Controlling spring back of a sheet of material following machining operations
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsGarth Tristan Irvine, Claudio Zubin, Darren G. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A machining system configured to reduce spring back following machining operations comprising a machining tool and a spring back control system. The spring back control system comprises a number of force generators and a number of force loaded members coupled to the number of force generators, each force loaded member of the number of force loaded members comprising a material contact surface.
Claims26
A method of controlling spring back of a sheet of material following a machining operation using a machining system, the method comprising:
- applying a compression force to the sheet using a spring back control system of the machining system, the spring back control system comprising a number of force generators coupled to a number of force loaded members in contact with a surface of the sheet to form a region of applied compressive force, wherein each force loaded member of the number of force loaded members comprises a material contact surface in contact with the surface of the sheet;
- and
- completing a machining operation through the region of the surface of the sheet using a machining tool while the compression force is applied to the sheet.
2-5. (canceled)
A machining system configured to reduce spring back following a machining operation comprising:
- a machining tool;
- and
- a spring back control system comprising a number of force generators and a number of force loaded members coupled to the number of force generators, each force loaded member of the number of force loaded members connected to a material contact surface.
A machining system configured to reduce spring back following a machining operation, the machining system comprising:
- a number of linear force generators;
- a number of force loaded members coupled to the number of linear force generators and configured to apply compression force to form a region of applied compressive force;
- and
- a machining tool independently moveable relative to the number of linear force generators.
A method of reducing spring back of a thin sheet during a machining operation, the method comprising:
- deflecting the thin sheet towards a support tool with a spring back control system of an end effector, the spring back control system comprising a number of force generators and a number of force loaded members coupled to the number of force generators, each force loaded member of the number of force loaded members comprising a material contact surface;
- and
- performing the machining operation on the thin sheet using a machining tool of the end effector while the thin sheet is deflected.
22-23. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.