The Boeing Company

Cav Advanced Technologies Limited

John Alfred Weidler, Iii

Charles William Rust

John Henry Moselage, Iii

Martin Wood

Niall Mannion

Muhammad Jawad Qarni

Timothy James Wheeler

A perforation forming system includes a laser device and a control unit operably connected to the laser device. The control unit is configured to control the laser device to laser drill a plurality of perforations through a lipskin that has a curved contour. The lipskin includes a metallic coating that defines an exterior surface of the lipskin and a composite panel that defines an interior surface of the lipskin. The control unit is configured to form the perforations by controlling the laser device to emit laser beams that impinge upon the interior surface of the lipskin and penetrate the composite panel before penetrating the metallic coating.

Method for producing a perforated nacelle inlet assembly

A method for producing a structural material stack includes forming a composite panel that includes a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) material, and applying an interface film on an exterior composite surface of the composite panel. The interface film is electrically conductive. The method includes performing an electroplating process to form a metallic coating on the interface film such that the interface film is sandwiched between the composite panel and the metallic coating. The metallic coating has a different material composition than the interface film.

Method for producing a structural material stack

An inlet assembly of a nacelle includes an inlet cowl. The inlet cowl includes a lipskin that has a front section which defines the leading edge of the inlet cowl. The front section includes a composite panel and a metallic coating disposed along an exterior surface of the composite panel to protect the composite panel from damage. The lipskin defines perforations that penetrate through the composite panel and the metallic coating at the front section to convey a liquid through a thickness of the lipskin onto an exterior surface of the inlet cowl.

Nacelle inlet assembly with composite lipskin

Growing community of inventors

Lynnwood, WA, United States of America

John Alfred Weidler, Iii