Multi-functional debur tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10414026-B2
Application number	US-201715447979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for a composite finishing system. The composite finishing system comprises an abrasive bit with an abrasive material on a removal surface of the abrasive bit, where in the abrasive bit has a pilot structure that positions an abrasive surface relative to an edge break intersection of a hole in a composite structure when a pilot structure is placed into the hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite finishing system comprising:
an abrasive bit having a barrel body and a planar abrasive section at a distal end of the barrel body, wherein the abrasive section includes abrasive material on a removal surface wherein the removal surface comprises multiple radial channels extending from a pilot structure to an outer circumference of the barrel body, wherein the channels do not exceed the depth of the removal surface and are configured to allow debris to move away from the removal surface; and
the pilot structure extending from the distal end of the barrel body that is perpendicular to the planar abrasive section and configured to position the removal surface in contact with an edge break intersection of a hole in a composite structure when the pilot structure is placed into the hole.

2. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , further comprising a second abrasive section extending from the distal end of the barrel body and located between the abrasive section and the pilot structure and having a smaller diameter than the barrel body and a second removal surface configured to contact a second edge break intersection of the hole having a chamfer when the pilot structure is inserted into the hole and moved in a direction along a rotation axis for the abrasive bit, wherein the second removal surface is tapered.

3. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot structure is centrally located about a rotation axis extending through the abrasive bit.

4. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot structure has a diameter sized to a hole diameter for the hole that allows the pilot structure to fit within the hole and position the removal surface such that undesired fibers may be reduced at the edge break intersection.

5. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive material is selected from at least one of a diamond coating or a flexible diamond coating.

6. The composite finishing system of claim 1 further comprising:
an end effector configured to perform machining operations, wherein the abrasive bit is configured to be connected to the end effector.

7. The composite finishing system of claim 6 further comprising:
a robotic machine, wherein the end effector is configured to be connected to the robotic machine and perform an operation to reduce undesired fibers in the hole.

8. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive bit is configured to rotate at a speed such that undesired fibers extending from a surface of the hole are reduced in size without removing the undesired fibers from the composite structure.

9. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the abrasive bit has an indicator system that identifies a hole size that corresponds to the abrasive bit.

10. The composite finishing system of claim 9 , wherein the indicator system is selected from at least one of a color, a graphical indicator, text, or a symbol.

11. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , wherein the hole is located in a platform selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a house, a manufacturing facility, and a building.

12. The composite finishing system of claim 1 , further comprising a second abrasive section extending from the distal end of the barrel body located between the abrasive section and the pilot structure and having a smaller diameter than the barrel body and a second planar removal surface configured to contact a second edge break intersection of the hole having a fillet relief when the pilot structure is inserted into the hole and moved in a direction along a rotation axis for the abrasive bit, wherein the radial channels on the removal surface extend onto the second removal surface.

13. A method for removing inconsistencies from a hole in a composite structure, the method comprising:
moving a pilot structure on an abrasive bit into the hole in the composite structure in a direction along a rotation axis for the abrasive bit, wherein the pilot structure extends from an end of the abrasive bit that has a first planar abrasive section with a first removal surface perpendicular to the rotation axis and configured to contact an edge break intersection of the hole when the pilot structure is placed into the hole, wherein the first removal surface comprises multiple radial channels extending from the pilot structure to an outer circumference of the abrasive bit, wherein the channels do not exceed the depth of the removal surface and are configured to allow debris to move away from the first removal surface; and
rotating the abrasive bit while the pilot structure is in the hole, wherein abrasive material on the first removal surface of the abrasive section reduces undesired fibers from the edge break intersection of the hole.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein rotating the abrasive bit while the pilot structure is in the hole comprises:
rotating the abrasive bit while the pilot structure is in the hole at a speed such that the undesired fibers extending from a surface of the hole are reduced in size without removing the undesired fibers from the composite structure.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the abrasive bit further comprises a second abrasive section extending from the end of the abrasive bit located between the first planar abrasive section and the pilot and having a tapered removal surface that contacts an edge break intersection of the hole having a chamfer when the pilot structure is inserted into the hole and moved in the direction along rotation axis for the abrasive bit.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pilot structure is centrally located about the rotation axis extending through the abrasive bit.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the pilot structure has a diameter sized to a hole diameter for the hole that allows the pilot structure to fit within the hole and position the removal surface such that undesired fibers may be reduced at the edge break intersection.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the abrasive material is selected from at least one of a diamond coating or a flexible diamond coating.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the abrasive bit is connected to an end effector that performs machining operations, wherein the abrasive bit is connected to the end effector and the end effector is connected to a robotic machine that performs an operation to reduce the undesired fibers in the hole.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the abrasive bit has an indicator system that identifies a hole size that corresponds to the abrasive bit.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the indicator system is selected from at least one of a color, a graphical indicator, text, or a symbol.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the abrasive bit further comprises a second abrasive section extending from the end of the abrasive bit located between the abrasive section and the pilot structure and having a second planar removal surface that contacts a second edge break intersection of the hole having a fillet relief when the pilot structure is inserted into the hole and moved in the direction along rotation axis for the abrasive bit, wherein the radial channels on the removal surface extend onto the second re

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Johnson Stanley Gilbert
• Fernandez Jr Frankie T

Classifications

• B24D9/003

  Wheels having flaps of flexible abrasive material supported by a flexible material · CPC title

• B24D13/16 Primary

  comprising pleated flaps or strips · CPC title

• B24D7/18

  Wheels of special form · CPC title

• B24D7/14

  Zonally-graded wheels; Composite wheels comprising different abrasives · CPC title

• B23B51/107

  having a pilot · CPC title