The Boeing Company

Strata Manufacturing Pjsc

Ashkan Amirsadri

Jason John Cochrane

Benjamin Stanislaw Zielinski

Leng Benjamin Vongchanh

Andre D Swart

Martin Alexander Szarski

Nut plate grippers, end effectors that include nut plate grippers, robots that include end effectors, installation systems that include robots, and related methods are disclosed herein. The nut plate grippers are configured to grip a nut plate and include an attachment region, a first resilient projecting region, and a second resilient projecting region. The first resilient projecting region extends from the attachment region and defines a first nut plate-contacting end. The second resilient projecting region extends from the attachment region and defines a second nut plate-contacting end. The first resilient projecting region and the second resilient projecting region are configured to resiliently deflect toward one another to facilitate insertion of the first nut plate-contacting end and the second nut plate-contacting end between a pair of opposed plate flanges of a base plate of the nut plate. The methods include methods of gripping a nut plate utilizing the nut plate grippers.

Nut plate grippers, end effectors that include nut plate grippers, robots that include end effectors, installation systems that include robots, and related methods

A robotic drill system and a method of drilling with a robotic drill system. This includes inserting a tool head of the robotic drill within a hole of a drill template along an initial insertion trajectory with a robotic manipulator arm that is moved by at least one robotic actuator for causing robotic insertion of the tool head. In response to sensing binding of the tool head to a wall of the hole while inserting the tool head along the initial insertion trajectory, the disclosure includes stopping robotic insertion of the tool head and activating a self-centering device of the tool head to reorient the tool head to a corrected alignment of the tool head axis relative to the hole. The self-centering device may include an expandable collet.

Robotic drill system and method of drilling with a robotic drill system

A robotic manufacturing system and method include a robot including a control unit in communication with an operative member. The control unit is configured to operate the operative member in relation to a workpiece within a working area according to a control plan. A presence sensor is configured to detect presence of a human within the working area. An imaging device is configured to acquire an image of at least a portion of the workpiece in response to the presence sensor detecting the presence of the human within the working area.

Robotic manufacturing systems and methods

Nut plate grippers, end effectors that include nut plate grippers, robots that include end effectors, installation systems that include robots, and related methods are disclosed herein. The end effectors include a nut plate gripper, a rivet holder, and a yoke that defines a nut plate gripper side and a rivet holder side. The nut plate gripper is operatively attached to the nut plate gripper side of the yoke. The rivet holder is operatively attached to the rivet holder side of the yoke such that the nut plate gripper and the rivet holder define a structure-receiving region therebetween. The nut plate gripper is configured to grip the nut plate. The rivet holder is configured to selectively retain a plurality of rivet heads of a plurality of corresponding rivets. The robots include the end effector. The installation systems include the robot. The methods include methods of utilizing nut plate installation systems.

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Melbourne, Australia

Ashkan Amirsadri