A landing gear system includes a composite tube. The composite tube comprises at least one of (i) a filament wound composite tube, (ii) a filament braided tube, and (iii) a composite tube of laid up filament. The landing gear system further comprises a first lug cluster mounted to the composite tube and a second lug cluster mounted to the composite tube. The first lug cluster and the second lug cluster are oriented at an angle to one another.

The present disclosure describes lug clusters for composite tubes and methods for making such lug clusters. Lug clusters of the present disclosure may include a first side, a second side, and a saddle. The saddle may be placed in adjacent contact with a tube and a filament may be wound around the lug cluster and tube. The wound lug cluster and tube may be resin transfer molded. Machining may follow to remove material and finalize the shape of the lug cluster and/or tube. Thus, a lug cluster may be attached to a composite tube.

A method and apparatus for positioning an end effector relative to a fuselage assembly. The end effector is positioned relative to an expected reference location for a reference point on the fuselage assembly using data from a first metrology system. After positioning the end effector relative to the expected reference location, an actual reference location for the reference point on the fuselage assembly is identified using data from a second metrology system. The end effector is positioned at an operation location based on the actual reference location identified.

A method and apparatus for performing an assembly operation. A tool may be macro-positioned within an interior of a fuselage assembly. The tool may be micro-positioned relative to a particular location on a panel of the fuselage assembly. An assembly operation may be performed at the particular location on the panel using the tool.

A method of making a storage bag comprising the following steps performed in any order: (a) forming a composite tube having an inner surface comprising a higher melting polymer, an outer surface comprising a lower melting polymer, two ends, and a diameter; (b) flattening the tube in a direction perpendicular to the diameter; (c) forming a joint at one of the ends at a temperature between respective melting points of the higher melting polymer and the lower melting polymer; (d) providing a composite sheet having a first side comprising a higher melting polymer and a second side comprising a lower melting polymer; and (e) disposing the composite sheet over the joint such that the first side comprising a lower melting polymer engages the joint and forming a lap seam over the joint at a temperature between respective melting points of the higher melting polymer and the lower melting polymer, and a storage bag made by such method.

An encapsulation method of electronic components comprises steps as follows: preparing electronic components with cylindrical bodies wherein a cylindrical body has front and rear ends made of metals and a middle end made of ceramics and the front end or the rear end features an outer diameter greater than the middle end of the cylindrical body; preparing a mould consisting of upper and lower moulds; encasing the cylindrical bodies inside the upper and lower moulds, injecting heated and softened protective materials into the mould in which protective materials as protective layers are coated on the cylindrical bodies; injecting the cylindrical bodies removed from the upper and lower moulds into a roller in which excessive protective layers on the front and rear ends of the cylindrical bodies are de-coated.

Techniques for overmolding thermoplastics onto a spray primed polymer substrate. A thin layer of primer may be sprayed directly over a pre-formed polymer material. Then, a thermoplastic is injection molded directly over the primer layer. In one embodiment, a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric is thermal compression molded into a NED device housing shell. Selected portions of the NED device housing shell may be mechanically abraded and then sprayed with a solvent-based polyolefin primer. Once the primer layer has cured, a thermoplastic material may then be overmolded directly over the primer layerwithout any additional adhesive layer(s) between the primer layer and the thermoplastic material.

A method and apparatus for building an assembly fixture for holding a fuselage assembly. A number of cradle fixtures may be driven across a floor to an assembly area. The number of cradle fixtures may be configured to form the assembly fixture.

A method and apparatus for adjusting an adjustable retaining structure. The adjustable retaining structure may be rotated, passively, about a spherical interface as a panel applies a load to the adjustable retaining structure.

A composite structure includes: a metal member; and a thermoplastic resin member bonded to the metal member, in which the metal member has a fine uneven structure at least on a metal surface to which the thermoplastic resin member is bonded, a hardness of the thermoplastic resin member measured by a type A durometer in accordance with JIS K6253 is in a range of equal to or more than A60 and equal to or less than A95, and an acid value of the thermoplastic resin member is equal to or more than 1 mgKOH/g and equal to or less than 100 mgKOH/g. The thermoplastic resin member preferably contains a urethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, an amide-based thermoplastic elastomer, and an acid-modified polyolefin.