The Boeing Company

James B Castle

Christopher Shane Huskamp

Sebastian Nervi

Kevin T Slattery

Dennis Ray Mathis

Keith A Young

Jared Lee Bolin

Richard J Steckel

McKay Alma Kunz

Daniel G Sanders

David P Heck

Gregory L Ramsey

William Stahl Hollensteiner

John Z Lin

Richard J Lederich

Long H Ly

Samuel Joseph Easley

Hali The Diep

Kevin G Waymack

James E Pillers

Randolph B Hancock

Krishnan K Sankaran

Lauren K Lundquist

Eric Erwin Thomas

Andrew H Baker

Colton Reid Culbertson

Vincent R Noble

Timothy Barber

Mckay A Kunz

William S Hollensteiner

A method for use in additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional workpiece is described. The method includes depositing material onto a substrate to form a shape of the workpiece in accordance with an additive manufacturing process; determining a thermal characteristic of at least a portion of the workpiece during the additive manufacturing process; determining that the thermal characteristic of at least the portion exceeds a threshold associated with the portion; adjusting a cooling parameter of a cooling flow to be applied to the workpiece responsive to determining that the thermal characteristic of at least the portion exceeds the threshold associated with the portion; and applying the cooling flow with the adjusted cooling parameter to at least the portion of the workpiece.

Additive manufacturing with adjusted cooling responsive to thermal characteristic of workpiece

A method for predicting distortion and residual stress in a workpiece resulting from a peening process may include the steps of providing a coupon including residual stress induced in a coupon surface by the peening process, calculating a moment coefficient representative of residual stress induced in the coupon surface, calibrating a stress function to the moment coefficient, applying the stress function to a workpiece model of the workpiece, and computing at least one of predicted distortion and residual stress of the workpiece resulting from application of the calibrated stress function to the workpiece model.

System and method for predicting distortion of a workpiece resulting from a peening machine process

A system and method are provided for estimating initial stresses in and eigenstrains of a material. The system may receive measured geometric data including measurements of a material before and after the application of a manufacturing process thereto. The measurements may indicate a residual stress in a coupon after application of the manufacturing process. Estimated linear elastic strains may be calculated in respective opposing sides of the coupon based on the measured geometric data. A linear elastic reaction of the material to the manufacturing process may be calculated based at least in part on the estimated linear elastic strains. The system may then calculate an estimated initial stress in the material as a sum of the residual stress in the coupon and the linear elastic reaction of the material, and calculate an estimated eigenstrain of the material based at least in part on the estimated initial stress in the material.

Initial stress and eigenstrain computation system and method

Methods for processing workpieces. A first temperature of a first section of a workpiece having a non-uniform thickness may be maintained. A cooling rate of a second section of the workpiece may be controlled while maintaining the first temperature of the first section. The workpiece may be quenched after cooling the second section of the workpiece to form a quenched workpiece, in which the cooling rate may be controlled such that the second section of the workpiece has desired properties.

Tooling system for processing workpieces

The different advantageous embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising a vision system, a drilling tool, and a system controller. The vision system may be configured to generate data about a number of laser signatures on a surface of a workpiece. The drilling tool may be configured to drill a number of holes in the surface of the workpiece. The system controller may be configured to generate drilling instructions for the drilling tool using the data generated by the vision system.

Laser signature vision system

A method and apparatus for processing a sheet of material. The sheet of material may be secured relative to a tool in an incremental sheet metal forming machine. The sheet of material may be incrementally shaped into a shape of a part using a stylus. The stylus may comprise a rod having a first end and a second end, a substantially curved surface on the first end, and a texture on at least a portion of the substantially curved surface on the first end. The texture may be configured to channel a lubricant onto the first end.

Method and apparatus for incremental sheet forming

Method and apparatus are provided for processing and changing the physical characteristics of a metal workpiece into a final metal component. Predetermined processing parameters are established for achieving a final metal component. The metal workpiece is positioned securely on a support during the changing of the physical characteristics. Impacts are applied to a surface of the workpiece multiple times for achieving the final metal component while controlling the impacting with the predetermined processing parameters. A sensor is provided for continuously sensing the currently existing physical conditions of the workpiece during impacting. The predetermined processing parameters are changed into adjusted processing parameters and the impacts are changed in reaction to the currently existing physical conditions of the workpiece from the sensing and processing of the workpiece until the final metal component has been achieved.

Control feedback loop for real-time variable needle peen forming

A method of cavitation peening a workpiece is provided. The method includes discharging a flow of fluid towards the workpiece at a pressure and a flow rate that facilitates forming a plurality of cavitation bubbles, monitoring a feedback parameter associated with the plurality of cavitation bubbles, and determining a peening intensity of the plurality of cavitation bubbles based at least partially on a value of the feedback parameter.

Systems and methods of cavitation peening a workpiece

A method of predicting distortion in a workpiece may include measuring residual stress induced in a coupon surface of a plate coupon by a selected manufacturing operation. The induced residual stress measurements may be fitted to a curve shape function. A moment coefficient may be calculated based upon the fitted induced residual stress measurements. The moment coefficient may be used to calibrate a stress function and corresponding stress magnitude. The calibrated stress function may be applied to a model of the workpiece such that the distortion of the workpiece may be predicted.

Stress function calibration method

Any of various features of a workpiece are forged by a common set of tools. The feature is incrementally forged as the tool set is moved to successive forging locations on the surface of the workpiece. One of the tools is used to plasticize and extrude a portion of the workpiece while one or more of the other tools are used to form dams that contain and shape the extruded portions.

Incremental forging

An apparatus comprises a platform, a stylus, and a heating system. The platform is capable of holding a sheet of material. The stylus is capable of impinging the sheet of the material to incrementally form a shape for a part. The heating system is capable of heating at least a portion of the sheet of material in a location on the sheet of material prior to the stylus impinging the location.

Reducing force needed to form a shape from a sheet metal

Disclosed embodiments disclose processes for making shaped metal alloy parts, and deal more particularly with forming features and reducing residual stresses in such parts. Residual stresses introduced into a metal alloy part by heat treatment, which may include solution annealing and quenching, are reduced by processes that plastically deform the part while forming part features. An embodiment comprises: producing a metal alloy blank; subjecting the blank to a process that introduces residual stresses into the blank and plastically deforming the blank to reduce the residual stresses in the blank. Embodiments comprise: subjecting a part to a heat treatment that introduces residual stresses in the part; and age forming the part to shape the part and reduce the residual stresses, incrementally forging at least one feature into the part and reducing the residual stresses in the part, friction welding the part, or gauge rolling the cast part to desired dimensions.

Engineered shapes from metallic alloys

An apparatus comprising a platform, a stylus, and an ultrasonic energy generation system. The platform may be capable of holding a sheet of material. The stylus may be capable of impinging the sheet of material to incrementally form a shape for a part. The ultrasonic energy generation system may be capable of sending ultrasonic energy into at least a portion of the sheet of material in a location on the sheet of material where the stylus impinges the sheet of material.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Charles, MO, United States of America

James B Castle