The Boeing Company

Ths Boeing Company

Paul D Shaw

Raviendra Sidath Suriyaarachchi

James R Kendall

Darrell Darwin Jones

Andrew Elmer Modin

Richard E Heath

Samuel James Knutson

Edward Heath

Sergio Urzainqui

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Richard Alexander Prause

Byron James Autry

Santiago M Mejia

Steven J Plummer

Brian Timothy Peters

Lance O McCann

Sadie Lee Fieni

Samantha Eberhardt

Brian S Carpenter

Manuel Motilva

James F Mitman

Raviendra S Suriyaarachchi

Richard E Health

Lance O Mccann

A part transfer system includes a movable support, a plurality of arms coupled to the movable support, and an end effector coupled to each of the plurality of arms. The end effector includes a body and a plurality of dividers each coupled to the body. The plurality of dividers divides the body into a plurality of partitions. The end effector includes a plurality of vacuum ports each in fluid communication with one of the plurality of partitions. The part transfer system further includes a vacuum source in fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of vacuum ports. Each of the plurality of vacuum ports is configured to draw a fluid from the plurality of partitions to establish a vacuum between the end effector and a part that is engaged with the end effector, thereby securing the part to the end effector.

Part transfer system

There is provided a forming apparatus for constraining a composite charge and forming the composite charge into a highly contoured composite structure. The forming apparatus includes a first die and a second die between which the composite charge is formed. The first die has pairs of first die portions spaced apart to define a die cavity into which the composite charge is formed into a contoured hat section having a cap. The forming apparatus includes a constraining assembly having a constraining device positioned in the die cavity. The constraining device is designed to constrain a cap portion, and to apply an upward resistive force against the cap portion, and against a downward compressive force applied by the second die, to provide wrinkle prevention in the cap as the contoured hat section is formed. The constraining assembly has a retaining element to retain the constraining device.

Forming apparatus and method for forming highly contoured composite structures

A method for fabricating a composite structure. A first section for the composite structure is formed in which the first section has a first end with a chevron shape, wherein first composite layers in the first section has a first step pattern at the first end. A second section for the composite structure is formed in which the second section has a second end with a counterpart shape to the chevron shape and in which second composite layers in the second section have a second step pattern at the second end. The first end the second end are positioned such that a first composite layer in the first composite layers in the first step pattern overlap the second composite layers in the second step pattern at a splice location.

Composite structure splice and method

A self-threading lamination head has a material supply drum, a backing layer collection drum, and a material threading system. The material supply drum supports a material roll of layup material backed by a backing layer. The material threading system includes at least one threading belt located on one side of the lamination head. The threading belt is supported by belt rollers driven by a belt drive motor. A belt-mounted layer engagement device is coupled to the threading belt for engaging a backing layer leading edge portion. The backing layer collection drum collects the backing layer as the lamination head applies the layup material onto a substrate. The belt drive motor drives the threading belt over the belt rollers and causes the belt-mounted layer engagement device to thread the backing layer through the lamination head, and position the backing layer leading edge portion proximate the backing layer collection drum.

Lamination head having self-threading capability

A lamination head for laying up a composite laminate includes a material supply drum supporting roll of layup material backed by a backing layer, a first and second separation device respectively having a first and second horn, and a first and second compaction device. When the first separation device is extended, the first horn is in close proximity to the first compaction device, causing a layup material to separate from the backing layer and move underneath the first compaction device as the lamination head moves along a first direction of travel. When the second separation device is extended, the second horn is in close proximity to the second compaction device, causing the layup material to separate from the backing layer and move underneath the second compaction device as the lamination head moves along a second direction of travel opposite the first direction of travel.

Lamination head having bi-directional capability

A carrier film set configured to apply a number of stiffener assemblies to a layup mandrel, the carrier film set comprising: a number of alignment features configured to align the carrier film set relative to the layup mandrel; and a number of indexing features configured to index the number of stiffener assemblies onto the carrier film set.

Stiffener assembly application system with carrier film set

A system for manufacturing a composite assembly includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel, a first wrap plate, and a second wrap plate. The first wrap plate and the second wrap plate are positionable in side-by-side relation for receiving a wrap material stack. The first wrap plate and/or the second wrap plate are translatable to a wrap plate open position defining a wrap plate gap between the first and second wrap plate surface edge for receiving a bladder. The second mandrel is translatable to a mandrel open position defining a mandrel gap between the first and second mandrel surface edge. The wrap plate gap and the mandrel gap are configured to receive the wrap material stack formed around a bladder. The first and second wrap plate are configured to fold a first and second material stack base portion into overlapping relation with each other on the bladder top.

System and method for manufacturing a composite assembly

Described are methods and systems for manufacturing curved composite stringers. Such composite stringers may have in-plane and/or out-of-plane bends, which are formed while shaping composite charges. Specifically, a composite charge is shaped using a pallet, comprising a plurality of independent pallet portions, rotatably coupled to each other. A hat portion is formed when a part of this charge is conformed to a cavity in the pallet. The pallet portions are rotated relative to each other while forming the hat portion and/or when the hat portion already conforms to the cavity. In some examples, the die is bent together with the charge, when the pallet portions are rotated. This rotation produces one or more of in-plane and/or out-of-plane bends. In some examples, flange portions of the composite charge are positioned in a temporary orientation, e.g., to enable bending of the charge and reduce wrinkles.

Methods and systems for forming curved composite charges for stringers

A manufacturing system includes a first mandrel, a second mandrel, and laminate securing mechanisms. The first mandrel has a first mandrel surface and a first mandrel surface edge. The second mandrel has a second mandrel surface and a second mandrel surface edge, and is positionable in a closed position in which the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge are in contact to form a continuous mandrel surface collectively defined by the first mandrel surface and the second mandrel surface. The second mandrel translates to an open position defining a gap between the first mandrel surface edge and the second mandrel surface edge for receiving a forming die. The laminate securing mechanisms secure the composite laminate on at least one of the first mandrel and the second mandrel during trimming and/or forming of the composite laminate.

Reconfigurable manufacturing system and method for manufacturing composite laminates

A manufacturing system includes a plurality of lamination heads and a head-moving system defining a continuous loop lamination path configured to move the lamination heads in series along the lamination path. The manufacturing system also includes at least one lamination mandrel positioned along a portion of the lamination path. The lamination heads are each configured to dispense a layup material onto the at least one lamination mandrel or onto layup material previously applied onto the lamination mandrel while the lamination heads are moved by the head-moving system through one or more revolutions of the lamination path to lay up a composite laminate.

System and method for laminating a composite laminate along a continuous loop lamination path

A lamination head having bi-directional layup capability has a material supply drum configured to support a material roll of backed material which is comprised of layup material backed by a backing layer. A backing layer separation assembly receives the backed material from the material supply drum and has a backing layer directional control device and first and second backing layer separation mechanisms. The backing layer directional control device in the first mode separation position is aligned with the first backing layer separation mechanism for separating the backing layer from the layup material as the lamination head moves along a first direction of travel. The backing layer directional control device in the second mode separation position is aligned with the second backing layer separation mechanism for separating the backing layer from the layup material as the lamination head moves along a second direction of travel.

Bi-directional lamination head and method

A lamination head has a material supply drum, a backing layer collection drum, and a backing layer separation assembly. The material supply drum supports a material roll of backed material comprising layup material backed by a backing layer. The backing layer collection drum moves from a collection drum home position to a collection drum engagement position proximate the material supply drum, engage a backing layer leading edge on the material roll, and moves back to the collection drum home position while dispensing a threadable portion of at least the backing layer. The backing layer separation assembly has a backing layer separation device and a backing layer separation mechanism. The backing layer separation device translates from a separation device home position to a separation device engagement position and pulls the threadable portion into proximity to the backing layer separation mechanism for separating the backing layer from the layup material.

Self-threading lamination head and method

A plurality of segments of radius filler is positioned onto a radius filler forming tool. The plurality of segments of radius filler is applied to a stringer in a single placement step.

Method and apparatus for forming radius filler kits

Within examples, methods and systems for a multi-state bladder or elastomeric apparatus for manufacture of composite material are provided. The elastomeric apparatus includes a housing having a flexible surface state and a rigid surface state, a rod within the housing extending along a length of the housing, and a plurality of components mounted to the rod, such that in an engaged position of the rod the plurality of components cause the housing to have the rigid surface state, and in a disengaged position of the rod the plurality of components enable the housing to have the flexible surface state.

Multi-state bladder for manufacture of composite material

Composite materials comprising at least one ply of dry fiber prepreg material comprising encapsulated resin-containing particles, components made from such composite materials, and methods of making such composite materials and dry fiber prepreg materials are set forth herein.

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Charleston, SC, United States of America

Paul D Shaw