Large Aircraft Composite Panel - Internal Debris Extraction
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The main landing gear door for the Boeing 787-9 aircraft is manufactured at the Boeing Canada Winnipeg facility. This part is an assembly of multi-density honeycomb core, machined into the shape of the door. The machining process produces dust and debris that falls into the honeycomb cells and is trapped, thus interfering with the remainder of the manufacturing process. The objective of this project is to design a solution to remove this dust and debris from the core cells. This design is expected to be a concept solution that is passed on to Boeing Canada Winnipeg for further study and implementation. Alongside this report, all 3D models and technical drawings for the design will be delivered to the client. The current cleaning method involves the assembly being secured in a transportable fixture after machining. In a designated cleaning area, an operator manually taps a foam mallet against the assembly, knocking the dust and debris to the floor of the immediate area. A T-shaped comb, called the T-Bar, that releases compressed air is then run along the surface of the assembly to blow the honeycomb cells clear of leftover dust and debris, causing them to disperse into the immediate surroundings. An air extraction system then removes the airborne particles. This process is not able to completely clear the cells and leaves much of what is extracted on the floor or in the air. Testing was performed by the team to determine the effectiveness of cleaning dust from honeycomb cells using a vacuum with no compressed air, only compressed air, and both a vacuum and compressed air. The test was performed by pouring dust machined from honeycomb core into the cells of a large piece of stock honeycomb core. The dust was then extracted from the core using a simple compressed air nozzle and a shop vacuum. The vacuum and compressed air proved to be the most effective option, based on the amount of dust that was removed from the core. Testing could not be performed on the actual assembly using the existing T-Bar comb; therefore, the results of the tests are considered to be simple observations, as opposed to concrete evidence. As a result of the tests, the proposed design solution is a vacuum shroud to attach to the head of the T-Bar comb to help vacuum up the disturbed dust and debris during the compressed air stage of the cleaning. The shroud is connected by pipes to the existing MLGD cleaning booth vacuum system used at Boeing Canada Winnipeg for collection and disposal. Adding a vacuum to the compressed air comb helps to remove the dust and debris to prevent it from being exposed to the surrounding area, as well as prevent it from settling back into the core cells. A handle is included in the design to help hold the vacuum shroud and pipes against the T-Bar comb, and for the convenience of the operator during use. The shroud and handle are designed to be 3D printed using Nylon 6/6 filament, and the connecting pipes and joints will be standard PVC pipes. An estimate for the total cost of the project, including development time and a single prototype, is $270.50. It is recommended that the next step for this project is for Boeing Canada Winnipeg to manufacture a prototype of the design to test the effectiveness of extracting the dust from the cells of the main landing gear door core assembly. 3D print-ready files and technical drawings are provided to Boeing Canada Winnipeg for their prototyping phase.