Automated plate shaping and verification

Abstract

An automated plate shaping and verification system allows for the accurate and efficient transformation of a metal plate from a starting shape to a target shape. Using a method for path planning, the system can select heating patterns based on modeling the expected deformation of a particular material type and thickness and identifying candidate heating paths that will sufficiently cause the plate to transform towards the target shape.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for automated plate shaping and verification, comprising:
 a heating element coupled to a multi-dimensional positioning system;   one or more quenching components configured to expel a liquid coolant on to a metal work piece; and   one or more computer processing components configured to execute operations comprising:   determining an amount of deviation between a present shape of the metal work piece and a target shape at each node of a plurality of nodes;   generating a plurality of candidate heating paths at a heating location, wherein the heating location comprises a node of the plurality of nodes having the greatest amount of deviation;   modeling an estimated deformation of the metal work piece for each of at least a portion of the plurality of candidate heating paths;   selecting a first candidate heating path based on the estimated deformation of the work piece as a result of the first candidate heating path, wherein the estimated deformation of the work piece caused by the first candidate heating path is estimated to transform the work piece from a present shape to a second shape; and   causing the heating element to heat a first surface according to the first candidate heating path and deform the metal work piece.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heating element is configured to heat a first surface of the metal work piece and the one or more quenching components are configured to expel the liquid coolant on to a second surface of the metal work piece, the first surface opposite the second surface. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a work piece support table configured to support the metal work piece, and wherein the work piece support table houses the one or more quenching components. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising one or more three dimensional scanning components. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein determining the amount of deviation between the present shape of the metal work piece and the target shape is based on a comparison of a three dimensional model generated using one or more images from the three dimensional scanning component and a three dimensional model of the target shape. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more three dimensional scanning components comprise a camera. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the camera is a three dimensional camera. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more three dimensional scanning components are coupled to the robotic arm. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein each candidate heating path of the plurality of candidate heating paths comprises a heating pattern, a series of heating parameters, and the heating location. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each candidate heating pattern of the plurality of candidate heating patterns is centered on the heating location. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the heating pattern comprises a pattern type and one or more pattern orientation variables. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the pattern type is selected from a group comprising a line, a triangle, and a diamond. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the heating parameters comprise a standoff distance between the first surface of the work piece and the heating element, a heating element temperature, and a heating element movement speed. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein prior to causing the heating element to heat the first surface, the one or more computer processing components are further configured to:
 determine the amount of deviation between the target shape and a shape resulting from one or more previously-selected heating paths;   generating a second set of candidate heating paths at a second heating location, wherein the second heating location comprises a second node of the plurality of nodes having the greatest amount of deviation between the target shape and the shape resulting from the one or more previously-selected heating paths;   modeling each candidate heating path of the second set of candidate heating paths;   selecting a second candidate heating path based on the estimated deformation of the work piece caused by the second candidate heating path on the second shape, wherein the estimated deformation of the work piece caused by the second candidate heating path is estimated to transform the work piece from the second shape to a third shape; and   repetitively determining the heating location, candidate heating paths, modeling the candidate heating paths and selecting a candidate heating path until a series of selected candidate heating paths is estimated to reduce a difference between the current shape and the target shape by greater than a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first candidate heating path is selected based on a determination that a difference between the first shape and the target shape is less than a difference between the target shape and each of the other candidate heating paths of the plurality of candidate heating paths. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first candidate heating path is selected based on a determination that a difference between the first shape and the target shape is less than a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         17 . A method for shaping a metal plate with a heating element, comprising:
 determining an amount of deviation between a first shape of a metal work piece and a target shape at each node of a plurality of nodes;   generating a plurality of candidate heating paths at a heating location, wherein the heating location comprises a node of the plurality of nodes having the greatest amount of deviation;   modeling an estimated deformation of the metal work piece for each candidate heating path of the plurality of candidate heating paths;   selecting a first candidate heating path based on a determination that the estimated deformation caused by the first candidate heating path is estimated to transform the work piece from the first shape to a second shape; and   communicating an instruction to a robotic arm of an automated plate shaping system to heat a first surface of a metal work piece, using a heating component coupled to the robotic arm, according to the first candidate heating path.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein selecting the first candidate heating path is further based on a determination that the first candidate heating path results in less root mean squared (RMS) difference between the second shape and the target shape when compared to an estimated shape resulting from each candidate heating path of the plurality of candidate heating paths. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the RMS difference comprises an average of the RMS difference at each node of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         20 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media that, when executed by one or more computer processing components, cause the one or more computer processing components to perform a method comprising:
 determining an amount of deviation between a first shape of a metal work piece and a target shape at each node of a plurality of nodes;   generating a plurality of candidate heating paths at a heating location, wherein the heating location comprises a node of the plurality of nodes having the greatest amount of deviation;   modeling an estimated deformation of the metal work piece for each of at least a portion of the plurality of candidate heating paths;   selecting a first candidate heating path based on a determination that the estimated deformation caused by the first candidate heating path is estimated to transform the work piece from the first shape to a second shape; and   communicating an instruction to a robotic arm of an automated plate shaping system to heat a first surface of a metal work piece using a heating component coupled to the robotic arm, according to the first candidate heating path.