Methods of making integrally stiffened axial load carrying skin panels for primary aircraft structure and fuel tank structures
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorSami M. El-Soudani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods for making skin panels suitable for use in aircraft structures and fuel tank structures, such as fuselages and reusable launch vehicle propellant tanks. A first method includes the following steps: machining a starting plate to a final part geometry; and explosive forming the machined plate to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature. A second method includes the following steps: explosive forming a starting plate to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature; and machining the curved plate to a final part geometry. Accordingly, the invention enables making integrally stiffened unitized axial load carrying skin panels that are either uniaxially or biaxially curved.
Claims21
A method of making a skin panel, the method comprising:
- machining a starting plate to a final part geometry including a skin and at least one integral stiffener machined into the plate and extending generally outwardly from the skin;
- and
- explosive forming the machined plate with its integral stiffener against a forming surface of a rigid die having a contour at least substantially in accordance with a desired curvature for the skin panel, the explosive forming causing the machined plate to substantially conform to the contour of the forming surface to at least one of a uniaxial curvature and a biaxial curvature.
A method of making a skin panel, the method comprising machining a starting plate to a final part geometry including an axial load carrying skin and at least one stiffener machined therein and integrally engaged with the axial load carrying skin, disposing filler material adjacent the stiffener, and explosive forming the machined plate, with its integral stiffener, against a forming surface of a tool having a contour at least substantially in accordance with a desired outer mold line curvature for the skin panel, the explosive forming causing the machined plate to substantially conform to the contour of the forming surface, the filler material reinforcing the stiffener during the explosive forming to at least inhibit lateral buckling of the stiffener during the explosive forming.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.