Manufacturing System And Methods

Abstract

In one aspect, a manufacturing system is provided having lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider, drive assemblies configured to pivot the lobe clamps, sensors for detecting the position of the lobe clamps, and a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies and configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps and impart a twist to lobes of the spider. In another aspect, a method is provided that includes twisting lobes of a spider in a first direction toward initial target positions using a machine, permitting the lobes to twist in a second direction toward free state positions, and twisting one or more of the lobes using the machine in response to the one or more lobes having free state positions different than final target positions of the lobes.

1 . A manufacturing system comprising:
 lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider;   drive assemblies connected to the lobe clamps, the drive assemblies being configured to pivot the lobe clamps;   position sensors configured to detect positions of the lobe clamps;   free state position sensors configured to sense the lobe clamps reaching free state positions; and   a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies, position sensors, and free state position sensors, the control system configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps in a first direction toward initial target positions and, in response to the control system determining that the lobe clamps have pivoted to the initial target positions, to cause the drive assemblies to permit the lobe clamps to pivot in a second direction toward first free state positions, and the control system is further configured to compare the first free state positions of the lobe clamps to final target positions.   
     
     
         2 . The manufacturing system of  claim 1  wherein the control system is configured to determine corrective target positions for one or more lobe clamps in response to the one or more lobe clamps having first free state positions different than the final target positions. 
     
     
         3 . The manufacturing system of  claim 2  wherein the control system is configured to cause one or more of the drive assemblies to pivot the one or more lobe clamps in the first direction or the second direction toward the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         4 . The manufacturing system of  claim 3  wherein one or more of the position sensors are configured to sense that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions, and the control system is configured to cause the one or more drive assemblies to permit the one or more lobe clamps to pivot in the first direction or the second direction toward second free state positions in response to the control system determining that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         5 . The manufacturing system of  claim 4  wherein one or more of the free state position sensors are configured to sense that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the second free state positions, and the control system is configured to compare the second free state positions of the one or more lobe clamps to the final target positions. 
     
     
         6 . The manufacturing system of  claim 1  wherein the control system is configured to cause the drive assemblies to provide controlled pivoting of the lobe clamps from the initial target positions toward the first free state positions in response to the control system determining that the lobe clamps have pivoted to the initial target positions. 
     
     
         7 . The manufacturing system of  claim 4  wherein the control system is configured to cause the one or more drive assemblies to provide controlled pivoting of the one or more lobe clamps from the corrective target positions toward the second free state positions in response to the control system determining that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         8 . The manufacturing system of  claim 1  wherein the drive assemblies each include a drive shaft connected to one of the lobe clamps and the position sensors each include an absolute rotary encoder configured to measure the position of one of the drive shafts. 
     
     
         9 . The manufacturing system of  claim 1  wherein the drive assemblies each include:
 a drive shaft connected to one of the lobe clamps; 
 a crank arm connected to the drive shaft; and 
 a linear actuator connected to the crank arm. 
 
     
     
         10 . The manufacturing system of  claim 9  wherein the drive assemblies each include:
 a distal end portion of the crank arm having a throughbore with a predetermined diameter; 
 a pin extending through the throughbore of the crank arm, the pin having a diameter less than the diameter of the throughbore; and 
 a clevis having one end portion connected to the pin and an opposite end portion connected to the linear actuator. 
 
     
     
         11 . The manufacturing system of  claim 10  wherein the free state position sensors each include a pair of proximity sensors connected to one of the crank arms, the proximity sensors disposed about the throughbore of the one crank arm and configured to sense a position of the pin in the throughbore of the one crank arm. 
     
     
         12 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . The manufacturing system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more lobe clamps includes a plurality of the lobe clamps and the control system is configured to cause a plurality of the drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps toward the corrective target positions independently of each other. 
     
     
         48 . The manufacturing system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more lobe clamps includes a plurality of lobe clamps and the control system is configured to cause a plurality of the drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps to different first corrective target positions. 
     
     
         49 . The manufacturing system of  claim 2  wherein the one or more lobe clamps includes a plurality of lobe clamps and the control system is configured to cause fewer than all of the drive assemblies to pivot fewer than all of the plurality of lobe clamps in the first or the second direction toward the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         50 . A manufacturing system comprising:
 lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider;   drive assemblies connected to the lobe clamps, the drive assemblies being configured to pivot the lobe clamps;   position sensors configured to detect positions of the lobe clamps;   free state position sensors configured to sense the lobe clamps reaching free state positions; and   a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies, position sensors, and free state position sensors, the control system configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps in a first direction toward initial target positions and, in response to the control system determining that the lobe clamps have pivoted to the initial target positions, to cause the drive assemblies to permit the lobe clamps to pivot in a second direction toward first free state positions, and the control system is further configured to cause one or more of the drive assemblies to pivot one or more of the lobe clamps in the first direction or the second direction toward corrective target positions in response to the one or more lobe clamps having first free state positions different than final target positions.   
     
     
         51 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein one or more of the position sensors are configured to sense that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions, and the control system is configured to cause the one or more drive assemblies to permit the one or more lobe clamps to pivot in the first direction or the second direction toward second free state positions in response to the control system determining that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         52 . The manufacturing system of  claim 51  wherein one or more of the free state position sensors are configured to sense that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the second free state positions, and the control system is configured to compare the second free state positions of the one or more lobe clamps to the final target positions. 
     
     
         53 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the control system is configured to cause the drive assemblies to provide controlled pivoting of the lobe clamps from the initial target positions toward the first free state positions in response to the control system determining that the lobe clamps have pivoted to the initial target positions. 
     
     
         54 . The manufacturing system of  claim 51  wherein the control system is configured to cause the one or more drive assemblies to provide controlled pivoting of the one or more lobe clamps from the corrective target positions toward the second free state positions in response to the control system determining that the one or more lobe clamps have pivoted to the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         55 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the drive assemblies each include a drive shaft connected to one of the lobe clamps and the position sensors each include an absolute rotary encoder configured to measure the position of one of the drive shafts. 
     
     
         56 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the drive assemblies each include:
 a drive shaft connected to one of the lobe clamps; 
 a crank arm connected to the drive shaft; and 
 a linear actuator connected to the crank arm. 
 
     
     
         57 . The manufacturing system of  claim 56  wherein the drive assemblies each include:
 a distal end portion of the crank arm having a throughbore with a predetermined diameter; 
 a pin extending through the throughbore of the crank arm, the pin having a diameter less than the diameter of the throughbore; and 
 a clevis having one end portion connected to the pin and an opposite end portion connected to the linear actuator. 
 
     
     
         58 . The manufacturing system of  claim 57  wherein the free state position sensors each include a pair of proximity sensors connected to one of the crank arms, the proximity sensors disposed about the throughbore of the one crank arm and configured to sense a position of the pin in the throughbore of the one crank arm. 
     
     
         59 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the one or more lobe clamps includes a plurality of lobe clamps and the one or more drive assemblies includes a plurality of drive assemblies, the control system being configured to cause the plurality of drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps toward the corrective target positions independently of each other. 
     
     
         60 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the one or more lobe clamps includes a plurality of the lobe clamps and the one or more drive assemblies includes a plurality of drive assemblies, the control system being configured to cause the plurality of drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps to different first corrective target positions. 
     
     
         61 . The manufacturing system of  claim 50  wherein the control system is configured to cause fewer than all of the drive assemblies to pivot fewer than all of the lobe clamps in the first direction or the second direction toward the corrective target positions. 
     
     
         62 . A manufacturing system comprising:
 lobe clamps configured to secure lobes of a spider;   drive assemblies connected to the lobe clamps, the drive assemblies being configured to pivot the lobe clamps;   position sensors configured to detect positions of the lobe clamps;   a control system operably coupled to the drive assemblies and the position sensors, the control system configured to cause the drive assemblies to pivot the lobe clamps in a first direction toward initial target positions and to determine first values corresponding to first free state positions of the lobe clamps; and   the control system is further configured to cause at least one of the drive assemblies to pivot at least one of the lobe clamps in the first direction or a second direction toward a first corrective target position in response to the first value corresponding to the first free state position of the at least one lobe clamp being different than a second value corresponding to a final target position of the at least one lobe clamp.   
     
     
         63 . The manufacturing system of  claim 62  wherein the at least one lobe clamp includes a plurality of lobe clamps and the at least one drive assembly includes a plurality of drive assemblies, the control system being configured to cause the plurality of drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps in the first direction or the second direction toward a first corrective target positions in response to the first values of the plurality of lobe clamps being different than the second values of the plurality of lobe clamps. 
     
     
         64 . The manufacturing system of  claim 63  wherein the control system is configured to cause the plurality of drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of lobe clamps to different first corrective target positions. 
     
     
         65 . The manufacturing system of  claim 62  wherein the control system is configured to determine a third value corresponding to a second free state position of the at least one lobe clamp, and the controller is further configured to cause the at least one drive assembly to pivot the at least one lobe clamp toward a second corrective target position in response to the third value corresponding to the second free state position of the at least one lobe clamp being different than the second value corresponding to the final target position of the at least one lobe clamp. 
     
     
         66 . The manufacturing system of  claim 65  wherein the control system is configured to determine a fourth value corresponding to a third free state position of the at least one lobe clamp, the control system being configured to cause the at least one drive assembly to pivot the at least one lobe clamp toward a third corrective target position in response to the fourth value corresponding to the third free state position of the at least one lobe clamp being different than the second value corresponding to the final target position of the at least one lobe clamp. 
     
     
         67 . The manufacturing system of  claim 62  wherein the control system is configured to cause the at least one drive assembly to pivot fewer than all of the lobe clamps in the first direction or the second direction toward the first corrective target position. 
     
     
         68 . The manufacturing system of  claim 67  wherein the control system is configured to cause one of the drive assemblies to pivot an associated lobe clamp in response to the pivoting of the at least one lobe clamp in the first direction or the second direction toward the first corrective target position causing the first value corresponding to the first free state position of the one lobe clamp to be different than a second value corresponding to the final target position of the one lobe clamp. 
     
     
         69 . The manufacturing system of  claim 62  wherein the at least one lobe clamp includes a plurality of lobe clamps and the at least one drive assembly includes a plurality of drive assemblies, the control system being configured to cause the plurality of drive assemblies to pivot the plurality of the lobe clamps independently of each other in the first direction or the second direction toward the first corrective target positions. 
     
     
         70 . The manufacturing system of  claim 62  wherein the control system is configured to determine the first values corresponding to the first free state positions of the lobe clamps based at least in part on determining torques applied to the drive assemblies by the lobe clamps.