US 12,242,242 B2
Dynamic indexing for moving parts in a fabrication environment
Jordan Seth Erickson, Federal Way, WA (US); and Michael Kenneth-Que Louie, Renton, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Feb. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/590,294.
Application 18/590,294 is a division of application No. 17/454,252, filed on Nov. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,953,880.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/115,029, filed on Nov. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0201656 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G05B 19/40 (2006.01); B29C 70/38 (2006.01); B29L 31/30 (2006.01); B32B 37/00 (2006.01); B32B 38/18 (2006.01); G05B 19/401 (2006.01); G05B 19/4099 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/4099 (2013.01) [B29C 70/38 (2013.01); B29C 70/384 (2013.01); B32B 37/00 (2013.01); B32B 37/0053 (2013.01); B32B 38/1841 (2013.01); G05B 19/401 (2013.01); B29L 2031/3082 (2013.01); B32B 2309/72 (2013.01); G05B 2219/49114 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lamination machine for a composite part, the lamination machine comprising:
a lamination head comprising:
a roller;
a suspension that enables deflection of the roller;
a position sensor that measures deflection of the roller; and
a dispenser that dispenses tows of fiber-reinforced material; and
a controller operable to use the measured deflections to index the lamination head with respect to a layup mandrel that travels in a process direction between serially arranged workstations during fabrication of the composite part.