Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide an acoustic inlet barrel of an engine. The acoustic inlet barrel may include an inner barrel configured to provide a boundary for directing airflow through the engine. The inner barrel may include an inner face sheet separated from an outer face sheet by an acoustic core. The inner barrel may include a plurality of elongated, non-circular perforations formed through the inner face sheet.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide an acoustic inlet barrel of an engine. The acoustic inlet barrel may include an inner barrel configured to provide a boundary for directing airflow through the engine. The inner barrel may include an inner face sheet separated from an outer face sheet by an acoustic core. The inner barrel may include a plurality of elongated, non-circular perforations formed through the inner face sheet.

According to one implementation, a drilling machine includes at least one drilling structure, a travelling machine, a reader and a controlling device such as a controlling circuit. The at least one drilling structure drills an object to be drilled. The travelling machine positions the at least one drilling structure in a travelling direction of the travelling machine by travelling in a direction different from a drilling direction. The reader reads information recorded on at least one integrated circuit tag attached to at least one drilling plate attached to the object to be drilled. The controlling device controls the travelling machine based on the information read by the reader.

An end effector provides one up assembly drilling through mated components, including a panel, by preloading the components. The end effector includes a drill and clamp dispenser for temporarily inserting and removing expansible single-sided clamps at various pre-drilled locations in the panel. In one method, pilot holes are first pre-drilled into mated components, for example an aircraft wing panel and a wing rib or spar; an initial pilot hole location is identified, and an expansible clamp is inserted into a pilot hole adjacent a desired initial fastener hole location. The clamp is torqued, causing its expansion for preloading the wing panel and rib and/or spar components under a predetermined load. The fastener hole is then drilled, the end effector untorques and removes the clamp and identifies a second (and/or next) pilot hole location, and the process is replicated.

An end effector provides one up assembly drilling through mated components, including a panel, by preloading the components. The end effector includes a drill and clamp dispenser for temporarily inserting and removing expansible single-sided clamps at various pre-drilled locations in the panel. In one method, pilot holes are first pre-drilled into mated components, for example an aircraft wing panel and a wing rib or spar; an initial pilot hole location is identified, and an expansible clamp is inserted into a pilot hole adjacent a desired initial fastener hole location. The clamp is torqued, causing its expansion for preloading the wing panel and rib and/or spar components under a predetermined load. The fastener hole is then drilled, the end effector untorques and removes the clamp and identifies a second (and/or next) pilot hole location, and the process is replicated.

A drilling method of machining holes that are not regularly arranged in one direction in a short machining time is provided. A drilling method, includes: creating a machining order of machining a first hole to be machined with a first spindle and a second hole to be machined with a second spindle for a workpiece having a plurality of target holes on a machining table, the first spindle and the second spindle arranged in X direction; rotating the machining table relative to the first spindle and the second spindle so that the first hole and the second hole are arranged in X direction with the first hole located nearer to the first spindle; moving the first spindle and the second spindle relative to the machining table so that the first hole and a center of the first spindle are aligned and the second hole and a center of the second spindle are aligned; and machining the first hole with the first spindle and the second hole with the second spindle.

A drilling method of machining holes that are not regularly arranged in one direction in a short machining time is provided. A drilling method, includes: creating a machining order of machining a first hole to be machined with a first spindle and a second hole to be machined with a second spindle for a workpiece having a plurality of target holes on a machining table, the first spindle and the second spindle arranged in X direction; rotating the machining table relative to the first spindle and the second spindle so that the first hole and the second hole are arranged in X direction with the first hole located nearer to the first spindle; moving the first spindle and the second spindle relative to the machining table so that the first hole and a center of the first spindle are aligned and the second hole and a center of the second spindle are aligned; and machining the first hole with the first spindle and the second hole with the second spindle.

A drilling system includes a single robotic drilling unit having a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling unit is operable to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effector. The robotic drilling unit is configured to index a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure. The robotic drilling unit is configured to form the hole pattern in the inner face sheet such that the perforations are located at a spaced distance from the cell walls of the honeycomb core.

A drilling system includes a single robotic drilling unit having a drill end effector positioned inside a barrel section configured as a composite sandwich structure having an inner face sheet. The robotic drilling unit is operable to drill a plurality of perforations into the inner face sheet using the drill end effector. The robotic drilling unit is configured to index a hole pattern of the perforations to one or more cell walls of a honeycomb core of the composite sandwich structure. The robotic drilling unit is configured to form the hole pattern in the inner face sheet such that the perforations are located at a spaced distance from the cell walls of the honeycomb core.

A drilling method of machining holes that are not regularly arranged in one direction in a short machining time is provided.

A drilling method, includes: creating a machining order of machining a first hole to be machined with a first spindle and a second hole to be machined with a second spindle for a workpiece having a plurality of target holes on a machining table, the first spindle and the second spindle arranged in X direction; rotating the machining table relative to the first spindle and the second spindle so that the first hole and the second hole are arranged in X direction with the first hole located nearer to the first spindle; moving the first spindle and the second spindle relative to the machining table so that the first hole and a center of the first spindle are aligned and the second hole and a center of the second spindle are aligned; and machining the first hole with the first spindle and the second hole with the second spindle.