EP3834121A1

EP3834121A1 - Method for carrying out maintenance work on a complex structural component

Info

Publication number: EP3834121A1
Application number: EP19778787.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Bartelt
Original assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
Current assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG
Priority date: 2018-08-07
Filing date: 2019-08-01
Publication date: 2021-06-16
Also published as: DE102018213208A1; WO2020030208A1; US20210406844A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for carrying out maintenance work on a complex structural component (1), in particular, a gas turbine (1), by means of a virtual work environment (10). The virtual work environment (10) has a display device (11) and a computing device (12), said computing device (12) being connected to a memory device (14), in which the characteristics of the complex structural component (1), together with its component parts and their assembly sequence, are stored. During the method, at least one component part (6) needing maintenance, or a predefined modification state (20) of the structural component (1) is selected in the virtual work environment (10). From this step, the disassembly or assembly steps (15) required for disassembling or assembling the component parts (6) of the structural component (1) are calculated and displayed, in order to obtain access to the at least one component part (6) needing maintenance, or to achieve the selected modification state (20).

Description

Procedure for performing maintenance on a complex

mounting assembly

The invention relates to a method for performing maintenance work on a complex assembly assembly, in particular a gas turbine, by means of a virtual one

Working environment which has a display device and a computing device, the computing device being connected to a storage device in which the properties of the complex assembly module and its components are stored with the assembly sequence.

An essential factor in the implementation of maintenance work on complex

Assembly modules is a detailed knowledge of the structure of the assembly module. The individual and mostly very specific detailed knowledge of employees plays an important role in the efficient planning and implementation of maintenance work. This

Detailed knowledge largely depends on the technical and procedural experience of

Employees, personal inclinations and the commitment of the individual and also varies with different types of assembly modules. If maintenance work has to be carried out on different types of complex assembly modules, this often results in an increased susceptibility to errors and thus a longer maintenance period.

Various virtual work environments are known from research in particular, which are intended to support the assembly and disassembly of complex assembly assemblies. For example, Ahmad et al. (IFAC-PapersOnLine 48-3 (2015) 1726-1731) are generally important steps of a virtual engine assembly. The focus is on virtual prototyping, which is particularly useful in the design and development process of the preliminary check of

Assembly relationships (collision analysis) enabled. Complex disassembly and

Assembly processes on existing assembly modules for maintenance purposes and in particular a derivation and display of necessary assembly or disassembly steps that are necessary to gain access to a component of a complex assembly module, as well as documentation of current maintenance statuses with work carried out and the degree of utilization of components of the assembly module so far hardly noticed or implemented.

confirmation copy Proceeding from this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for

Propose maintenance work on a complex assembly assembly using a virtual work environment that supports the planning and implementation of maintenance of the complex assembly assembly and thus simplifies maintenance and in particular also reduces the maintenance time. This is achieved according to the invention by the teaching of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

To achieve the object, a method for carrying out maintenance work on a complex assembly module, in particular a gas turbine, is achieved by means of a virtual one

Working environment suggested. The virtual working environment has a display device and a computing device, the computing device being connected to a storage device in which the properties of the complex assembly module and its components are stored with the assembly sequence.

The process has the following steps:

a) Selecting at least one component to be serviced or a predefined one

Modification status of the assembly module in the virtual working environment;

b) Calculating the required disassembly or assembly steps and their sequence for disassembling or assembling components of the assembly assembly in order to gain access to the at least one component to be serviced or the selected one

To achieve modification status;

c) Display of the necessary assembly and disassembly steps in order to gain access to the component to be serviced or to achieve the selected modification status.

The proposed method enables a simplified implementation of

Maintenance work on complex assembly assemblies by selecting the component to be serviced in the complex assembly assembly or a predefined modification status of the assembly assembly, the required disassembly or

Installation steps and their sequence are calculated and sent to a maintenance mechanic

Perform the required work. With the help of the proposed method, a reduction in process complexity and error susceptibility is achieved as well as a faster and more efficient exchange of information among those involved in maintenance Disciplines. As a result, the proposed method enables the overall efficiency of maintenance processing to be increased.

The proposed method is used to carry out maintenance work using a virtual work environment on a complex assembly module. The virtual one

The working environment has a display device for displaying the available and calculated information and a computing device which processes this information. The computing device is connected to a memory device in which the properties of the complex assembly assembly and its components are stored, in particular also in connection with their assembly sequence.

In this case, a virtual model of the complex assembly module is present in the memory device, which has a volume model that can be represented by the display device for each relevant component. With the assembly complex formed from this, the assembly logic of the

Assembled assembly assembly and possible component combinations, which can also be linked to the parts list structure of the assembly assembly, for example. Furthermore, in the

Storage device further the components or component groups (within the scope of the description of the invention, for simplification, component groups, which in their entirety represent a smaller functional unit of the complex assembly assembly, also summarized under the term component), are stored, such as

for example dimensions, material, component and serial number, version or one

Installation package affiliation.

A further property of components, which is stored in the memory device, is the link logic, by means of which the assembly structure can be mapped. Each component with its interfaces to other components is clearly the most complex

Assembly module assigned. The assembly relationships are clearly defined by the link logic. The link logic, for example, specifies which components must first be removed to remove any other component.

The properties of components stored in the memory device are in particular also during the implementation of the proposed method for performing

Maintenance work can be modified. For example, in the proposed method The virtual working environment is used to diagnose components, the result of which is stored directly in the storage device of the virtual working environment and is available for carrying out the further maintenance work. In this way, information on the condition of a component can be stored, such as positions and types of existing damage, which can be marked directly on the virtual component and the dimensions of which can be specified. If necessary, photos or measurement results of the damage can also be stored in the storage device.

In a first step a), at least one component to be serviced or a predefined modification status of the assembly assembly is selected in the virtual working environment. This step can be carried out, for example, by a maintenance planner who plans to carry out the maintenance in advance, or directly by a maintenance mechanic who is already working on the maintenance of the assembly module and, for example, preparing at least one further maintenance step resulting from the maintenance work. However, others can also be carried out in the same way

Maintenance workers choose a component to be serviced or a predefined modification status of the assembly module in order to obtain the required information and support. A modification status is a defined structural state of the complex assembly module, for which it is precisely defined which components of the assembly component are mounted on the assembly component in this modification status, and which ones are disassembled.

In a second step b) the required dismantling or

Assembly steps and their sequence for disassembling or assembling components of the assembly assembly in order to gain access to the at least one component to be serviced or to achieve the selected modification status. For this step, which includes not only classic calculations, but also other types of data collection, the

Computing device back to the data stored in the storage device, such as, in particular, the linking logic of the components. The optimal sequence of disassembly and assembly steps is also calculated. In conjunction with the internal logic, it is determined which other components have to be dismantled additionally for the dismantling of a desired component. Based on this data, a tailor-made Work sequence are calculated, in which simulation sequences of the dismantling instructions can then also be integrated, for example.

When calculating the required disassembly or assembly steps and their sequence for disassembling or assembling components, you can already in advance

Various different dismantling variants were tested, affected components identified and possible version conflicts between replacement parts identified. In this way, the risks associated with the maintenance task can be assessed at an early stage, the dismantling and assembly work determined, and thus also the throughput time and the expected maintenance costs.

In a third step c), the previously calculated assembly or

Disassembly steps are displayed, which are required to gain access to a component to be serviced or to achieve the selected modification status. A suitable display of all available information and calculated data must be selected, which one

Employees who use the process are given the best possible support in their work. For example, it is also possible to graphically represent the resulting disassembly effort, such as an exploded view of all components involved, in order to get an overview of the planned maintenance measure and, if necessary, to modify the calculated assembly and disassembly steps.

In a further development of the method, in a further step d)

Assembly module performed disassembly or assembly steps documented in the storage device. For example, work steps carried out can be saved directly in the virtual work environment. This can, for example, be carried out directly by a maintenance mechanic by means of an electronic acknowledgment, as a result of which the documentation and archiving effort for maintenance work carried out can also be reduced. For example, the complex assembly assembly could be displayed on a display device in addition to the maintenance work, with the component to be serviced in the

Overview is highlighted in color. The ones to be carried out

Work steps can then be carried out step by step, for example in a drawing, a 3-D model or an animation can be tracked and then saved for example later. If the corresponding component has been dismantled or assembled as intended, this can be confirmed, for example, using an input device. For example, the serviced component could then be displayed in a different color in the overview. In this way it is possible to have a continuous,

carry out process-related checking of the dismantling or assembly work carried out and thus further reduce the susceptibility to errors and increase productivity.

In a development of the method, the availability of the at least one component to be serviced is also checked in step b) and displayed in step c). This means that any components that may need to be replaced can be compared with the stocks before the maintenance work on the assembly module is started. This enables an early check to be made as to whether sufficient spare parts are available if necessary. This increases planning security and reduces delays in the course of time

Maintenance measure. In the same way, this is also possible for a comparison of used part databases, so that, for example, material-critical components can be identified in the preliminary planning stage. This can be done in the virtual working environment

Information is highlighted in particular by color coding the affected parts.

In a development of the method, the properties of the components of the assembly group stored in the memory device have the current maintenance status of the component. In this development of the method, a current status report of the assembly assembly is available. A progress report can be created in connection with the documentation of current dismantling or assembly steps and the associated linking of component properties. This enables improved, targeted work planning. The disassembly or assembly progress of the assembly module can also be visualized, for example, by color coding the components.

In a further development of the method, the accessibility of each component is the

Assembly module assigned to a predefined modification status. As already stated, a modification status is a defined assembly state of the complex assembly module, for which it is precisely defined which components the

Assembly assembly are mounted on this assembly and on the assembly assembly, and which are disassembled. The assignment of components to a predefined one

Modification status makes it easier to define the current assembly situation, especially when the complexity of a complex assembly module increases, so that a predefinition of modification statuses reduces the complexity of the description and

Carrying out maintenance tasks is possible.

If the method is developed further, the calculation in step b) also takes place

Predefined assembly packages included, in which predefined dismantling or

Assembly steps and their sequence for assembling or disassembling components of the assembly assembly are defined. In such a predefined assembly package, the dismantling or assembly steps are defined with their sequence, which are required to convert the assembly assembly from a first modification status into a second

Bring modification status.

In a development of the method, an assembly module has a predefined modification status after execution of at least one predefined assembly package. The proposed procedure also makes it possible to use the virtual work environment to achieve a desired modification state of the assembly module. Starting from a first modification status, the required assembly packages are determined, by means of which the desired second modification status can be achieved. One or more assembly packages carried out one after the other usually represents the most economical disassembly or assembly process that is required to achieve a predefined one

Modification status to arrive.

In a further development of the method, an error and / or occurs in step b)

Damage analysis of the assembly assembly. In this embodiment, such an error and / or damage analysis is possible in the virtual working environment directly on the assembly module shown on a display device, depending on the analyzed area of the assembly module, certain modification statuses or individual modules of the model can also be represented, or for example also sectional views. In this way technical relationships can be more easily recognized and understood, which would only be recognizable if the assembly module had been completely disassembled without the proposed method. In this way, potential causes of errors can be identified and a targeted inspection and disassembly can be planned before dismantling the assembly module.

In a further development of the method, a work plan is created in step b), which is output in step c). With the help of such work plans, a mechanic can be tailored and the dismantling or assembly of the affected engine area can be specified step by step. Digitally created documents can be uploaded, for example, to screens, particularly in production, as well as to mobile devices. The work plans can be provided with interactive control and graphic elements, such as animations of the dismantling or assembly steps, exploded and detailed drawings or short videos that explain particularly complex work steps. Such work plans can also be created, for example, according to a modular principle.

In a further development of the method, the display device is a display, virtual reality glasses or a head-up display. With such display devices, support information for the respective work step can also be fed directly into the projection area of the display device as so-called augmented reality information. Furthermore, simulation sequences of the dismantling or assembly instructions can be integrated into the individual work steps, for example, which the mechanics can load onto a suitable display device.

In a further aspect of the invention, a virtual work environment for performing maintenance work on a complex assembly module, in particular a gas turbine, is proposed. The virtual working environment has a display device and a computing device, the computing device being connected to a storage device in which the components of the complex assembly module with their assembly sequence and their properties are stored. According to the invention, the virtual working environment is set up to carry out the method described above for performing maintenance work on a complex assembly module, at least one of the features of the method mentioned in the preceding description being implemented. Further features, advantages and possible uses of the invention result from the following description in connection with the figure. It shows

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a

virtual working environment according to the invention, which is suitable for performing a method according to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of the sequence of the method according to the invention.

1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a virtual working environment according to the invention of a complex assembly module 1, which is embodied in the exemplary embodiment by a gas turbine 1 and on which

Maintenance work. In Fig. 1, the assembly and disassembly of assemblies is symbolically illustrated by means of arrows, whereby the gas turbine 1 in different

Modification status is brought. This makes different maintenance work

Assemblies such as the fan 6 with the housing 3, the compressor 4 or the turbine 5 from

Core module 2 of the gas turbine 1 disassembled and subsequently reassembled.

While the serviced gas turbine 1 is shown at the bottom left in FIG. 1, the virtual working environment 10 used is shown at the top right in FIG. 1. The virtual work environment

10 has a display device 11 on which a virtual representation of the gas turbine 1 is displayed. The virtual working environment 10 also has a computing device 12 which is connected to a storage device 14. The properties of the gas turbine 1 and its components with their assembly sequence are stored in the storage device 14.

When the method according to the invention is carried out in the virtual working environment

11 a component to be maintained or a predefined modification status of the gas turbine 1 is selected. In the exemplary embodiment, such a predefined modification status 20 is a status in which the fan 6 together with the housing 3 is removed from the core module 2 of the gas turbine 1.

After a predefined modification status 20 has been selected by

Computing device 12 calculates the dismantling required from the current state or assembly steps and their sequence for disassembling or assembling components of the gas turbine 1 which are to be carried out in order to achieve the selected modification status 20. The computing device 12 accesses those stored in the storage device 14

Information on components and modification status 20 back. After their calculation, the necessary assembly or disassembly steps 15 for reaching the selected modification level 20 are displayed on the display device 11. If this is the case with the

is carried out and is carried out, a work plan 16 is created as part of the calculation of the required dismantling or assembly steps and their sequence for dismantling or assembling components of the gas turbine 1, which is also displayed on the display device 11 in the exemplary embodiment shown.

2 shows a schematic representation of the sequence of the method according to the invention for performing maintenance work on a complex assembly module 1 by means of a virtual working environment 10 which has a display device 11 and a computing device 12. The computing device 12 is connected to a memory device 14, in which the properties of the complex assembly module 1 and its components, such as the fan 6, with their assembly sequence are stored. The method according to the invention has the following steps:

In a first step a), at least one component to be serviced, such as the fan 6 or a predefined modification status 20 of the assembly module 1, is selected in the virtual working environment 10. Then, in a second step b), the required dismantling or assembly steps and their sequence are made for dismantling or assembling components of the assembly assembly 1, in order to gain access to the at least one component to be serviced (e.g. fan 6) or to reach the selected modification status 20. In a further step c) the previously calculated assembly or

Disassembly steps are displayed, which are required to gain access to the component 6 to be serviced or to reach the selected modification status 20. In an optional further step d), dismantling or

Assembly steps documented in the storage device 14. LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 gas turbine

2 core module

3 fan housings

4 compressors

5 turbine

6 fan

10 Virtual work environment

11 display device

12 computing device

14 storage device

15 assembly and disassembly steps

16 work plan

20 Modification status

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Procedure for performing maintenance on a complex

Assembly module (1), in particular a gas turbine (1),

by means of a virtual working environment (10) which has a display device (11) and a computing device (12), the computing device (12) being connected to a memory device (14) in which the properties of the complex assembly module (1) and its components are saved with the assembly sequence, characterized by the following steps:

a) selecting at least one component (6) to be serviced or a predefined modification status (20) of the assembly module (1) in the virtual working environment (10);

b) calculating the required dismantling or assembly steps (15) and their sequence for dismantling or assembling components (6) of the assembly assembly (1) in order to obtain access to the at least one component (6) to be serviced or the selected modification status (20) to achieve;

c) Display of the required assembly or disassembly steps (15) in order to gain access to the component (6) to be serviced or to achieve the selected modification status (20).

2. The method for performing maintenance work according to claim 1, characterized by a further step d) in which on the assembly module (1) carried out disassembly or assembly steps (15) are documented in the memory device (14).

3. Method for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the availability of the at least one component (6) to be serviced is also checked in step b) and displayed in step c).

4. The method for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the properties of the components (6) of the assembly group (1) stored in the memory device (14) have the current maintenance status of the component (6).

5. Procedure for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that the accessibility of each component (6) of the assembly module (1) is assigned to a predefined modification status (20).

6. Procedure for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that predefined assembly packages are also included in the calculation in step b), in which predefined dismantling or assembly steps (15) and their sequence for assembling or disassembling components (6) of the assembly assembly (1) are defined ,

7. Procedure for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that the assembly assembly (1) according to the

Export at least one predefined assembly package to a predefined one

Modification status (20).

8. Procedure for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that in step b) an error and / or

Damage analysis of the assembly module (1) is carried out.

9. Method for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that in step b) a work plan (16) is created which is output in step c).

10. Method for performing maintenance work according to one of the preceding

Claims, characterized in that the display device (11) is a display, virtual reality glasses or a head-up display.

11. Virtual working environment for performing maintenance work on a complex assembly module (1), in particular a gas turbine (1), having one

Display device (11) and a computing device (12), the computing device (12) being connected to a storage device (14) in which the components (6) of the complex assembly module (1) are stored with their assembly sequence and their properties that it is set up to carry out the method according to one of the preceding claims.