Automated Production of Acoustic Structures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEric Herrera, Noel Timothy Gerken, John Scott Bauman
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Abstract
A laser cuts overlapping ribbons of acoustic material into acoustic devices. An automatically controlled manipulator includes an end effector having groups of placement tools for simultaneously placing multiple acoustic devices in a cellular core. The placement tools include mandrels provided with vacuum pickups for picking up and holding the acoustic devices during transport to the core. A vision system aligns the placement tools with the cells of the core. The end effector includes a thermal radiation device for bonding the acoustic devices to the core.
Claims21
Apparatus for producing an acoustic structure having a core with a plurality of cells, comprising:
- a manipulator;
- an end effector mounted on the manipulator, including a plurality of acoustic device placement tools each capable of placing an acoustic device in one of the cells of the core;
- and
- a digital controller including a set of digital instructions for controlling movement of the manipulator and operation of the end effector.
Apparatus for automated production of an acoustic core having a plurality of cells, comprising:
- a material supply system for supplying ribbons of acoustic material;
- a laser for converting the ribbons into a plurality of acoustic devices;
- an end effector for picking up the acoustic devices and placing the acoustic devices in the cells;
- and,
- a controller coupled with the laser and the end effector.
21-44. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.