The Boeing Company

Nathan Rylan Smith

Gary E Georgeson

Jeffrey Reyner Kollgaard

Paul Stanley Rutherford

James J Troy

Steven Kenneth Brady

Donald Duane Palmer, Jr

William Paul Motzer

Roger W Engelbart

Tyler M Holmes

Loyal Bruce Shawgo

Nancy L Wood

Taisia Tsukruk Lou

David Fortner

Shayne Andrew Dorrell

Donald Duane Palmer

An extended reach inspection apparatus may include a scanner device and a robotic manipulator arm. The robotic manipulator arm may include a plurality of arm segments including a distal end arm segment and a proximal end arm segment. A movable joint may couple the distal end arm segment to the robotic manipulator arm. A telescoping extension mechanism may be coupled to the distal end arm segment. The scanner device is mounted to the telescoping extension mechanism for moving the scanner device between a retracted position proximate the robotic manipulator arm and an extended position at a distance from the robotic manipulator arm. A control handle may be coupled to the proximal end arm segment of the plurality of arm segments for manipulating the robotic manipulator arm.

Extended reach inspection apparatus

Apparatuses and systems comprising an additive manufacturing device and an associated terahertz inspection device for inspecting additively deposited layers in real time during or immediately following material deposition and parts made and inspected by the apparatuses and systems and their associated methods are disclosed herein.

Terahertz inspection for additively manufactured materials

A system for nondestructive testing of a composite includes a emitter that transmits a plurality of sound signals to a composite at over a range of frequencies and receives sound signals from the composite, and generates electric signals in response to the received signals; a computer control for receiving the electric signals from the emitter, wherein the computer control programmed to apply a different, preset gain setting to at least one of the plurality of frequencies for a selected display image such that the display image shows a plot of received signal amplitude for the plurality of frequencies that is at least partially flattened, so that the amplitude of the signal from material without defects is the same at all frequencies, and changes in the amplitude of the signal are visually perceptible on the display for all of the plurality of signals.

Method and system for non-destructive testing of composites

A tracking-enabled extended-reach tool system acting upon a workpiece. The tool system includes a gimbal positioned adjacent an opening in a surface, a sensor system, a computer control, and a display. The extended-reach arm has a first end, a second end, an end effector including a tool adjacent the first end. The extended-reach arm engages the gimbal for relative rotational movement and relative slidable movement through the opening positioning the end effector and the tool on a side of the surface opposite the second end. The sensor system is configured to measure a linear position of the extended-reach arm relative to the gimbal. The computer control receives signals from the sensor system indicative of the linear position of the extended-reach arm relative to the gimbal. The display is connected to the computer control and displays a representation of the workpiece and the tool relative to each other in real time.

Tracking-enabled extended reach tool system and method

Systems and methods are provided for detecting gaps in composite parts. One method includes radiating a beam of x-rays in a firing direction towards surface of a multi-layer Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) part, acquiring data indicating intensity of sidescatter radiation received at an x-ray detector that extends along the CFRP part in the firing direction, and examining the acquired data for gaps at the CFRP part based on differences in intensity indicated by the data.

X-ray sidescatter inspection of laminates

A method of thermographic inspection includes absorbing, at an applique applied to a test area of an article, light from a testing light source. The method further includes emitting, by the applique, thermal radiation directed to a capture device, the thermal radiation corresponding to at least a portion of the light absorbed by the applique.

Applique and method for thermographic inspection

An extended-reach tool system may include a gimbal positioned adjacent a surface opening; an extended-reach arm having a tool and engaging the gimbal; a sensor system for measuring a position of the arm relative to the gimbal and a position and spatial orientation of the tool relative to the opening; a computer control that converts one or both of the rotational and linear measurements from the sensor system into spatial location representations for virtual representations of 3-D models of the workpiece and tool, determines a position and orientation of the tool relative to the opening and workpiece, and adjusts the virtual representations of the 3-D models of the workpiece and tool as the arm and tool move relative to the workpiece, representing a real-time orientation of the tool relative to the workpiece; and a display for displaying the virtual representations of the 3-D models of the workpiece and tool.

Tracking enabled extended reach tool system and method

An apparatus includes a receiver configured to receive signals based on an application of test signals to a device under test (DUT). The apparatus further includes a processor and a memory storing computer-executable instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate multiple display frames based on a frequency domain analysis of the received signals. Each display frame of the multiple display frames corresponds to a frequency band of the received signals.

Detecting and displaying flaws in a device under test

A system for automated bond testing includes a sensor that scans a material to be tested; a computer for comparing a reflected signal waveform to a plurality of signal waveforms indicating a defect in the material, and assigning a unique color to the match; a display that displays an image of the material having an assigned one of the plurality of colors indicative of a presence or absence of a defect in the test area; and an automated scanning platform that supports the sensor, the scanning platform moving the sensor in a preset motion over a surface of a test area of the material to be tested to perform an inspection scan of the material at the test area, and that positions the sensor at a predetermined position, a predetermined angle, and a predetermined contact force to acquire data consistently during an inspection.

System and method for automated bond testing

A multi-axis tool may include, in some embodiments, a gimbal adapted to be positioned adjacent an opening in a wall; an extended-reach device having first and second ends and an end effector adjacent the first end, the extended-reach device engaging the gimbal for relative rotational movement and relative slidable movement through the opening such that the end effector is positioned on a side of the wall opposite the second end; a sensor system configured to measure a linear position of the extended-reach device relative to the gimbal, and a position and spatial orientation of the end effector relative to the opening; and a computer control connected to receive signals from the sensor system to determine at least one of a position and an orientation of the end effector relative to the opening.

Tracking enabled multi-axis tool for limited access inspection

A method for inspecting an object. A support structure physically associated with a first sensor and a second sensor is moved to an area for inspection. The support structure is in a first configuration and the first sensor and the second sensor are positioned about an axis extending through the support structure when the support structure is in the first configuration. The support structure is changed from the first configuration to a second configuration. The first sensor and the second sensor are configured to generate information when the support structure is in the second configuration.

Nondestructive inspection system for difficult to access areas

A method of standardizing ultrasonic flaw detectors utilizing electronic porosity standards which includes the steps of obtaining bandwidth characteristics of an ultrasonic flaw detector, obtaining broadband porosity attenuation characteristics of porosity samples, and generating porosity vs. attenuation curves calibrated to the apparatus using the bandwidth characteristics and the broadband porosity attenuation characteristics.

Method and devices to standardize ultrasonic porosity measurements

An apparatus for measuring porosity of a structure includes an ultrasonic transducer device configured to be pressed against a structure, the ultrasonic transducer device being further configured to emit ultrasonic pulses into the structure and detect echo profiles; and an electronic device including: a manager having an interface gate, a back-surface sensing gate and a back surface analysis gate; a pulse generator interfacing with the manager and the ultrasonic transducer device; a data acquisition device interfacing with the ultrasonic transducer device and the manager; and a display having a porosity indicator interfacing with the manager.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, MO, United States of America

Nathan Rylan Smith