The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Andrew Klimovski

Martin Alexander Szarski

Karlgren Ka-Tsun Lai

Ashleigh Raoul Nesbit

Benjamin Stanislaw Zielinski

Luke Fletcher

Peter N Steele

Peter J Lockett

Manning James Scarfe

Christian Gordon

Richard James Bain

Dominic Wierzbicki

Goce Petrovski

Johanna Austin

Shaun Mcfetridge

A pick and place system and methods of use are presented. The pick and place system comprises a backing plate, a porous facesheet, and a flow generator. The backing plate is configured to direct air flow within the pick and place system. The porous facesheet is secured to the backing plate. The flow generator is configured to provide an air flow between the backing plate and the porous facesheet.

Pick and place system

Systems and methods are provided for applying lengthwise curvature to composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes fabricating a preform for a curved pultruded gap filler by continuously: heating fiber reinforced material to a sticking point temperature for a constituent material within the fiber reinforced material, and feeding the fiber reinforced material through a die that exhibits a curvature through which the fiber reinforced material travels while the fiber reinforced material is heated to the sticking point temperature, the die forming the fiber reinforced material into a preform for a gap filler. Fabricating the curved pultruded preform further includes varying path lengths of fibers within the preform as the preform passes through the die, and pulling the preform out of the die.

Pultrusion systems that apply lengthwise curvature to composite parts

A method of positioning a braided fibre sleeve relative to a tool surface, the braided fibre sleeve comprising a longitudinal axis and biaxially oriented tows arranged at acute angles relative to the longitudinal axis, the method comprising; applying tension to a plurality of axial threads disposed along the longitudinal axis, such tension forming a tensioned braided fibre sleeve; positioning the tensioned braided fibre sleeve relative to a tool surface; and releasing tension on the plurality of axial threads.

Method of positioning a braided fibre sleeve

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating gap fillers for composite parts. One exemplary system includes a controller that acquires a geometry for a gap filler that will occupy a volume at a joint between laminates of curable constituent material, subdivides the geometry of the gap filler into layers, and for each layer: identifies variations in width of the layer along a length of the gap filler, and generates instructions for trimming a web of curable constituent material to match the variations in width of the layer. The system also includes rollers that dispense webs of the curable constituent material, trimmers that trim the webs of the curable constituent material based on the instructions, and compaction rollers that compact the trimmed webs together to fabricate the gap filler.

Gap fillers for composite materials

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating preforms. One embodiment is a method comprising acquiring tows of fiber reinforced material, selecting a number of tows to utilize for a bundle having an aggregate shape, assembling the tows together into the bundle, curving the assembled tows by slipping the assembled tows with respect to each other, drawing the bundle through a die to bind the bundle into a preform, enforcing a longitudinally varying cross section along the preform, and locking in a curvature of the preform.

Fabrication of gap fillers for composite parts that exhibit varying radii of curvature

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for generating a fingerprint for verification of a reference object, such as a layer or ply during a composite laminate layup procedure. An exemplary method includes generating a plurality of images of the reference object from a plurality of angles, removing at least one lighting effect from at least one reference image to generate at least one processed image, generating a reference fingerprint for the reference object based on the at least one processed image, generating at least one candidate image of a candidate object, generating a candidate fingerprint for the candidate object based on the at least one candidate image, comparing the candidate fingerprint and the reference fingerprint to determine whether a correlation exists between the candidate fingerprint and the reference fingerprint, and generating an alert based on the comparison of the candidate fingerprint and the reference fingerprint.

Methods and systems for generating a fingerprint for verification of a reference object

A method for drawing a flexible sleeve over an elongated mandrel includes placing a ring within a lumen of the sleeve. A first end of the sleeve is fixed against movement relative to a first end of the mandrel. A first end portion of the sleeve is inverted over a first end portion of the mandrel so as to define a circumferential cuff in the sleeve, and the ring is positioned concentrically within the circumferential cuff. Using, e.g., a magnet, the ring is then urged longitudinally along the mandrel and toward an opposite, second end thereof, such that the sleeve is inverted over at least an outer surface of the mandrel.

Automated braided sleeve placement and tensioning

Systems and methods are provided for carrying plies of material. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes an end effector of a robot. The apparatus includes a frame, and a fixed cup assembly that is attached to the frame. The fixed cup assembly includes a suction cup for holding a ply, a pneumatic line, and a shaft that is coupled with the suction cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the suction cup to translate vertically. The apparatus also includes floating cup assemblies. Each floating cup assembly includes a Bernoulli cup, a pneumatic line applying positively pressurized gas to the Bernoulli cup, a shaft that is coupled with the Bernoulli cup and that houses the pneumatic line, the shaft enabling the Bernoulli cup to translate vertically, and a bearing that enables the Bernoulli cup to pivot about an end of the shaft to conform with a surface.

End effectors carrying plies of material for shaping by a mandrel

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for generating a fingerprint for verification of a reference object, such as a layer or ply during a composite laminate layup procedure. An exemplary method includes the steps of generating at least one reference image of a reference object; removing lighting effects from the at least one reference image to create at least one processed image; generating a reference fingerprint for the reference object based on the at least one processed image; generating at least one candidate image of a candidate object; generating a candidate fingerprint for the candidate object based on the at least one candidate image; and comparing the candidate fingerprint and the reference fingerprint to determine a correlation. An alert is generated based on the comparison. The alert is indicative that the correlation between the candidate fingerprint and the reference fingerprint exists.

Growing community of inventors

Melbourne, Australia

Andrew Klimovski