The Boeing Company

Damjan Simonovic

Mark Frederick Gabriel

Arnold J Lauder

Claudio Zubin

Antonio M Ferreira

David Boonstra

Mathew J Shewfelt

Geoffrey Gibbings

Mark F Gabriel

A drilling system includes a single robotic drilling unit having a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling unit is operable to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effector. The robotic drilling unit is configured to index a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure. The robotic drilling unit is configured to form the hole pattern in the inner face sheet such that the perforations are located at a spaced distance from the cell walls of the honeycomb core.

Systems and methods for forming perforations in a barrel structure

A drilling system may include a plurality of robotic drilling units. Each one of the robotic drilling units may include a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section. The barrel section may be configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling units maybe operable in synchronized movement with one another to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effectors in a manner providing a predetermined percent-open-area of the inner face sheet.

System for forming perforations in a barrel section

System and method for forming perforations in a barrel section

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Winnipeg, Canada

Damjan Simonovic