Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for creating three dimensional (3D) visualizations of in-process products. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a controller and an interface. The controller is able to generate a 3D scene depicting ongoing assembly of a product by a machine tool. The scene includes a 3D model of the product and a 3D model of the machine tool, and the 3D models are placed within the scene based on a location of the product and a location of the machine tool. The interface is able to receive an update from the machine tool indicating a 3D placement of a part that has been attached by the machine tool to the product. The controller is also able to acquire a 3D model of the part, to insert the 3D model of the part within the scene based on the 3D placement, and to provide the scene for display to a user.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The disclosure relates to the field of manufacturing, and in particular, to manufacturing systems that utilize machine tools. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Machine tools are used to transform basic components and materials into valuable goods. Machine tools accomplish this task by adding or removing materials/parts to a partially manufactured product. For example, within a factory, automated machine tools may be grouped into assembly cells that each apply a different set of physical changes to a product. The product moves from one assembly cell into the next until the product has been completed. Consider an airplane fuselage, which may stop at one assembly cell to have a skin riveted onto its surface, at another assembly cell to have windows mounted into it, etc. 
         [0003]    As presently used, machine tools report their progress to monitoring devices, which may utilize the progress information to generate charts, tables, and/or graphs for display to a user. However, in order for assembly issues to be identified and resolved quickly, factories continue to seek out comprehensive, easy-to-comprehend techniques for tracking the progress of a product as it is manufactured. This is particularly relevant with regard to expensive, complex products such as aircraft. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Embodiments described herein utilize three dimensional (3D) progress information from machine tools in order to create 3D scenes that represent the ongoing assembly of an in-process product being worked on by machine tools. These scenes include 3D models for parts that have been attached to the product, and the 3D models for the parts are placed based on coordinate information received from the machine tools. The 3D scenes enable an operator of a manufacturing center to rapidly ascertain the status of the product as it is being completed, and further enables an operator to quickly and accurately determine the location and nature of manufacturing errors on the product. 
         [0005]    One embodiment is an apparatus for creating three dimensional (3D) visualizations of in-process products. The apparatus includes a controller and an interface. The controller is able to generate a 3D scene depicting ongoing assembly of a product by a machine tool. The scene includes a 3D model of the product and a 3D model of the machine tool, and the 3D models are placed within the scene based on a location of the product and a location of the machine tool. The interface is able to receive an update from the machine tool indicating a 3D placement of a part that has been attached by the machine tool to the product. The controller is also able to acquire a 3D model of the part, to insert the 3D model of the part within the scene based on the 3D placement, and to provide the scene for display to a user. 
         [0006]    Another embodiment is a method for creating three dimensional (3D) visualizations of in-process products. The method includes generating a three dimensional (3D) scene depicting ongoing assembly of a product by a machine tool. The scene includes a 3D model of the product and a 3D model of the machine tool, and the 3D models are placed within the scene based on a location of the product and a location of the machine tool. The method also includes receiving an update from the machine tool indicating a 3D placement of a part that has been attached by the machine tool to the product, acquiring a 3D model of the part, and inserting the 3D model of the part within the scene based on the 3D placement of the part. The method further includes providing the scene for display to a user. 
         [0007]    Another embodiment is an apparatus for facilitating the creation of three dimensional (3D) visualizations of in-process products. The apparatus includes a machine tool able to assemble a product by attaching parts to the product. The machine tool includes a controller able to detect 3D placements of parts that have been attached to the product by the machine tool, and to generate updates that each include a detected 3D placement of a part attached to the product by the machine tool. The machine tool also includes an interface able to transmit the updates to an external device. 
         [0008]    Other exemplary embodiments (e.g., methods and computer-readable media relating to the foregoing embodiments) may be described below. The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments or may be combined in yet other embodiments further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Some embodiments of the present disclosure are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference number represents the same element or the same type of element on all drawings. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a manufacturing system in an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring a product as it is being manufactured in an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating the creation of a 3D scene in an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating detection of a manufacturing error in an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating a further exemplary manufacturing system in an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an update in an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The figures and the following description illustrate specific exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within the scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, any examples described herein are intended to aid in understanding the principles of the disclosure, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. As a result, the disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments or examples described below, but by the claims and their equivalents. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a manufacturing system  100  in an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, manufacturing system  100  is operating upon product  110  (in this case, an airplane fuselage) in order to assemble product  110 . Manufacturing system  100  includes multiple machine tools (e.g., robot arms, lathes, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, punches, etc.) that operate on product  110 , and these machine tools are grouped into one or more assembly cells. As used herein, an assembly cell is defined by the set of tools that will position and/or manipulate product  110  while it occupies a single location (e.g., room, corridor, jig, etc.). 
         [0018]    In  FIG. 1 , as machine tool  120  assembles product  110 , it transmits 3D placement information (e.g., a position and orientation) for newly added parts to interface (I/F)  130  (e.g., a FireWire interface, an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, etc.). This information received at I/F  130  is analyzed by controller  140 , which updates display  150  with a 3D scene. The 3D scene depicts a 3D model  112  of product  110 , a 3D model  122  of machine tool  120 , and the parts that have been added to product  110  during assembly. As used herein, a scene (also known as a “space,” a “volume,” or a “virtual room”) may comprise a set of models arranged in a 3D coordinate space. For example, a scene may comprise a rendered view of multiple 3D models arranged in a manner that mimics the real-world arrangement of machine tools at an assemble cell. In one embodiment, the scene is updated in real time as machine tool  120  assembles product  110 . Controller  140  includes memory  142 , and may be implemented as custom circuitry, as a processor executing programmed instructions, etc. 
         [0019]    Manufacturing system  100  provides a benefit over prior manufacturing systems, because it is capable of updating a dynamic 3D display based on updates from machine tool  120  indicating the actual 3D positions/orientations of parts that have been attached to product  110  on the factory floor. Using 3D models to present the ongoing activities of an assembly cell provides for a better intuitive understanding of manufacturing progress than systems which use 2D drawings. 2D drawings are inferior because they are harder for an operator to precisely interpret. In contrast, using manufacturing system  100 , an operator at the factory may determine the completion status of product  110  by glancing at display  150 , and may further utilize the 3D scene to rapidly identify the location and nature of manufacturing errors, increasing the speed at which they are corrected. 
         [0020]    Illustrative details of the operation of manufacturing system  100  will be discussed with regard to  FIG. 2 . Assume, for this embodiment, that product  110  has entered a new assembly cell that includes machine tool  120 , and that machine tool  120  has started attaching new parts to product  110  (e.g., by mounting windows, attaching sheets of metal to ribbing on product  110  in order to form a skin, etc.). 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method  200  for monitoring a product as it is being manufactured in an exemplary embodiment. The steps of method  200  are described with reference to manufacturing system  100  of  FIG. 1 , but those skilled in the art will appreciate that method  200  may be performed in other systems. The steps of the flowcharts described herein are not all inclusive and may include other steps not shown. The steps described herein may also be performed in an alternative order. 
         [0022]    According to  FIG. 2 , controller  140  generates a 3D scene for display  150  that depicts the ongoing assembly of product  110  (step  202 ). The scene includes a 3D model of product  110  and a 3D model of machine tool  120  as they are currently positioned/oriented/located within their assembly cell. The 3D models for product  110  and machine tool  120  may be stored in memory at controller  140  or acquired from an external device, while location information for the 3D models for product  110  and machine tool  120  may be pre-programmed into controller  140 , reported by machine tool  120 , provided by a factory floor operator, etc. With the 3D scene depicted at display  150 , a user may determine the current progress of product  110  within the assembly cell. 
         [0023]    Machine tool  120  starts to assemble product  110  by attaching parts to product  110 . For each attached part, an internal controller at machine tool  120  records a 3D placement indicating how the part was attached to the product. This information is packed by the internal controller into an update, which is transmitted via an interface of machine tool  120  to interface  130 . The update therefore may include the 3D location of the part (e.g., an X, Y, and Z position of a point on the part) attached to product  110 . The update may further include the orientation of the part (e.g., an angular rotation of the part with respect to the scene, with respect to a 3D model within the scene, etc.) as defined by angles θ, Φ, and Ψ. 
         [0024]    The update may further include 3D positioning/orientation data for machine tool  120  itself, a success/fail status of an operation performed by machine tool  120  (e.g., “milestones” indicating which parts are successfully installed), etc. The update may even include an amount of force applied by machine tool  120  to attach a part to product  110 , a penetration distance of a part attached to product  110  by machine tool  120 , a grip length of a fastener inserted into product  110 , tolerancing information (e.g., indicating whether a part was attached to product  110  within acceptable limits of position, or indicating a deviation of a part from its expected 3D position and orientation), etc. 
         [0025]    In step  204 , interface  130  receives the update from machine tool  120 , which indicates the 3D placement of the part that has been attached by machine tool  120  to product  110 . This information enables controller  140  to update the current scene to depict the part as it has been attached to product  110  in the real world. To this end, controller  140  acquires a 3D model of the part (e.g., from internal memory or a remote server) in step  206 . 
         [0026]    In step  208 , controller  140  inserts the 3D model of the part within the scene based on the 3D placement of the part (e.g., based on a position and orientation indicated in the update). In some embodiments, each update uses a coordinate system local to machine tool  120 , while the 3D scene utilizes a different coordinate system. In such embodiments, controller  140  transforms the 3D placement from the coordinate system used by machine tool  120  (e.g., by offset and rotation techniques) to match the coordinate system used by the 3D scene before placing the 3D model for the part. The newly updated scene is then transmitted from controller  140  in step  210  for display to a user, via display  150 . 
         [0027]    Using the techniques described herein with regard to method  200 , an operator on a factory floor may quickly and efficiently utilize the 3D scene provided by controller  140  in order to manage manufacturing operations and evaluate the assembly and/or installation progress of individual products (e.g., in real time). For complex or expensive products that take weeks or months to assemble, this provides a substantial benefit in terms of enhanced production quality and speed. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a diagram  300  illustrating the creation of a 3D scene in an exemplary embodiment. According to  FIG. 3 , controller  140  loads individual models for product  110 , machine tool  120 , and a rivet. Specifically, 3D model  310  represents product  110 , 3D model  320  represents machine tool  120 , and 3D model  330  represents the rivet. Each of these models is oriented and positioned according to an internal coordinate system, meaning that simply overlaying the models on top of each other will not properly represent ongoing manufacturing processes. To this end, controller  140  consults an internal memory to determine how machine tool  120  and product  110  are oriented with respect to each other within an assembly cell. This information comes in the form of six data points for each of machine tool  120  and product  110 . The data points for each of machine tool  120  and product  120  indicate their position (X, Y, Z) and orientation (θ, Φ, and Ψ) with respect to each other within the assembly cell. Controller  140  uses this information to create a 3D scene  350  that includes 3D models  310  and  320 . 
         [0029]    When machine tool  120  applies the rivet to product  110 , it reports six data points indicating the position and orientation of the rivet as it was actually driven into product  110 . Controller  140  transforms the coordinate system used by machine tool  120  into the coordinate system used by the 3D scene by scaling, rotating, and offsetting 3D model  330 . Controller  140  then inserts 3D model  330  at its reported position and orientation within the 3D scene, as shown at element  340 . 
         [0030]    In a further embodiment, a controller is capable of updating a 3D scene to depict the 3D location of manufacturing errors/faults that have an impact on a product.  FIG. 4  is a block diagram  400  illustrating the detection of a manufacturing error in an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, a part  410  (e.g., a rivet) has been improperly oriented with respect to a surface of product  110 , and then attached/mounted to product  110 . Machine tool  120  reports the position and orientation of part  110  to controller  140  via interface  130 . Controller  140  renders a 3D model  112  of product  110 , a 3D model  122  of machine tool  120 , and a 3D model  412  of part  410  into a scene. Controller  140  compares the position and orientation of part  410  to an expected position and orientation for part  410 , and determines that part  410  has not been installed in its expected location. Controller  140  then loads tolerancing information indicating an acceptable level of variance in position and orientation for part  410 . Based on the tolerancing information, controller  140  determines that the installation of part  410  has resulted in a manufacturing error. 
         [0031]    Controller  140  may then update the scene in order to actively depict/visualize the detected error (e.g., by showing a position/orientation of machine tool  120  or part  410  during the error, highlighting locations on the scene where the error is located, etc.). Controller  140  may further indicate an error status on display  150 , and update the 3D scene to indicate the location and orientation of misplaced part  410 . In embodiments where product  110  is very large and part  410  is very small, controller  140  may further highlight, color, or otherwise draw attention to the location in the 3D scene where the error was encountered. A factory operator viewing the 3D scene may then immediately proceed to the exact known 3D location where the error was encountered, in order to determine how to best address the problem (e.g., by repairing product  110  and attempting to re-attach a new part  410 ). 
         [0032]    In many automated machine tools, in-process data is reported in a 2D format whenever a process is completed (e.g., whenever a rivet is installed). When the data is reported in a 2D format, it is impossible for external devices to accurately represent/visualize the operation in a 3D space. To address this issue with existing machine tools, in one embodiment a program or circuit is inserted into each machine tool in order to pull/intercept locally determined 3D coordinate information directly from a Numerical Control Program (NCP) at the machine tool as the machine tool is operating. For example, the program may be inserted into firmware governing the machine tool and used to report 3D coordinate information to external devices, such as controller  140 . 
         [0033]    Utilizing such a system ensures that instead of receiving sanitized and pre-processed positioning information from the machine tool (which may include, for example, only 2D coordinates instead of full 3D coordinates), the low-level raw data indicating the actual 3D movements of the machine tool are acquired for updating a 3D scene. In this manner, the system ensures that processes performed on the product are accurately represented in the 3D scene created by the controller. 
       Examples 
       [0034]    In the following examples, additional processes, systems, and methods are described in the context of a manufacturing system at a factory that assembles aircraft fuselages by riveting a sheet metal skin onto the fuselage. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram  500  illustrating a further exemplary manufacturing system in an exemplary embodiment. In this example, the manufacturing system implements an assembly cell with a pair of robot arms used for riveting. One arm is positioned outside of the fuselage and holds the rivet in place, while the other arm is positioned inside of the fuselage and applies a clamp force to fasten the rivet onto the fuselage. The two robot arms are depicted in  FIG. 5  as elements  510  and  520 . Each robot arm includes a manipulator ( 512 ,  522 ) for engaging in manufacturing processes for the fuselage, and also includes a sensor ( 514 ,  524 ) for detecting the position/orientation of each of its joints. A controller ( 516 ,  526 ) at each robot arm directs the operation of its corresponding manipulator, and based on input from its corresponding sensor determines how rivets have been attached to the fuselage. 
         [0036]    Manufacturing server  530  periodically pulls updates from each robot arm. In this example, each update includes information for each installed rivet, in the form of six numbers (X, Y, Z, θ, Φ, Ψ) representing a 3D position and orientation of the rivet as it has been attached to the fuselage. Each update also includes similar information for each newly installed sheet of skin for the fuselage, as well as a 3D position and orientation of each movable component of the corresponding robot arm. Controller  534  therefore updates database  532  to accumulate entries for each newly attached rivet and sheet of skin. 
         [0037]    While manufacturing server  530  is only depicted as communicating with robot arms in the current assembly cell, in this example manufacturing server  530  acquires and updates progress information from each assembly cell on the factory floor. Thus, manufacturing server  530  aggregates progress information from multiple cells within the factory. In this example, database  532  includes information for each assembly cell, indicating the location and orientation of each machine tool with respect to an in-process fuselage. This enables workstations at the factory to update and depict different assembly cells as desired by operators within the factory. 
         [0038]    Manufacturing server  530 , product design server  540 , and machine tool server  450  are all coupled for communication with workstation  560  via a network connection. In this example, product design server  540  and machine tool server  550  are remotely located from the factory, but manufacturing server  530  and workstation  560  are located in the same building. 
         [0039]    An operator of workstation  560  elects to determine the status of the assembly cell where riveting is taking place, and operates Ethernet interface  562  to acquire setup information for the assembly cell. Manufacturing server  530  then provides setup information indicating the position and orientation of the fuselage, as well as each machine tool of the assembly cell (in this case, the two robot arms). Manufacturing server  530  also indicates the model number of each machine tool in the assembly cell, as well as a reference number indicating the type of rivets being attached, a reference number indicating the type of sheets of skin being attached to the fuselage by the rivets, and a reference number indicating the type of fuselage frame to which the skin is being attached. 
         [0040]    Controller  564 , upon acquiring this information, contacts product design server  540  to acquire a 3D model of the rivet, the fuselage, and the fuselage skin, and further contacts machine tool server  550  to acquire 3D models for the robot arms being used in the assembly cell. Controller  564  then utilizes the position and orientation data provided by manufacturing server  530  to place each 3D object in an integrated scene. Once the scene has been set up, controller  564  operates Ethernet interface  562  to acquire updates for the scene as they are provided by the robot arms to database  532 . 
         [0041]    Specifically, controller  564  acquires updates via manufacturing server  530  indicating the position and orientation of each rivet and sheet of skin successfully attached to the fuselage, and updates the 3D scene with new models placed in the corresponding locations and orientations on the fuselage. In this manner, the operator enjoys the benefit of watching a 3D model of the fuselage assemble in real time. Controller  564  further updates the position and rotation the robot arms, based on their reported 3D positions and orientations. 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a diagram  600  illustrating an update  610  in an exemplary embodiment. In this embodiment, the update provided by the machine tool includes numerous parameters, including the name of a “job” currently being worked on by the machine tool, an identifier for the machine tool, a date/time stamp, and a program name. The program name indicates the name of the program that governs the operations of the machine tool as it modifies this product. The program may therefore vary depending on the type of product being manipulated by the machine tool, new firmware updates, etc. 
         [0043]    A line number is also included, indicating which line of code is currently being executed by a Numerical Control program for the machine tool. To further illustrate its progress, the machine tool also reports the exact hole number that it is riveting, a status indicator as to whether the operation for that hole succeeded or failed, and a 3D location (X, Y, Z) and rotation (A, B, C) in radians indicating the position and orientation of a rivet applied to the hole. 
         [0044]    In this example, the update is acquired directly from internal components of the machine tool, and therefore the update indicates a position and orientation in the 3D space as defined by the local coordinate system used by the machine tool. To address this issue, a controller at manufacturing server  530  or workstation  560  transforms the local coordinates used by the machine tool into universal coordinates that are applicable to the 3D scene being depicted (e.g., by offsetting and/or rotating the coordinate from the machine tool, based on the coordinate system used to depict the scene). 
         [0045]    Any of the various elements shown in the figures or described herein may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or some combination of these. For example, an element may be implemented as dedicated hardware. Dedicated hardware elements may be referred to as “processors”, “controllers”, or some similar terminology. When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” or “controller” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, a network processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or other circuitry, field programmable gate array (FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory (RAM), non-volatile storage, logic, or some other physical hardware component or module. 
         [0046]    Also, an element may be implemented as instructions executable by a processor or a computer to perform the functions of the element. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, and firmware. The instructions are operational when executed by the processor to direct the processor to perform the functions of the element. The instructions may be stored on storage devices that are readable by the processor. Some examples of the storage devices are digital or solid-state memories, magnetic storage media such as a magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media. 
         [0047]    Although specific embodiments are described herein, the scope of the disclosure is not limited to those specific embodiments. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the following claims and any equivalents thereof.