Math Based Precision Manufacturing and Metrology for Complex Mechanical Assemblies

本研究的目的是整合三个连续的阶段，通常需要得到复杂的机械组件的功能和组装正确。 三个阶段中的第一阶段是由设计工程师设定几何变化的限制。 第二种是由制造工程师将这些限制转换为工艺计划，即工厂中用于完成零件或组件制造的分步程序。 第三种是在质量控制检查期间将零件表面上的测量点转换为可用于与设计者设定的极限进行直接比较的形式。 该方法是将新开发的设计数学模型的概念扩展到复杂的几何形状和机械零件的制造和检测领域。 新模型将设计限制表示为多维几何空间中的边界。 边界将可接受的较小变化与不可接受的较大变化分开。 新的数学模型是唯一的，因为没有其他模型代表所有类别的限制在设计和制造的实践中使用。 该奖项的好处，如果成功执行，将是第一个数学模型，以整合机械零件的制造变化的方式，将与实践中使用的标准一致。 此外，到目前为止，所有几何制造变化都归因于制造过程，而不是特征的几何形状和变化的规定限值。 建议使用新的数学模型进行设计，通过将纯粹的几何变化与来自制造过程和机器特性的变化分开，将实现一种新的思维方式。

The objective of this research is to integrate the three sequential stages that typically are required to get complex mechanical assemblies to function and assemble properly. The first of the three stages is the setting of limits on the geometric variations by design engineers. The second is conversion of these limits by manufacturing engineers to process plans, the step-by-step procedures used in a factory to accomplish the manufacture of a part or an assembly. The third is the conversion of measured points on the surface of a part during quality control inspection to a form that may be used for direct comparison with the limits set by the designer. The method is to extend the concepts of a newly developed mathematical model for design both to complex geometries and to the domains of manufacturing and inspection of mechanical parts. The new model represents the design limits as boundaries in multidimensional geometric space. The boundaries separate smaller variations, which are acceptable, from larger ones that are not. The new math model is unique because no other model represents all classes of limits used in the practice of design and manufacturing. The benefits from this award, if successfully carried out, will be a first mathematical model to integrate manufacturing variations in mechanical parts in a manner that will be consistent with the standards used in practice. Further, until now, all geometric manufacturing variations have been attributed to manufacturing processes, not to the geometry of the feature and the specified limits to the variations. The proposed use of the new mathematical model for design will enable a new way of thinking by separating variations that are purely geometric from those that come from characteristics of manufacturing processes and machines.