Patent Publication Number: US-2023161314-A1

Title: Computer-implemented method of controlling a manufacturing machine, associated system and computer readable instructions

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The application relates generally to manufacturing processes and, more particularly, to the collection, storage and retrieval of manufacturing data. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
     The design of complex systems such as gas turbine engines involves the design of individual parts. At the design stage, designers make design choices, such as evaluating manufacturing options or determining tolerances, based on information made available to them. A number of “as designed” part definitions can then make their way to a production management stage in which production managers can seek to optimize production also based on information made available to them. The production manager tasks can include production planning, and can also include the determination of inspection schedules. Inspection schedules can be defined in a manner to reduce the inspection burden while respecting quality criteria, and information such as inspection results of previously produced identical parts can be useful in achieving these objectives. It will be understood that the more structured information is practically made available to designers or to production managers, the more instrumented they are to extract knowledge out of it and take good decisions. Information about manufacturing processes can be relevant for other persons involved in the design, production or sales of parts and systems. While former techniques of collecting, communicating and/or retrieving information were satisfactory to a certain degree, there always remains room for improvement. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method of controlling a manufacturing machine, the method comprising: at a controller, controlling a manufacturing machine to perform a manufacturing process step for a given feature of a plurality of features of a part, including executing instructions causing the manufacturing machine to perform the manufacturing process step, the instructions comprising an identifier of the given feature and a definition of the manufacturing process step to be executed in relation to the given feature; at a controller during the manufacturing process step, generating manufacturing data from the manufacturing process step; and by the controller, associating the manufacturing data to the identifier of the given feature in a non-transitory memory. 
     In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method of manufacturing a part, the method comprising: controlling a tooling subsystem of a manufacturing machine to perform a manufacturing process step for a feature of the part in accordance with instructions, an identifier of the feature being associated to a definition of the manufacturing process step in the instructions; providing manufacturing data pertaining to the manufacturing process step; and storing the manufacturing data with the identifier of the feature in a database. 
     In another aspect, there is provided a manufacturing machine having a tooling subsystem and a computer configured to control the tooling subsystem, the computer having a processor and a memory accessible to the processor, the memory having stored thereon instructions operable to, when executed by the processor: control the tooling subsystem to perform a manufacturing process step for a feature of the part, an identifier of the feature of the part being associated to a definition of the manufacturing process step in the instructions; and store manufacturing data pertaining to the manufacturing process step and the identifier of the feature of the part in fields of a single data item. 
     In a further aspect, there is provided a computer software product stored in a non-volatile memory and having instructions operable to, when executed by the processor: control a tooling subsystem to perform a manufacturing process step for a feature of the part, an identifier of the feature of the part being associated to a definition of the manufacturing process step in the instructions; store manufacturing data pertaining to the manufacturing process step and the identifier of the feature of the part in fields of a single data item. 
     In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a computer-implemented method of generating a database for manufacturing data pertaining to process steps performed on corresponding ones of a plurality of features of a plurality of parts, the method comprising: receiving, from a manufacturing machine, manufacturing data pertaining to a given process steps performed in relation with a given feature of a plurality of features of a part, and an identifier of the given feature; and associating the manufacturing data to the identifier of the given feature in a non-transitory memory. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas turbine engine; 
         FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  are oblique views taken from different angles of a gas turbine engine fuel nozzle assembly including two parts; 
         FIG.  3 A  is a schematic view of data flow in the context of manufacturing operations. 
         FIG.  3 B  is a schematic view of a first data item format; 
         FIG.  3 C  is a schematic view of a second data item format; 
         FIG.  4    is a schematic representation of the relationships between parts and features, and corresponding identifiers; 
         FIG.  5    is a block diagram of a manufacturing machine, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    is a flow chart of an example method of manufacturing a part, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  7    is an excerpt of G-Code in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  8    is an example of a data item in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  9    is an example of data items in accordance with another embodiment; 
         FIG.  10    is a block diagram of a computer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a gas turbine engine  10  of a type preferably provided for use in subsonic flight, generally comprising in serial flow communication a fan  12  through which ambient air is propelled, a compressor section  14  for pressurizing the air, a combustor section  16  in which the compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignited for generating an annular stream of hot combustion gases around the engine axis  11 , and a turbine section  18  for extracting energy from the combustion gases. 
     A complex system such as a gas turbine engine can have a large number of parts, the manufacture of which can involve a sequence of manufacturing process steps. Manufacturing process steps can be associated to a variety of manufacturing processes such as casting, 3D printing, machining, and inspection, and a sequence can include a plurality of same and/or different processes (e.g. rough machining followed by finishing machining and then inspection, or casting followed by machining). Some, or all of these process steps can be automated with one or more machine such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining and Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection. 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  presents an example gas turbine engine assembly  20  which includes two parts  22 ,  24 . In this example, the assembly is a fuel nozzle assembly  20  which is designed in a manner to be formed by the relatively close fitting of a first fuel nozzle part  22  and of a second fuel nozzle part  24 . A plurality of such fuel nozzle assemblies  20  can ultimately be used in a circumferentially distributed manner in the combustor section  16  of a gas turbine engine. Innumerable alternate examples of parts can exist and this specific example is used here arbitrarily, simply to assist in giving a clear explanation of concepts involved in this disclosure. In this specific example, these two parts  22 ,  24  can be designed for machining from a cylindrical bar of titanium or aluminum using one or two subsequent CNC machining stations for instance. Such parts  22 ,  24  can each have a plurality of features such as internal diameters  26 ,  28 ,  30 , outer diameters  32 ,  34 , planar surfaces  36 ,  38 , gaps  40  between planar surfaces, etc. Such features can be defined by characteristics. For instance, an internal diameter  26 ,  28 ,  30  can be defined by an axis  42  position and orientation, a nominal diameter and tolerances, and a planar surface  36 ,  38  can be defined by a position and orientation, a perimeter, and tolerances. Such features, including characteristics, can be defined by designers at the design stage. Some features can have tighter tolerances which may require a stricter inspection schedule than others. In some embodiments, it can be advantageous for the designer to define characteristics of a feature independently from the characteristics of all other parts, whereas in other embodiments, it can be advantageous for the designer to define characteristics of a feature of a part relatively to characteristics of a feature of another part with which it is configured to be assembled to. It will be noted here for example that, an internal diameter feature  30  of the first part  22  is configured to receive an external diameter feature  34  of the second part  24 , and the two are thus related to one another, for instance. Other examples of parts which can benefit from the description below can include turbine disks and integrated bladed rotors (IBRs). 
     As presented in  FIG.  3 A , computers associated with automated manufacturing processes such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining  44  and Coordinate-Measuring Machine (CMM) inspection  46  can be enabled to perform computerized information collection leading to manufacturing data  50  which can be stored in a database  48 . As represented in  FIG.  3 B , the manufacturing data  50  can be included as part of a data item  52  together with a identifier  54  of the part (PartID), in two corresponding fields of the data item  52 . By including the partID  54  with the manufacturing data  50  in the data item  52 , a query can be performed using the partID  54  in a manner to allow a user, such as a designer, production manager or software application, to retrieve information pertaining to the manufacturing of the part. Such a user may wish to access inspection data, for instance, to ascertain the degree at which targeted design tolerances are met in practice for the given part, or go even further and access data associated to a machining process. While organizing manufacturing data in this manner can be satisfactory to a certain degree, it will be understood that the user wishing to access the inspection data specific to a certain feature will need first to access the data for the part, and then find the data associated to the feature he is targeting amongst the other manufacturing data  50  associated to the part  22 , which can be burdensome. Moreover, there may have been a limited number of that part  22  which has been actually manufactured, which may limit the amount of information available, and lead to correspondingly limited level of statistical representation for instance. 
     Occurrences of performing process steps on features could be significantly more common than occurrences performing manufacturing processes on a given part  22 . Indeed, a same feature can be integrated to a large number of different parts  22 ,  24 . For a feature realized by a same manufacturing process step, or a same sequence of manufacturing process steps, the manufacturing data may be equivalently relevant to a given intended use, independently of which part  22 ,  24  the feature is embodied in. However, using a manufacturing data storing process in which manufacturing data  50  is associated to corresponding PartIDs  54  may not allow a user to suitably easily retrieve relevant data about a given feature as it may exist in relation with other PartIDs, the user being limited to performing queries based on a pre-identified PartIDs. 
     In some embodiments, such inconveniences can be addressed by a different manufacturing data storage data item format, an example of which is presented in  FIG.  3 C , and in which manufacturing data  50  is stored not as a function of the PartID  54  of the part to which it pertains, but as a function of an identifier of a feature (FID)  58  to which it pertains. 
     Let us turn to  FIG.  4    to explain and define the relevant notions. As seen in this example, a plurality of parts can each have a corresponding combination of features. The features can be unique to a single part, or common to two or more of the parts. In this example, for instance, both Part  1  (e.g. part  22 ) and Part  2  (e.g. part  24 ) have Feature  2  (e.g.  26 ,  28 ). By contradistinction with associating identifiers (PartID #s)  54  to corresponding ones of the parts, which allows uniquely identifying a given part and distinguishing it from the other parts, feature identifiers (FID #s)  58  are associated here with corresponding features, which allow uniquely identifying a given feature and distinguishing it from the other features. 
     Feature identifiers (FIDs)  58  can be defined in accordance with a standard to allow different users to use a common “language” to refer to corresponding ones of a plurality of features. The standard used to define the feature identifiers can vary from one embodiment to another. In one embodiment, for instance, it may be decided to use the UUID format, in the context of the Quality Information Framework (QIF), as feature identifiers for corresponding feature definitions. In other embodiments, other standards can be used instead, while still allowing to group corresponding features independently of the part in which they are included. 
     Referring to  FIG.  5   , to harness pre-existing capabilities that computer-controlled manufacturing machines  62  such as CAM/CNC machining machines  44  or CMM(DCC) inspection machines  46  may have, FIDs  58  can be associated to a definition of corresponding process steps  64  in the computer readable instructions  66  (e.g. software code) which is provided to the manufacturing machine&#39;s computerized controller  68  to control the tooling subsystem  70 . Based on the FID  58  associated with a given process step  64 , the controller  68  can associate manufacturing data  50  provided by the manufacturing machine  62  for a given process step  64  with the FID  58  associated with that process step  64 , and then proceed to store the manufacturing data  50  together with the FID  58  in a database  42  for subsequent access. 
     More specifically, the FID  58  and the manufacturing data  50  can be stored in corresponding fields of a single data item  52  in the database  42 , in accordance with a configuration wherein the manufacturing data  50  can later be accessed using the FID  58  in a query. The data item  52 , which may be referred to as a feature-based manufacturing data item  52 , may or may not include other manufacturing data  72  (e.g. manufacturing data collected for another process step executed by a same or a different machine on the same instance of the feature) and may or may not include another identifier (e.g. a PartID  54 ). The database  42  can be embodied on computer readable memory which can be part of another computer than the controller  68 , and the manufacturing machine  62  can communicate with the database  42  via a telecommunications network such as the Internet for instance. Other feature-based manufacturing data items  74  can be stored in the same database  42 , and such other data items  74  can pertain to a plurality of different process steps performed by the same or by different machines, to a plurality of different occurrences of the same features, and to a plurality of different occurrences of a number of other features. 
     In the example presented in  FIG.  5   , different computerized functions are organized in corresponding boxes referred to as modules for simplicity. A tool controlling module  76  can be responsible for controlling the tooling subsystem  70 , which can include a tool monitoring subsystem  78 , in accordance with instructions  66  in the form of software code. The software code can be specific to a given part, for instance, and a number of different software codes associated to a corresponding number of parts can be stored in a memory of the controller  68  at a given time, with the software code being changed in accordance with production schedules. The tool controlling module  76  can have its own, lower layer, computer readable instructions which allow it to interpret the software code, select a software code corresponding to a given part, and control the tool subsystem accordingly to the instructions  66 , and these computer readable instructions may be more permanent than the software code associated to the part, such as remaining the same until an eventual update is performed. An associator module  80  can be said to be responsible for performing the function of associating the manufacturing data  50  with the FID  58  and storing them together in the database  42 . 
     Accordingly, with reference to  FIG.  6   , in accordance with an embodiment, the controller can control  102  a tooling subsystem  70  of a manufacturing machine  62  to perform a manufacturing process step for a feature of the part in accordance with instructions  66 , an identifier of the feature  58  being associated to a definition of the manufacturing process step  58  in the instructions  66 ; providing  102  manufacturing data  50  pertaining to the manufacturing process step  64 ; and storing  104  the manufacturing data  50  with the identifier of the feature  58  in a database  42 . 
     In an example embodiment, the software code lists instructions  66  to perform a series of process steps  64  in a language which the tool controlling module  76  is designed to interpret. It can define process steps  64  in a manner for the tool controlling module  76  to be capable of interpreting which process step it is to perform, with which characteristics, and while more detailed instructions of how to execute a given process step with the corresponding characteristics can be included in the computer readable instructions of the tool controlling module  76 . In one embodiment, for instance, the software code is expressed in the G-code language, which is a common software code used with manufacturing machines  62 . 
       FIG.  7    presents an example portion of G-code in which a FID  58  which is associated with the definition of a process step  64 , which is here a monitor cut process step for enabling the monitoring of the process and collecting process monitoring data with the FID. In another embodiment, the same FID can be added to the G-code to enable on-machine measurements or probing, for instance. 
     Manufacturing data  50  can be provided in various forms, the details of which can vary as a function of the embodiment. In one embodiment, manufacturing data can include measurement data. Measurement data can be collected by a tool monitoring subsystem of a CMM machine  46 , for instance, or, in certain embodiments, by a tool monitoring subsystem included as part of a CNC machine  44  which is provided with some measurement capabilities. In such cases, the tool can be a probe. The measurement data can be collected by the manufacturing machine  62  while performing the corresponding process step  64  (e.g. a measurement step associated to the feature).  FIG.  8    presents a visual representation of data items including both measurement data and FID  58 . In the specific embodiment of  FIG.  8   , both probing data and CMM data are present with the Feature ID. 
     In an embodiment, manufacturing data  50  can include monitoring data. Indeed, a CNC machine  44 , for instance, may be configured to collect measurements associated to a corresponding cutting process step. Such measurements can include one or more values of cutting/spindle load, coolant flow, temperature (e.g. spindle temperature), vibrations (e.g. amplitude and frequency spectrum). Indeed, if a user of feature-based manufacturing data items  52 ,  74  sees something unusual or particular about measurement data, he/she may wish to look into monitoring data in greater detail, for instance. The monitoring data can be collected by the manufacturing machine  62  while performing the process step (e.g. a cutting step such as a rough or finishing cutting step associated to the feature). 
     In an embodiment, manufacturing data  50  can include process data. Process data can include internal data to the controller  68  for instance, such as offset values (e.g. internally applied correction following measurement or calibration), measurement or cutting time or duration values, etc. Indeed, if a user of feature-based manufacturing data items sees something unusual or particular about measurement data, he/she may wish to look into monitoring data in greater detail, for instance. The process data can be defined by the controller (e.g. tool controlling module), while performing the process step, or have been defined prior to the performing of the process step.  FIG.  9    presents a visual representation of a data item including both process data and a FID. 
     In an embodiment, manufacturing data  50  can be collected by one or more machines  62  performing one or more process steps  64  associated to various occurrences of a given feature (e.g.  26 ,  28 ) on a plurality of parts (e.g.  22 ,  24 ) or on a plurality of occurrences of a given part, and be stored in a corresponding plurality of feature-based manufacturing data items  52 ,  74  in the database. Indeed, after performing a manufacturing process step on a first occurrence of a feature of a first part, leading to a first feature-based manufacturing data item  58  associated to a first occurrence of the feature, the manufacturing process step can be repeated on a second occurrence of the feature on a second part, leading to a second manufacturing data item  74  associated to the second occurrence of the feature in the database  42 . Accordingly, if a search (query) is subsequently performed in the database on the basis of a FID  58  associated to the feature, the search can retrieve the first data item  52 , the second data item  74 , and any additional data item having manufacturing data  50  for the same feature. 
     In an embodiment, manufacturing data  50  can be collected by more than one machine (e.g.  44 ,  46 ) performing corresponding process steps (e.g. machining, measuring) on the same occurrence of a given feature, and the manufacturing data  50 ,  72  (see  FIG.  3 C ) corresponding to each process step can be included in the same data item in the database. Indeed, after performing a first manufacturing step with a first manufacturing machine (e.g. a rough or finishing cutting step with a CNC machine) and producing an associated feature-based manufacturing data item  52  including first manufacturing data  50 , a second manufacturing step with the first manufacturing machine (e.g. finishing cutting step), or with a second manufacturing machine (e.g. measurement with a CMM machine), can lead to second manufacturing data  72 , and it can be convenient in some embodiments to insert this second manufacturing data  72  into the first data item  52 , rather than creating another data item  74 . For instance, the FID  58  can be included in a first field, the first manufacturing data  50  in a second field, and the second manufacturing data  72  in a third field of the data item  52 , and so on. In such an embodiment, a search can then be performed by specifying a field identifier (e.g. identifier of the third field) in addition to a FID, and yield the manufacturing data  60  corresponding to the field identifier while not yielding the manufacturing data  50  not associated to that field identifier. In alternate embodiments, it can be preferred to create a new data item  74  with the additional manufacturing data  72 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  10   , it will be understood that the expression “computer”  400  as used herein is not to be interpreted in a limiting manner. It is rather used in a broad sense to generally refer to the combination of some form of one or more processing units  412  and some form of memory system  414  accessible by the processing unit(s). The memory system can be of the non-transitory type. The use of the expression “computer” in its singular form as used herein includes within its scope one or more processing units working to perform a given function. 
     A processing unit can be embodied in the form of a general-purpose micro-processor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an electronic engine controller EEC, a full authority digital engine controller (FADEC), to name a few examples. 
     The memory system can include a suitable combination of any suitable type of computer-readable memory located either internally, externally, and accessible by the processor in a wired or wireless manner, either directly or over a network such as the Internet. A computer-readable memory can be embodied in the form of random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), and electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) to name a few examples. 
     A computer can have one or more input/output (I/O) interface to allow communication with a human user and/or with another computer via an associated input, output, or input/output device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, an antenna, a port, etc. Each I/O interface can enable the computer to communicate and/or exchange data with other components, to access and connect to network resources, to serve applications, and/or perform other computing applications by connecting to a network (or multiple networks) capable of carrying data including the Internet, Ethernet, plain old telephone service (POTS) line, public switch telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital network (ISDN), digital subscriber line (DSL), coaxial cable, fiber optics, satellite, mobile, wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX), SS7 signaling network, fixed line, local area network, wide area network, to name a few examples. 
     It will be understood that a computer can perform functions or processes via hardware or a combination of both hardware and software. For example, hardware can include logic gates included as part of a silicon chip of a processor. Software (e.g. application, process) can be in the form of data such as computer-readable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory accessible by one or more processing units. With respect to a computer or a processing unit, the expression “configured to” relates to the presence of hardware or a combination of hardware and software which is operable to perform the associated functions. In the context of this specification, a computer or controller can be implemented in a cloud based, or virtual-machine based manner via software applications. 
     The embodiments described in this document provide non-limiting examples of possible implementations of the present technology. Upon review of the present disclosure, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. For example, various types of computer numerical controlled machines exist, such as mills, lathes, plasma cutters, electric discharge machines (EDM), multi-spindle machines, wire EDM, sinker EDM, water jet cutters, punch presses and 3D printing equipment. Moreover, the process can be applied to data collection systems such as process monitoring which are independent or not part of a CNC or CMM. Yet further modifications could be implemented by a person of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure, which modifications would be within the scope of the present technology.