The Boeing Company

Clifford D Borowicz

Ian E Schroeder

Eric Sean Kamila

Chilip Chan

Josephine LaCoe

Roozbeh Chavoshian

Joseph Lee Sweetin, Iii

Dario I Valenzuela

A fixture and a method of operating the fixture are disclosed for repositioning a workpiece disposed on the fixture to correct an offset between the centerline of the workpiece and an indexing position on the fixture. The fixture includes one or more linear actuators that linearly move vacuum grippers on their outboard ends into contact with surfaces of the workpiece. Vacuum is applied to the vacuum grippers, which enables the vacuum grippers to grip the surfaces of the workpiece. The linear actuators are driven to reposition the workpiece on the fixture to reduce the offset between the two below a threshold value. When in position, the fixture secures the workpiece in place for subsequent machining operations that may be performed on the workpiece.

Adaptive tooling assembly

Composite assemblies are described that include composite spars that are co-cured with one or more sacrificial members on their flanges, forming an integrated sacrificial surface for the composite spars. In one embodiment, the composite assembly includes a composite spar having a web and flanges that project from sides of the web. The composite assembly further includes a sacrificial member of composite materials co-cured with the composite spar on an outer surface of at least one of the flanges. In addition, the sacrificial member has an outer surface that has been machined into conformance with an inner surface of at least one skin panel for an aircraft structure to form a contact surface with the at least one skin panel.

Composite spars with integrated sacrificial surfaces

Systems and methods provide for the determination and correction of tooling deviation by comparing two different three-dimensional surface scans of a composite panel after curing. Such methods and systems may allow for less accurate post-cure fixturing (e.g., holding the panel in a less constrained state, as compared to prior art techniques), while still maintaining a sufficient amount of precision for predictive shimming and shimless techniques. Methods include performing a first three-dimensional surface scan, performing a second three-dimensional surface scan, and comparing the two to determine a deformation function corresponding to tooling deviation. In some systems, a header structure is used to hold the composite panel in a nominal configuration for the second three-dimensional surface scan. In some systems, scanning devices perform mirrored scanning on either side of the composite panel, using a common reference frame.

Methods, systems, and header structures for tooling fixture and post-cure fixture calibration

A bonding tool is described that is used to secure sacrificial pads to bonding locations on a perimeter of a rib during a bonding process. In one embodiment, the bonding tool includes a base member having a rib receptacle dimensioned to receive a rib of a wing, a plurality of compression forms disposed around at least a portion of the rib receptacle and proximate to a perimeter of the rib, where the compression forms include a plurality of sacrificial pads that face towards bonding locations on the perimeter of the rib, and at least one bladder proximate to the compression forms that expands between a wall of the base member and the compression forms to press the sacrificial pads against the bonding locations while the sacrificial pads bond to the bonding locations.

Bonding tool for aircraft structural parts

Methods aim to reduce and/or eliminate the need for shims in manufacturing assemblies, such as in manufacturing of aircraft wings. Exemplary methods include predicting a set of predicted manufacturing dimensions within a range of predetermined allowances for a first part, manufacturing the first part, scanning the first part to determine a set of actual manufacturing dimensions for the first part, and at least beginning manufacturing a second part before the scanning the first part is completed. The second part may be manufactured based on the set of predicted manufacturing dimensions for the first part. Once the scan of the first part is completed, the set of predicted manufacturing dimensions may be compared to a set of actual manufacturing dimensions to check for any non-compliant deviances between the predicted and actual manufacturing dimensions. Repairs and local re-scans may be performed in the areas of the non-compliant deviances, which may streamline manufacturing.

Methods of synchronizing manufacturing of a shimless assembly

Machining apparatus for machining a chilled workpiece include a support surface that supports the chilled workpiece during machining by a machining tool of the machining apparatus, and further include a cooling system operatively coupled to the support surface. The cooling system prevents a machining temperature of an adhesive coupled to the chilled workpiece from rising beyond a predetermined threshold temperature during machining of the chilled workpiece, such that the cooling system prevents curing of the adhesive during machining of the chilled workpiece. The cooling system includes a cooling fluid that radiantly cools the chilled workpiece via the support surface while the chilled workpiece is supported by the support surface, such that the cooling system maintains the machining temperature of the adhesive (and of the chilled workpiece) below an ambient temperature. Related methods include machining the chilled workpiece using such machining apparatus.

Methods and devices for machining a chilled workpiece

A composite panel tooling system may include a forming platform having a contoured surface configured to support a layup of composite material to form a contoured composite part. The system may further include a flexible carrier removably disposed on the contoured surface and comprising a frame, where the frame is configured to receive a set of double-sided vacuum grippers within a set of apertures defined within the frame, and where each double-sided vacuum gripper of the set of double-sided vacuum grippers is configured to connect to a pneumatic system to induce a vacuum on a first side of each vacuum gripper for gripping the contoured surface and on a second side of each vacuum gripper for gripping a surface of the contoured composite part after the contoured composite part has been formed.

Flexible dual-sided vacuum plate carrier

An apparatus for holding a workpiece includes a fixture base, a linear actuator coupled to the fixture base and having an outboard end that is linearly movable by the linear actuator, and a vacuum gripper located at the outboard end of the linear actuator. The linear actuator is configured to linearly move the vacuum gripper relative to the fixture base into contact with a surface of the workpiece. With the vacuum gripper in contact with the surface of the workpiece, the vacuum gripper is configured to grip the workpiece using a vacuum formed between the vacuum gripper and the surface of the workpiece. With the vacuum formed between the vacuum gripper and the surface of the workpiece, the linear actuator is configured to lock linear movement of the vacuum gripper.

Apparatus and method for holding a workpiece

A first surface of a part is scanned with a laser scanner as a platform of a computer numerical controlled (CNC) gantry tool moves relative to the part to form scan data, in which the laser scanner is connected to the platform of the computer numerical controlled (CNC) gantry tool. Differences between the first surface and design for the first surface are determined using the scan data.

Laser scanner scanning using a computer numerical controlled (CNC) system for movement

Dual cutting milling tools for removing material from a workpiece include two cutting portions, with one cutting portion being configured for ruled milling, and the other cutting portion being configured for hemstitch milling. In this manner, the number of tool changes for a given manufacturing process may be reduced. Dual cutting milling tools include a first cutting portion and a second cutting portion both formed in a shank, with the first cutting portion being configured to perform hemstitch milling on the workpiece, and the second cutting portion being configured to perform ruled milling on the workpiece. Methods of removing material from a workpiece may include both hemstitch milling the workpiece with the first cutting portion of the dual cutting milling tool and performing ruled milling of the workpiece with the second cutting portion of the dual cutting milling tool, without changing tools in the milling machine.

Growing community of inventors

Mukilteo, WA, United States of America

Clifford D Borowicz