The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

James Niemann Buttrick

Darrell Darwin Jones

David Paul Banks

Matthew Ray DesJardien

Terrence J Rowe

Paul Elfes Nelson

Theodore Martin Boyl-Davis

Ronald W Outous

Silas Lawton Studley

Charles H Glaisyer

Mark C Boberg

Harry E Townsend

Laurance N Hazlehurst

Kostadinos D Papanikolaou

Bobby C Philpott, Jr

Eric M Reid

John Richard Porter

Daniel Mark McDonagh

Andrew Elmer Modin

Roger A Gage

Edoardo P Depase

Jesus Sanchez

Paul Reuben Arntson

Matthew R Desjardien

Dennis Wayne Stewart

Daniel R Smith

Clayton Lynn Munk

Paul Reed Stone

Dan Dresskell Day

Edward John Batt

Farahnaz Sisco

Antonio C Micale

Steven Best

Glenn R Dalby

Richard W Baird

Donald A Mottaz

Jayson J Aquino

Chris G Couevas

Azita N Namdaran

Noman S Noor

Daniel M Mcdonagh

Adriana Willempje Blom-Schieber

Michael Robert Anderson

Alan Ray Merkley

Dario I Valenzuela

Philip M Wright

Michael M Stepan

Arlen Ray Pumphrey

James C Murphy

Mark Klewiada

Tracy Edward Zimmerman

Ryan Christopher Lucas

Paul Gregory Kostenick, Jr

Daniel Martin Sherick

Lyle M Wallace

Kostandinos D Papanikolaou

Michael David Galuska

Dennis W Stewart

Farahnaz Tanni Sisco

Mario Ramos

Bobby C Philpott

Alan R Merkley

A system for curing a thermoset composite may include a tooling die configured to receive and support an uncured thermoset composite part and to heat the uncured thermoset composite part; a pressure media bag configured to be placed over the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die and including a pressure media; and a mechanical press configured to apply a consolidation pressure to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die, the pressure media bag may be configured to distribute the consolidation pressure applied by the mechanical press to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die.

System and method for curing thermoset composites

A forming module for forming a composite laminate part over a tool is provided. The forming module comprises a base, a ply carrier control assembly adapted for controlling the position of a flexible ply carrier on which composite resin plies are mounted, and a head section mounted on the base and adapted for automatically forming the composite resin plies from the ply carrier onto the tool.

Method and apparatus for fabricating contoured laminate structures

An apparatus and method for supporting an object. In one illustrative embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a support structure, a positioning system, and a retention system. The positioning system may be associated with the support structure and configured to position the support structure with respect to a number of linear axes. The retention system may be associated with the support structure. The retention system may be configured to retain a portion of an object and move the portion of the object towards a platform such that the portion of the object substantially conforms to a shape of the platform.

Modular and reconfigurable support system

A mobile fixture configured to move a structure in a manufacturing environment may include a motorized base configured to move on a surface and a support system connected to the motorized base, the support system being configured to support the structure, the support system being configured to position the structure along at least one of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis, the support system being configured to position the structure about the Z-axis, and the support system being configured to provide free rotation of the structure about at least one of the X-axis and the Y-axis.

Apparatus and method for moving a structure in a manufacturing environment

A lockbolt collar feeder employing a resilient holder coupled to a linear actuator via a positioning arm, where the resilient holder can receive a lockbolt collar from a collar dispensing mechanism while disposed in a first position, and then when the linear actuator is extended the positioning arm extends and rotates the resilient holder to a second position in which the resilient holder can facilitate positioning the lockbolt collar onto a lockbolt for subsequent swaging. The linear actuator of the lockbolt collar feeder is configured to be coupled to a swaging tool, and thereby facilitates a method of positioning a lockbolt collar onto a lockbolt using the swaging tool.

Lockbolt collar feeder for swaging tool

A system and method for forming a composite part. The method comprises positioning a prepreg material relative to a composite forming tool. The composite forming tool comprises a frame associated with a shaping system, a base comprising at least one mold, and the shaping system associated with the frame and configured to move relative to the frame, the base, and the prepreg material. The method also lowers the shaping system of the composite forming tool towards the prepreg material. The method applies pressure to the prepreg material with a centerline presser of the shaping system. The method also applies a force to the prepreg material using a number of compliant elongate members of the shaping system to uniformly apply the prepreg material to the at least one mold of the base of the composite forming tool.

Composite part forming system

Apparatus for forming composite plies on a contoured tool includes a forming head for forming the composite plies on the tool. The forming head is mounted on a manipulator and includes a compliant nosepiece adapted to conform to the contoured tool.

A plurality of identical fabrication modules are linked together and configurable to fabricate any of a plurality of differing laminate structures in a family of structures having common features. Each of the fabrication modules is locally adapted to fabricate a section of the laminate structure on a corresponding tool. A controller controls and coordinates automated operation of the fabrication modules.

A system and method are provided to automate the assembly of a wing panel, such as utilized by commercial aircraft. In the context of a system, a tacking cell is provided that is configured to tack one or more stringers to a skin plank. The system also includes a riveting cell configured to receive a tacked plank from the tacking cell and to rivet the one or more stringers to the skin plank. The system also includes a splicing cell configured to receive a plurality of riveted planks from the riveting cell and to attach one or more splice stringers to the plurality of riveted planks. Further, the system includes a side of body cell configured to receive a spliced panel from the splicing cell and to attach a side of body chord thereto to produce a wing panel.

System and method for manufacturing a wing panel

A composite ply is compacted around a radius edge of the tool by a rolling former that rolls over the radiused edge and conforms to any contours along the length of the edge. The rolling former includes a compliant tubular member rotatably held in spaced apart roller assemblies.

Automated ply forming and compaction using flexible roller contact

A mobile vehicle is used to place, compact and inspect composite plies at selected locations on a tool. The vehicle includes an on-board supply of composite plies, a transfer platen for transferring plies to the tool, a compactor for compacting plies on the tool, and an inspection device for inspecting plies on the tool, each operated and manipulated by an on-board manipulator such as a robot.

Mobile system for automated layup and compaction of composite laminates

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

James Niemann Buttrick