The Boeing Company

Michael L Caldarera

Branko Sarh

Chris J Erickson

Gary Alan Lipczynski

James Darryl Gamboa

Wesley Edward Holleman

Nicholas Ryan Farrell

Gary Lipczynski

A combination cutting and burnishing orbital drilling tool may include an elongate tool body including a cutting end and extending along a longitudinal axis. The tool body may include a burnishing portion spaced from the cutting end and configured to induce residual stress in a side wall of a hole without removing material. The tool body may further include a cutting portion interposed between the cutting end and the burnishing portion. The cutting portion may be configured to remove material from a workpiece, thereby creating the hole, during an orbital drilling process.

Machining/burnishing dual geometry orbital drilling tool

Presently disclosed robotic alignment systems and methods may allow for alignment of a platform of a robot with respect to an access port of a part, such as a wing of an aircraft. A robot positioned under the wing may include a base and an upper platform coupled together by a plurality of legs. The upper platform may be moveable with respect to the base in six degrees of freedom in order to be aligned with the access port of the wing so that the robot may insert a tool through the access port without damaging the wing. Disclosed robotic alignment systems may include a calibration plate that is inserted into the access port. A number of positioning devices on the upper platform of the robot may interact with the calibration plate in order to align the upper platform with respect to the calibration plate, and thereby with respect to the access port.

Robot alignment systems and methods of aligning a robot

Growing community of inventors

La Palma, CA, United States of America

Michael L Caldarera