Aircraft paint removing apparatus and method

Abstract

Provided in an aircraft paint removing apparatus and method are: a movable traveling carrier; a blaster head mounted on the traveling carrier and configured to spray blasting material; a lifting unit configured to move the blaster head in a vertical direction; and a moving unit configured to move the blaster head in a horizontal direction.

1 . An aircraft paint removing apparatus comprising:
 a movable traveling carrier;   a blaster head mounted on the traveling carrier and configured to spray blasting material;   a lifting unit configured to move the blaster head in a vertical direction; and   a moving unit configured to move the blaster head in a horizontal direction.   
     
     
         2 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a support member is installed upright along the vertical direction on the traveling carrier,   a support arm is disposed along the horizontal direction and is supported by the support member so that one end in a longitudinal direction is movable in the vertical direction,   a support frame is disposed along the horizontal direction that is orthogonal to the support arm and is coupled to another end in the longitudinal direction of the support arm, and   the blaster head is supported on the support frame so that the blaster head is movable in a horizontal direction.   
     
     
         3 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the lifting unit is configured to move the blaster head in the vertical direction by moving the support arm in the vertical direction, and   the moving unit is configured to move the blaster head in the horizontal direction with respect to the support frame.   
     
     
         4 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a swinging unit configured to swing the blaster head in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         5 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a feeder configured to feed the blasting material into the blaster head;   a collecting unit configured to collect the blasting material sprayed from the blaster head and paint material; and   a separator unit configured to separate the collected blasting material and paint material.   
     
     
         6 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the traveling carrier includes at least three wheels that are steerable. 
     
     
         7 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a measurement unit configured to measure a distance between an outer surface of an aircraft and the blaster head. 
     
     
         8 . The aircraft paint removing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising an image capturing device configured to capture an image of the outer surface of the aircraft with the paint removed. 
     
     
         9 . An aircraft paint removing method comprising the steps of:
 moving a blaster head closer to a fuselage of an aircraft by moving a traveling carrier, and spraying blasting material onto an upper surface of a horizontal wing of the aircraft,   performing an operation of moving the blaster head closer to the fuselage of the aircraft and an operation of moving the blaster head in a horizontal direction, alternatingly; and   moving the blaster head in the vertical direction depending on a height of the upper surface of the horizontal wing.   
     
     
         10 . The aircraft paint removing method according to  claim 9 , wherein when the blaster head reaches the fuselage, the blaster head is moved along an upper surface of the fuselage. 
     
     
         11 . The aircraft paint removing method according to  claim 9 , wherein the blaster head is moved along a side surface of a vertical stabilizer of the aircraft.