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
Estimating the term…
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. The material contact surface is a roller, wherein the machining tool is independently moveable relative to the spring back control system.
Claims20
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, wherein each material contact surface comprises a roller;
- 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;
- moving the machining tool relative to the surface of the sheet while maintaining contact of each material contact surface of each of the number of force loaded members with the surface of the sheet;
- and
- rolling each roller across the surface of the sheet as the machining tool is moved relative to the surface of the sheet.
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, wherein the material contact surface is a roller, wherein the machining tool is independently moveable relative to the spring back control system.
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, wherein each force loaded member of the number of force loaded members is a roller;
- and
- a machining tool independently moveable relative to the number of linear force generators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.