Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Automated scanning systems for non-destructive inspection of curved cylinder-like workpieces
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Application No.: US14279355Application Date: 2014-05-16
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Publication No.: US09834323B2Publication Date: 2017-12-05
- Inventor: Gary E. Georgeson , Barry A. Fetzer , James J. Troy , Scott W. Lea
- Applicant: The Boeing Company
- Applicant Address: US IL Chicago
- Assignee: The Boeing Company
- Current Assignee: The Boeing Company
- Current Assignee Address: US IL Chicago
- Agency: Ostrager Chong Flaherty & Broitman P.C.
- Main IPC: B64F5/00
- IPC: B64F5/00 ; G01N29/265 ; G01N29/06 ; G01N29/44

Abstract:
Systems and methods for high-speed non-destructive inspection of a half- or full-barrel-shaped workpiece, such as a barrel-shaped section of an aircraft fuselage. Such workpieces can be scanned externally using a mobile (e.g., translating) arch gantry system comprising a translatable arch frame disposed outside the fuselage section, a carriage that can travel along a curved track carried by the arch frame, a radially inward-extending telescopic arm having a proximal end fixedly coupled to the carriage, and an NDI sensor unit coupled to a distal end of the telescoping arm. The stiffeners of the fuselage sections can be scanned using a mobile scanner platform disposed inside the fuselage section, which platform comprises a radially outward-extending telescopic arm rotatably coupled to a mobile (e.g., holonomic or linear motion) platform and an NDI sensor unit coupled to a distal end of the telescoping arm. The scan data is matched with position data acquired using any one of a plurality of tracking systems to enable the display of NDI features/flaws on a three-dimensional representation of the workpiece.
Public/Granted literature
- US20150329221A1 Automated Scanning Systems for Non-Destructive Inspection of Curved Cylinder-Like Workpieces Public/Granted day:2015-11-19
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