System and method for forming perforations in a barrel section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9370827-B2
Application number	US-201314012243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2013
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A drilling system may include a plurality of robotic drilling units. Each one of the robotic drilling units may include a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section. The barrel section may be configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling units maybe operable in synchronized movement with one another to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effectors in a manner providing a predetermined percent-open-area of the inner face sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating an engine inlet, comprising the steps of:
providing an engine inlet inner barrel section configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet;
robotically drilling, using a plurality of synchronized robotic drilling units, a plurality of perforations in the inner face sheet after final cure of the composite sandwich structure, wherein the drilling comprises indexing a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure, and positioning the hole pattern such that each perforation is located at a spaced distance from the cell walls; and
forming the plurality of perforations in a quantity providing a predetermined percent-open-area of the inner face sheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the engine inlet inner barrel section comprises:
providing the engine inlet inner barrel section as a one-piece composite sandwich structure cured in a single stage.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of robotically drilling the plurality of perforations comprises:
drilling the perforations to provide a percent-open-area in one section of the inner face sheet that is different than the percent-open-area in another section of the inner face sheet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of robotically drilling the plurality of perforations comprises:
drilling the plurality of perforations using a plurality of robotic drilling units positioned inside the barrel section.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of robotically drilling the plurality of perforations using the plurality of robotic drilling units comprises:
operating the robotic drilling units in synchronized movement with one another inside the engine inlet inner barrel section.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of operating the robotic drilling units in synchronized movement with one another comprises:
simultaneously drilling the plurality of perforations in the inner face sheet using drill end effectors of the plurality of robotic drilling units.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning a drilling unit base of each robotic drilling unit inside the engine inlet inner barrel section.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
indexing the engine inlet inner barrel section and the robotic drilling units to at least one fixture supporting the barrel section.

9. A method of fabricating an engine inlet, comprising the steps of:
providing an engine inlet inner barrel section as a one-piece composite sandwich structure cured in a single stage and having an inner face sheet and a honeycomb core;
drilling, using a plurality of robotic drilling units, a plurality of perforations in the inner face sheet after final cure of the composite sandwich structure, wherein the drilling comprises indexing a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure, and positioning the hole pattern such that each perforation is located at a spaced distance from the cell walls;
operating the plurality of robotic drilling units in synchronized movement with one another to simultaneously drill the plurality of perforations; and
forming the plurality of perforations in a quantity providing a predetermined percent-open-area of the inner face sheet.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Zubin Claudio
• Gibbings Geoffrey
• Shewfelt Mathew J
• Simonovic Damjan
• Ferreira Antonio M
• Boonstra David
• Lauder Arnold J
• Gabriel Mark F

Classifications

• Y10T408/38

  Plural, simultaneously operational tools · CPC title

• B23B2270/32

  Use of electronics · CPC title

• Y10T408/03

  Processes · CPC title

• B23B39/14

  with special provision to enable the machine or the drilling or boring head to be moved into any desired position, e.g. with respect to immovable work · CPC title

• B23B2215/04

  Aircraft components · CPC title