The Boeing Company

Jose L Encinosa

Douglas Alan McCarville

Daniel M Rotter

Michael Robert Chapman

Marcin Artur Rabiega

Martin Wayne Hansen

Benjamin Bowen Lee

Jason A Medenciy

Stephen K Halladin

Samuel F Zambrana

Joshua Dee Little

Russell D Chiupka

Andrey F Yurchik

Thomas P Harper

Garrett C Hanson

Douglas Alan Mccarville

Composite structure fabrication systems and methods. The systems include a plurality of ply carriers, each of which is configured to support at least one ply segment, and an elongate forming mandrel, which defines an elongate ply forming surface that is shaped to define a surface contour of the composite structure. The systems further include a carrier transfer device, which is configured to selectively convey a selected ply carrier from a ply kitting area to an intermediate location, and a forming machine, which is configured to deform the selected ply carrier and a respective ply segment over a selected portion of the elongate ply forming surface. The forming machine further is configured to separate the selected ply carrier from the respective ply segment and return the selected ply carrier to the carrier transfer device. The methods include methods of operating the systems.

Composite structure fabrication systems and methods

A substantially rigid batten is attached to an external face of a vacuum bag to reduce wrinkling of the bag during vacuum bag compaction of a composite laminate layup.

Method, apparatus and device for preventing vacuum bag wrinkling

Growing community of inventors

Lake Forest Park, WA, United States of America

Jose L Encinosa