The Boeing Company

C Warren Turner

Matthew K Lum

Hugh R Schlosstein

Mark C Boberg

Richard B Evans

Albert L Hametner

Mark P Proulx

Larry L Trammell

Gaye Turner, Legal Representative

Matthew KS Lum

A system and method for machining an elongate workpiece in a plurality of work cells are provided. The work cells are positioned along a substantially linear process flow path so that the work operations can be performed on different lengthwise portions of the workpiece simultaneously. A transport system advances the workpiece from an infeed system along the process flow path, thereby moving the lengthwise portions of the workpiece successively through the work cells. The transport system includes a plurality of pallets that can be engaged to the workpiece so that the workpiece is supported by the pallets throughout at least part of the machining system.

System and method for machining elongate members

A hybrid composite structure is formed from layers of gore strips (12), polymeric matrix composite (71) comprising a resin impregnated slit tape or tow, and a central honeycomb layer formed from a plurality of rectangular sections (72). The first two steps include forming a plurality of the gore strips and providing a mold, or lay-up mandrel (10). Thereafter, a first set of gore strips is applied to the lay-up mandrel to form a first gore strip layer. Subsequently, the composite material in form of resin impregnated slit tape or tow is applied to the first gore strip layer to form a first composite material layer. Next, a second set of gore strips is applied to the first layer of polymeric matrix composite, opposite the first gore strip layer, to form at least one other gore strip layer. This creates a first sandwich structure having gore strips as the first and last layers of the structure. Thereafter, the layer of honeycomb material is applied to the last layer of the first sandwich structure. Finally, a second sandwich structure, substantially identical to the first sandwich structure, is formed on the side of the honeycomb layer opposite the first sandwich structure. Thus, a hybrid composite structure is formed having first and second sandwich structures separated by a central honeycomb layer.

Method of fabricating hybrid composite structures

A system for automatically manufacturing shims for use between the structural components of an airframe is disclosed. The system includes: a calibration system (53) for evaluating the accuracy of the measurements made by shim gap probes (87) and producing related calibration coefficients; one or more data acquisition units (55) for measuring shim gaps (41) using calibrated shim gap probes (87); a cell controller (57) for producing machine tool numerical control instructions based on shim gap probe measurements; and, one or more numerically controlled machine tools (59) for manufacturing shims based on said numerical control instructions.

Automated shim manufacturing system

A probe for use in determining the thickness of an interface gap between two parts is disclosed. The probe includes a wave spring (13) formed in one end of a thin, flat, elongate piece of resilient steel (11). The wave spring (13) includes three sinusoidal waves having a peak-to-peak separation that is greater than the maximum thickness of the gaps to be measured. Mounted on the wave spring (13), at the bottom of the concave depression (-) formed by each of the sinusoids are strain sensors (43a-d or 61a, b) positioned to sense the radial and circumferential strain applied to the wave spring (13) when the wave spring is positioned in a gap such that the wave spring sinusoids are compressed. Two or four strain sensors may be used to create a half or a full strain gauge bridge at the bottom of each concave depression. In the case of the half strain bridge arrangement, the remaining legs of the bridge are formed by 'dummy' resistors located in a controlled environment remote from the wave spring. In a conventional manner, the strain gauge bridges control the magnitude of an electrical signal to provide a strain measurement that is indicative of the compression of the wave spring and, thus, thickness of the gap. Because the wave spring (13) has three sinusoids, information is provided by three strain bridges, allowing two-dimensional taper as well as single dimension thickness information to be produced.

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Renton, WA, United States of America

C Warren Turner