资源等方面对“飞机构造”实践教学进行了改革探索。利用面向对象技术,基于Visual C#和ACCESS数据库平台,开发了飞机零部件三维数字化模型管理系统,实现了飞机零部件的浏览、增加、删除、修改和查找等操作功能,建立了数字航空馆。该系统在“飞机构造”课堂中得到了成功的应用,提高了学生对飞机零部件的感性认识,激起了学生探索飞机结构的好奇心,显著提升了教学效果。

飞机薄壁件损伤铆接修理前后承载能力分析

铆接是飞机结构损伤修理中常用的修理方法之一。为深入研究飞机薄壁件损伤铆接修理前后的承载能力和破坏形式,应用ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件建立了其三维有限元模型,进行了准静态拉伸仿真模拟,并将相应的模拟结果与试验结果进行了对比分析。结果表明:有限元分析能有效模拟飞机薄壁件损伤铆接修理前后的承载能力和破坏形式;同时,进一步分析了铆钉布置和盖板形状对飞机薄壁件损伤铆接修理前后承载能力的影响。这些结果为研究飞机结构铆接修理工艺参数优化设计提供了参考依据。

基于飞机状态的备件动态规划技术

伴随民航业的竞争日趋激烈,航空公司迫切需要控制成本以提升效益。民机备件既是直接影响飞行安全的关键因素,备件成本又在航空公司可控成本中占比最高。因此,在保证飞行安全的前提下做好备件规划,对航空公司有至关重要的意义。根据民机备件的安全级别、故障修复时限等对备件分级设置保障率水平,采用符合备件故障特性的马尔可夫生灭过程,建立满足给定保障率水平的备件量计算模型,并在此基础上建立以保障成本最低为目标函数,满足保障率水平为约束函数的备件量动态规划模型。基于飞机状态分析历史故障数据、季节性、日利用率、机队规模对备件保障的影响,在所建模型中将故障率季节性差异、日利用率和飞机停场损失淡旺季差异进行评估以减小计算结果与实际需求的偏差。以H航空公司ERJ-190机型显示组件为例,对所建模型进行应用验证,计算结果与H航空公司运营实际相吻合,证明所建模型可为航空公司备件规划提供技术方法支持。

集成视觉显著性和群决策的航空零件孔特征检测

为了实现复杂环境下航空零件孔特征的高效高精度检测,提出了一种集成视觉显著性和群决策的检测方法。在经典FT显著性检测算法中引入图像增强步骤,并为每个像素赋予以最大显著区域中心为参考的权重,使用改进后的方法对图像进行孔区域分割。设计具有多尺度多结构元素的新型数学形态学边缘检测算法,结合轮廓细化算法对孔区域进行轮廓提取。最后,利用Meanshift算法寻找轮廓点的圆心位置,建立新的基于群决策的圆半径计算模型,获得孔特征的关键几何参数。结果表明:改进的视觉显著性特征检测算法能够生成更加突显孔特征的全分辨率显著图;新型数学形态学边缘检测算法能获得简化且可靠的轮廓点;该方法在不均匀光照、各类孔缺陷和孔内壁干扰等条件下均显示出较好的稳定性;即使在噪声密度高达30%时仍能成功完成孔检测,且圆心坐标和半径的误差均小于0.012 mm;平均检测时间仅为0.236 s。该方法能够在复杂环境下对航空零件孔特征进行准确、稳定的检测。