Tools and equipment modelling for interactive assembling operating in a virtual environment

Abstract

Tools and equipment (T&E) play an important role in the simulation of virtual assembly, especially in the assembly process simulation and plan. The interactive operation simulation of T&E is also a challenge for interactive assembly operation because of variety in function and complexity in structure and manipulation. Based on detailed analysis of interactive operations, the functional requirement for T&E is given. Then, a unified modelling method for information expression and function realisation of general T&E is represented, and the handling methods of some typical manual, semi-automatic, automatic T&E are discussed. Finally, the rear suspension and the front suspension assembly workplace operation simulation in the RA-750 car assembly line are introduced. The result shows that the modelling and handling methods are applicable in the interactive simulation of various T&E.

Keywords:

• virtual assembly
• fitter's tools
• interactive operation

Acknowledgements

The research in this paper is financed by Chinese National Natural Science Fund major project (No. 90612017, No. 50935006) and Shanghai Science And Technology Committee major project (No. 08DZ1121000).