Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Jerrell Anthony Nardiello

John Steven Madsen

Robert J Christ

John M Papazian

Stephen J Engel

John Abraham Crawford

Robert Charles Schwarz

John Melnichuk

Elias L Anagnostou

Edwin Gerard Haas

George W Gilchrist

Charles J Weizenecker

Raymond John Meilunas

Gregory P Dillon

Skylar Blaiz Cobb

Scott W Shaffar

A system includes a void filter that receives sensor data employed to produce or inspect a manufactured part, the void filter generates a void data subset indicating voids detected in the manufactured part. A stress analyzer processes the void data subset from the void filter and determines coordinate data and force data for the respective detected voids in the manufactured part. At least one deterministic model analyzes the coordinate data and the force data from the stress analyzer determined for the detected voids from the void data subset. The deterministic model analyzes failure of the detected voids with respect to time and generates deterministic output data indicating failure over a deterministic timeframe. A prognostic analyzer processes the deterministic output data from the at least one deterministic model and generates a failure prediction for the as manufactured part.

Automatic prognostic qualification of manufacturing products

One example includes a repair assembly that is comprised of a composite patch, an adhesive, and a veil. The adhesive is disposed between a composite structure that includes an anomaly to be repaired and the composite patch and the composite patch. The veil is disposed between the composite structure and the composite patch. The veil generates heat in response to electric power being applied to the veil, with the adhesive being cured with the heat generated with the veil to repair the composite structure including the anomaly.

Veil based composite structure repair

A process and device for 3D printing parts incorporating long-fiber reinforcements in an advanced composite material is disclosed. A nozzle for a 3D printing device receives a polymer material and a reinforcing fiber through separate inlets. A passage from the reinforcing fiber inlet cleaves the passage containing the polymer material, creating an interstitial cavity into which the reinforcing fiber is introduced. The polymer material closes back on itself and encapsulates the reinforcing fiber, then drags the fiber along with the flow and exits nozzle to be deposited on a work surface or part being manufactured.

Device and method for 3D printing with long-fiber reinforcement

A method and apparatus for embedding critical data directly onboard a physical asset is disclosed. Since the critical data and the asset are never separated, accurate and timely data pertinent to the asset travels with it, and may be written, read, and updated. Accurate data collection ensures a digital model/twin of the asset reflects the true physical state of the asset. Data is embedding optically or magnetically and may be read or rewritten so that information about the life/usage of the asset is continually available, right up to the current state.

System and method for onboard data tracking

Systems and methods are provided for detecting foreign objects in or on a subject of interest. A first set of images is captured of a sample subject known to be free of foreign objects. A plurality of colors from a defined color palette are classified according to a color content of the first set of images into at least first and second classes. A second set of images of the subject of interest are captured. It is determined that a foreign object is present in or on the subject of interest if a color from the first class is present in the second set of images.

Color-based foreign object detection system

A device and a method are provided to allow a user to ream a hole to an accurate final diameter as desired, and at the same time, to cold work the hole to induce a beneficial residual stress that will enhance the life of the component by retarding the onset and growth of fatigue cracks in the hole. The basic design of the device has an elongated body having a forward end portion to extend through a hole to be reamed and cold worked, a reamer section formed on the circumference of the forward end portion to enlarge the hole, and a burnishing section formed on the circumference of the elongated body adjacent to the reamer. The burnishing section is operative to upset the material around the hole, so as to result in a residual stress beneficial to the hole. The reamer section is in the form of a plurality of cutting edges extending from a tip of the elongated body, while the burnishing section is also in the form of a plurality of cutting edges adjacent to the reamer section along the elongate body. The cutting edges of the reamer sections are parallel straight cutting edges or helical cutting edges. The cutting edges of the burnishing section are configured with an orientation opposite to that of the cutting edges of the reaming section. Therefore, when the cutting edges of the burnishing section are configured with the same profile as the cutting edges of the reamer section, the burnishing section is in the form of a backward reamer section.

Device and method for sequentially cold working and reaming a hole

A method of inspecting a specimen under test may comprise the step of disposing melted thermoplastic media onto a surface under test of the specimen under test, maintaining a constant temperature of the specimen under test at or about room temperature wherein the temperature of the specimen under test is initially lower than the temperature of the melted thermoplastic media, hardening the melted thermoplastic media to produce a replica with imperfections molded into a mating surface of the replica, and inspecting the mating surface of the replica for unsatisfactory or satisfactory imperfections in the specimen under test.

Method for surface replication via thermoplastic media

A method of measuring strain in a test specimen comprises the steps of placing a pattern of marks on a surface of the test specimen, wherein the pattern of marks includes a plurality of target marks and a plurality of sets of coded marks, using the sets of coded marks to identify locations of at least two of the target marks, and using a change in distance between at least two of the marks to determine strain in the test specimen. An apparatus that performs the method is also provided.

In-situ large area optical strain measurement using an encoded dot pattern

In one form of the present invention, a system for constructing a laminate ( ) is disclosed. The system comprises a ply feeder ( ) that sequentially stacks one or more plies ( ) to form a ply stack ( ). A computer ( ) directs a laser ( ) to cut each ply ( ) to a desired shape after becoming part of the ply stack ( ). The ply stack ( ) is then placed on a reconfigurable tool ( ). An applied pressure compresses the ply stack ( ) against the reconfigurable tool ( ) while an actuator ( ) subsequently reconfigures the reconfigurable tool pins ( ) to a predetermined shape. In a more particular embodiment, a composites forming process is used, such as diaphragm forming, to compress the ply stack ( ) before the reconfigurable tool pins ( ) are reconfigured. In another particular embodiment, the reconfigurable tool pins ( ) are first reconfigured then a vacuum diaphragm forming process is utilized to compress the ply stack ( ) against the reconfigurable tool ( ).

System for constructing a laminate

A system for forming sheet metal ( ) is disclosed. The system comprises a support plate ( ) that is coupled to a base ( ) and has at least one side plate ( ) adjacent thereto. A clamping mechanism ( ) fixes the side plate ( ) to the support plate ( ) so sheet metal ( ) can be formed.

System and method for forming sheet metal using a reconfigurable tool

Tooling apparatus for three-dimensionally forming a honeycomb core article includes a die having an array of elongated mutually parallel translating pins, each having a pin tube terminating at a tip end and arranged in a matrix for longitudinal movement between retracted and extended positions. The tip ends of the array of translating pins are engageable with an end surface of the honeycomb core article when in the extended position. Each tip end includes a pin tip assembly including an elongated pin tip member having an outwardly projecting bearing surface of shape conformable material on which is mounted a protective thrust pad, an opposed bottom surface, and an outer peripheral surface extending between the bearing surface and the bottom surface. A cup-shaped retainer having a base and an upstanding wall with an outer peripheral surface is provided for mounting engagement with the tip end of each pin tube and has an internal recess with a base surface and an internal peripheral surface. The pin tip member is mounted on the retainer, the outer peripheral surface of the pin tip member engaged with the internal peripheral surface of the retainer and the bottom surface of the pin tip member engaged with the base surface.

Pin tip assembly in tooling apparatus for forming honeycomb cores

A block-set form die assembly (14) for press or stretch forming a product (12), such as a sheet metal product, is provided. In one embodiment, the block-set form die assembly (14) comprises a pin box (18) having a number of pins (20) contained within a containment box (22). The pins (20) within the containment box (22) can extend longitudinally to form a surface contour (24). A set-block (26) engages the pins (20) to set the longitudinal extension of the pins (20) to form the surface contour (24).

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Hicksville, NY, United States of America

Jerrell Anthony Nardiello