The Boeing Company

Paul Chace Wilcoxson

Darrell Darwin Jones

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Daniel R Smith

Raviendra Sidath Suriyaarachchi

Jeremy Evan Justice

Robert William Whiting

Samuel Ray Stewart

Scott Edward Krajca

Stephen Keith Kirchmeier

Jason A Medenciy

Paul T Pritchard

Michael Beerman

Andrew Elmer Modin

Daniel M Rotter

Stephen Lee Metschan

Lisa Christina Carlson

Garrett C Hanson

Silas Lawton Studley

Long H Ly

Steven J Plummer

Joseph Jay Pruss

Bradley Andrew Coxon

Steven Joseph Plummer

Garrett Charles Hanson

Systems are provided for fabricating a preform for a fuselage section of an aircraft. The system includes advancing a series of arcuate mandrel sections in a process direction through an assembly line, laying up fiber reinforced material onto the arcuate mandrel sections via layup stations, uniting the series of arcuate mandrel sections into a combined mandrel; and splicing the fiber reinforced material laid-up onto the arcuate mandrel sections.

Composite assembly for unhardened fuselage components

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a part on a mandrel. The system includes a series of stations divided into at least two groups of stations, wherein each group of stations performs fabrication operations on a particular zone of the mandrel.

Fabrication line, systems, and methods for fuselage sections

Systems and methods for manufacturing a composite member. The system and methods are configured to move different types of composite plies from different supply stations. The composite plies are moved along a conveyance member and then with a transfer station to a forming tool. One or more forming members form the composite plies onto the forming tool.

Systems and methods for forming composite members

A method includes dispensing a first set of lanes, that each comprise a tow of fiber-reinforced material, at a first angle such that the lanes are placed side-by-side with respect to each other, forming a first layer of a multi-lane tow. The method further includes applying a film directly in contact with multi-lane tow that resists shear forces applied to the multi-lane tow, transporting the multi-lane tow to a mandrel, and compacting the multi-lane tow via a Ply-By-Ply (PBP) machine disposed at the mandrel. The method further comprises removing the film from the multi-lane tow.

Multi-lane tows for use with ply-by-ply forming machines

A tool for making contoured composite hat stringers allows control of stringer wrinkling. The tool includes a set of first openings that allow the tool to flex during contouring of the stringer, and a set of second openings into which portions of the composite charge may strain during the contouring.

Tool and method for forming contoured composite stringers having reduced wrinkling

A system for preparing a bladder for use in manufacturing a composite stringer includes a sock application station, a film application station, and a composite ply application station. The sock application station has a sock cartridge configured to progressively apply a breather sock of breather material in tubular form onto a bladder as the bladder exits the sock cartridge to thereby result in a sock-bladder assembly. The film application station is located downstream of the sock application station and is configured to inflate a film from a flat shape into an open film tube prior to application over the sock-bladder assembly to thereby result in a film-sock-bladder assembly. The composite ply application station is located downstream of the film application station and has a wrap ply forming bed containing at least one forming bed opening and configured to receive one or more wrap plies of a wrap laminate for urging into the forming bed opening by the film-sock-bladder assembly to produce a ply-film-sock-bladder assembly.

Operator-assisted system and method for preparing a bladder for use in composite stringer manufacturing

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a preform for a fuselage section of an aircraft. The method includes advancing a series of arcuate mandrel sections in a process direction through an assembly line, laying up fiber reinforced material onto the arcuate mandrel sections via layup stations, uniting the series of arcuate mandrel sections into a combined mandrel; and splicing the fiber reinforced material laid-up onto the arcuate mandrel sections.

A tubular material application system for applying a tubular material onto an elongate mandrel includes a gripper system including a first gripper and a second gripper configured to move with inchworm-type movement along an elongated mandrel and incrementally apply a tubular material onto the mandrel to thereby result in a tubular material-mandrel assembly.

System and method for applying tubular material onto a mandrel

Composite parts including hybrid plies, methods of forming the composite parts, and systems for forming the composite parts are disclosed herein. The composite parts include a plurality of plies of composite material. At least one ply is a hybrid ply. The hybrid ply is defined by a plurality of distinct ply tiles, and at least one distinct ply tile in the plurality of distinct ply tiles defines at least one ply tile property that differs from a corresponding ply tile property of at least one other distinct ply tile in the plurality of distinct ply tiles. The methods include selecting at least one distinct ply tile and positioning the at least one distinct ply tile. The methods also include selecting at least one other distinct ply tile and positioning the at least one other distinct ply tile. The systems include systems that define the composite parts and/or perform the methods.

Composite parts including hybrid plies, methods of forming the composite parts, and systems for forming the composite parts

Methods of assembling stiffened composite structures are disclosed. Some methods include forming a stiffener assembly by compacting it within a trough formed in a trunnion. A single trunnion may accommodate two or more different types of stiffeners, thereby avoiding the need for multiple sets of tooling. In some methods, a plurality of stiffener segments may be spliced together, thereby avoiding the need to transport and handle an entire stiffener. A vacuum chuck may be utilized in some examples to transfer the stiffener assembly from the trunnion to a transfer tool. The same vacuum chuck may be transferred along with the stiffener assembly on the transfer tool and loaded onto an inner mold line layup mandrel, where the vacuum chuck may be used to compact the stiffener assembly to the inner mold line layup mandrel.

Process for handling, installing, compacting, splicing, and/or assembling composite stringers

Methods of and systems for assembling stiffened composite structures are disclosed. Some methods include forming a stiffener assembly by compacting it within a trough formed in a trunnion. A single trunnion may accommodate two or more different types of stiffeners, thereby avoiding the need for multiple sets of tooling. In some methods, a plurality of stiffener segments may be spliced together, thereby avoiding the need to transport and handle an entire stiffener. A vacuum chuck may be utilized in some examples to transfer the stiffener assembly from the trunnion to a transfer tool. The same vacuum chuck may be transferred along with the stiffener assembly on the transfer tool and loaded onto an inner mold line layup mandrel, where the vacuum chuck may be used to compact the stiffener assembly to the inner mold line layup mandrel.

Growing community of inventors

Kent, WA, United States of America

Paul Chace Wilcoxson