The Boeing Company

Gregory R Klempel

Scott Edward Krajca

Darrell Darwin Jones

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Chace Wilcoxson

Daniel R Smith

Lisa Christina Carlson

Jeremy Evan Justice

Jonathan Y Ahn

Erik Lund

Long H Ly

Mark S Bunker

James P Dobberfuhl

Steven Kuan-chi Wu

Marko Oviir

Jacob E Koopmans

Austin T McAnelly

Marcus C Hart

Carlos Walker

Hiteshkumar M Patel

Justin K Alfred

Deborah A Fisher

Wade Morris

Daniel Smith

Steven Kuan-Chi Wu

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating multiple segment spars for an aircraft. In one example the method includes fabricating preforms of fiber reinforced material for spar segments, hardening the preforms to form the spar segments, and bonding the spar segments together to form a completed spar detail. In addition to bonding, other examples include co-curing and fastening the spar segments. In additional examples, the spar segments include kinks or sub-kinks as described.

Fabrication of multi-segment spars

There is provided an automated removal apparatus for selectively removing one or more trimmed portions of a laminated ply in a ply-by-ply fabrication process. The automated removal apparatus includes a rotatable reel having a plurality of retractable vacuum panels attached around the rotatable reel. Each retractable vacuum panel has one or more retractable vacuum pad assemblies, and each retractable vacuum pad assembly has a vacuum pad with a vacuum port and a self-sealing valve. The automated removal apparatus further includes actuator assemblies attached to the plurality of retractable vacuum panels, friction reducing elements attached around the rotatable reel, a drive assembly attached to the rotatable reel, and a pneumatic system attached to the rotatable reel and including a valve manifold operable to control an air flow to the actuator assemblies and to one or more vacuum generators to generate a vacuum flow.

Automated removal apparatus, system, and method for selectively removing trimmed portions of a laminated ply in a ply-by-ply fabrication process

A system for fabricating a composite structure includes a ply carrier including a ply support surface configured to support at least one composite ply. The system includes a carrier transfer device configured to convey the ply carrier. The system includes a lamination system configured to selectively apply the at least one composite ply to the ply support surface of the ply carrier. The system includes a transfer system configured to remove the ply carrier from the carrier transfer device and to apply the at least one composite ply to at least a portion of a forming surface of a forming tool. The system includes a forming system configured to form the at least one composite ply over the at least a portion of the forming surface of the forming tool.

System and method for fabricating a composite structure

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Gregory R Klempel