The Boeing Company

Joel T Adriance

Alan Ray Merkley

Joseph D Doyle

Ronald J Collins

Matthew R Desjardien

Derek Mickelson

Christopher J Gray

In examples, systems for determining a position and a vector of a hole formed in a workpiece based on scanned data of the workpiece are described. The system includes a target for coupling to the hole formed in the workpieced, a scanner for projecting a light pattern onto the target and surrounding workpiece and for generating a plurality of data points representative of a surface area of a cylinder body of the target, and a processor for receiving the plurality of data points generated by the scanner and generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least a portion of the workpiece. The processor determines a position and a vector of the hole formed in the workpiece for the 3D model based on the plurality of data points representative of the surface area of the cylinder body.

Surface based hole target for use with systems and methods for determining a position and a vector of a hole formed in a workpiece

A back spotfacing system having a machining apparatus with a through-hole cutter tool. The tool has an elongate member movable to coaxially extend through a hole in a workpiece from a first side of the workpiece, the workpiece coupled to the apparatus. The tool has a cutter element pivotal between a stowed position on the elongate member, a contact position with an inner surface of the hole, and an extended position extending radially from the elongate member. In the extended position, the cutter element extends to machine and back spotface a surface on a second side of the workpiece opposite the first side. The system has a power system for powering the apparatus and tool, and a measurement system coupled to the apparatus for measuring one or more hole exit positions of the cutter element and one or more surface contact positions of the cutter element on the surface.

Back spotfacing system and method

Methods and apparatus to automatically fabricate fillers are disclosed. An example method includes aligning rigid surface data with flexible surface data, the rigid surface data and the flexible surface data being permitted to overlap when aligned; when aligned, defining the rigid surface data and the flexible surface data based on a same parameter space; calculating a displacement function based on differences between corresponding ones of first points in the flexible surface data and second points in the rigid surface data; determining a modified position of a first one of the first points by modifying the first one of the first points based on a value of the displacement function; calculating a gap between the modified position of the first one of the first points and a second one of the second points; and creating a physical filler to fill a physical gap corresponding to the calculated gap.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, WA, United States of America

Joel T Adriance