The Boeing Company

Allen H Fischer

Raymond J Slesinski

David R Bolser

An apparatus may include a housing, a spindle system located in the housing, a tool guide associated with the housing, and a magnetic unit associated with the housing. The spindle system may be capable of rotating a tool about an axis of rotation. The tool guide may be capable of engaging a receptacle at a location on a workpiece. The magnetic unit may be capable of securing the tool guide in the receptacle when the tool guide is engaged with the receptacle.

Method and apparatus for drilling operations

A metallurgically formed fluid circuit joint includes a hollow fitting (), a tubular conduit (), and a metallurgically formed tube/fitting mesh (). The tube/fitting mesh () includes a fitting portion of the hollow fitting () and a tube portion of the tubular conduit () that is electromagnetically formed with the fitting portion.

Electromagnetic pulse welding of fluid joints

A magnetic forming system () for creating a fluid circuit joint between a tube and a fitting includes an induction coil (). The induction coil () may form a first stage electromagnetic current. A field concentrator () may focus the first stage electromagnetic current to form a second stage electromagnetic current. An insert () may focus the second stage electromagnetic current to form an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field forms the fluid circuit joint. The induction coil () may be insertable within the tube, generate an electromagnetic field, and impose the electromagnetic field on and to expand a portion of the tube within the fitting to form the fluid circuit joint. The system () may include a receptacle () that is external to the tube and the fitting. An insert () may be mechanically coupled within the receptacle () and limit the outward expansion of the tube and the fitting.

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Creve Couer, MO, United States of America

Allen H Fischer