Math Based Precision Manufacturing and Metrology for Complex Mechanical Assemblies

本研究的目的是整合通常需要的三个连续阶段，以使复杂的机械组件正常工作和组装。三个阶段中的第一个阶段是设计工程师对几何变化设定限制。第二种是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总成制造的一步一步的程序。第三种是在质量控制检验期间将零件表面上的测量点转换为可用于与设计人员设定的极限直接比较的形式。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。新模型将设计极限表示为多维几何空间中的边界。边界将可接受的小变化与不可接受的大变化分开。这个新的数学模型是独一无二的，因为没有其他模型能代表设计和制造实践中使用的所有类别的限制。如果成功实施，该奖项的好处将是第一个以与实践中使用的标准一致的方式集成机械零件制造变化的数学模型。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指定限制。将新的数学模型用于设计的建议将通过将纯几何变化与来自制造过程和机器特征的变化分离开来，从而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.