The Boeing Company

The Boeing Comapany

Mike P Matlack

Kurt A Burton

John A Baumann

Herb Bommer

Randall Dow Wilkerson

Amy Marie Helvey

Randy A Card

Thomas Karl Tsotsis

James Rodney Fox

Stephen J Morgan

Amy M Helvey

Jeffrey H Wood

Dennis Ray Mathis

Alexander Rubin

David L Fritsche

Amol Ogale

Raymond J Slesinski

Scott Anthony Martin

Alexander M Rubin

This disclosure is directed to a thermoplastic composite material forming method and tooling used to perform the method. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a method of fabricating large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes with a consolidation tool having a conformable tooling bladder that heat thermoplastic material in the tool and provide thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool to form a part shape of thermoplastic composite material. A novel tooling concept is used to fabricate large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes which are not easily producible using traditional methods. The tooling concept employs a consolidation tool that provides a method to apply thermoplastic material consolidation pressure by a conformable tooling bladder that provides thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool that are not achievable by conventional clamshell type molds where the mold parts move in substantially vertical tool opening and tool closing directions.

Fabrication method and apparatus for creating large and/or complex thermoplastic composite components

A system and method for forming an item from a material, which may include elongated fibers and/or stretched broken fibers. The material is placed on a first clamping portion, which is placed on a fixture. A second clamping portion is placed against the material and the first clamping portion and secured together, forming a clamping assembly. The clamping assembly is removed from the fixture and placed on a first die portion, having a first profile. A second die portion is also provided, having a second profile. In forming the item, at least one of the first die portion and the second die portion are moved toward each other such that a second surface of the first die portion and a first surface of the second die portion contact and form the material into the item generally replicating the first profile and the second profile.

Material tensioning system

One example of the present disclosure relates to a method of processing first and second workpieces. The method includes constraining the second workpiece; abutting first and second workpieces together to form a joint; applying first and second selectively adjustable forces against the first workpiece to bias the first workpiece against the second workpiece; friction stir welding the first and second workpieces along the joint; maintaining the forces equal to each other while friction stir welding; and automatically varying at least one of the forces responsive to thermal size variations of the first and second workpieces. An apparatus for carrying out this method is also provided.

Clamping method and apparatus

A manufacturing apparatus is presented. The manufacturing apparatus comprises a tool support movable along multiple axes; a tool mounted on the tool support for performing a manufacturing operation on a workpiece; and an ancillary device releasably mounted on the tool support and used in conjunction with the tool, the ancillary device moveable along at least a first axis independent of the movement of the tool.

Independent axis ancillary device

In one aspect of the disclosure, an article for filling an opening in an object includes a plug having a body, a first flange, and a second flange. The plug has a trailing end. The first flange is in contact with the body and extends away from the body. The second flange is in contact with the first flange and extends away from the first flange and the body. The second flange is configured to deform toward the body upon installation of the plug into the opening. This deformation of the second flange rotationally and translationally secures the plug in the opening and consolidates the plug in the opening.

Friction stir weld plugs and methods of using thereof

A reconfigurable clamping system is disclosed. An example clamping system for securing a workpiece comprises a retention assembly and an inflatable bladder. The retention assembly comprises a plurality of links, each pair of adjacent links having a pivotal connection to enable the retention assembly to be configured to the general shape of a workpiece, and each pair of adjacent links having a locking mechanism to selectively lock an angular relationship between the pair. The inflatable bladder is coupled between the retention assembly and the workpiece and is to apply a clamping force to the workpiece.

Reconfigurable clamping system

A counter-rotating spindle includes a shoulder tool, a pin tool inserted in the shoulder tool, a first motor that is connected with the pin tool and rotates the pin tool, and a second motor that is connected with the shoulder tool and rotates the shoulder tool. The direction and the speed of the rotation for the pin tool may be selected independently from the speed and direction of rotation of the shoulder tool enabling optimization of the friction stir welding process. Counter-rotating the pin tool and the shoulder tool may improve the mixing abilities and efficiency of the pin tool and may prevent the galling effect between the pin tool and the shoulder tool. The counter-rotating spindle may be used, for example, for continuous path friction stir welding and spot welding of aluminum and its alloys, including cast alloys, as well as joining similar and dissimilar alloys.

Counter-rotating spindle for friction stir welding

A spindle head for performing friction stir welding includes concentric spindle shafts driven by stacked, coaxial motors contained within a spindle housing. The coaxial arrangement of the motors results in a more compact package. Each of the motors is concentrically arranged around one of the spindles by directly connecting a rotor of the motor to a spindle shaft. The stators of the motors are mounted on the housing and are concentrically arranged around the concentric spindle shafts.

Apparatus for friction stir welding using spindle-in-spindle

A clamping system can be reconfigured to clamp any of multiple workpieces having differing shapes. The system includes a retention assembly for retaining an inflatable bladder that applies a clamping force to the workpiece. The retention assembly includes a flexible chain of pivotally connected links that can be locked in place to form a rigid assembly that conforms to the shape of the workpiece. The links can be unlocked to allow reconfiguration of the retention assembly into shapes matching other workpieces.

A method for performing operations on a workpiece. The method comprises the steps of: contacting the workpiece with a tool; moving the tool along any of multiple axes; moving a clamp along at least a first axis independent of the movement of the tool; and, clamping the workpiece using the clamp. Contacting the workpiece with the tool may comprise plunging a friction stir welding pin tool into the workpiece while the workpiece is being clamped. The tool may be moved by moving a spindle housing over the workpiece, and the clamp may be moved by rotating the clamp around the first axis as the spindle housing moves over the workpiece. The method may further comprise the step of coordinating the movement of the clamp with the movement of the tool.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Mike P Matlack