Quote:
Originally Posted by cockerpunk
(Post 12331158)
been a long time since i touched CATIA lol
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Back in the late 1980's CATIA version 3 was
the surface modeling software. V4 got even better, in the mid 1990's. No one else could touch it for modeling complex compound contour surfaces. Kind of clunky for other stuff, but unparalleled for those compound contours. V5, which came out in the early 2000's, was not as good, but it still led the industry in this specific kind of modeling.
For those of you wondering what a "compound contour" is, think surfaces like the quarter panels on our beloved 911s. It is far simpler modeling what we call "ruled surfaces", i.e. surfaces with contour in only one direction, like a cylinder. Extruded structural shapes like steel or aluminum angle, channel, I-beam, etc. are child's play compared to complex compound contours.
I "grew up" as a plaster/plastic toolmaker/model maker. I learned to model in that ubiquitous brown clay so common in the automotive industry so many years ago. In addition, I learned to "sweep plaster" over templates similar to the buck shown in the video, wherein we actually filled in that egg crate to form the final contours of the parts we were modeling.
I learned from some real masters of the craft. We hired an industrial design firm by the name of Walter, Dorwin, Teague, and Associates to design all of the interior panels on Boeing aircraft. The guy from that company under whom I apprenticed had done the clay buck for the late 1950's Chrysler 300, the car featured in the movie
Christine. He taught me the craft.
Well, in the early 1990's, I found myself standing next to a CNC machine as it whittled out an interior sidewall (window) panel for the 747-400. By that time I was a shop lead with over 100 toolmakers and a couple of model makers (I was both) working under me. I must have been the only one who "got the memo" - our work here was done. That machine completed most of that sidewall panel in one shift, work that would have taken two or three guys on my crew several months to complete.
I had dropped out of college at 18 when my father died, with one of my uncles telling me "son, you are now the man of the house. You can finish school later. Time to get to work". He got me that job at Boeing. It had now played out. I was married, two kids, and looking at my trade vanishing in a pile of high density foam chips at the base of a CNC machine.
So I finished school and became a tool engineer, now designing the stuff I used to make by hand. Our interiors design consultants were still there, but being even older than me, they had no interest in (or hope of learning, really) 3D computer modeling. So, with our history together, and the understanding of what they were looking for aesthetically, I became "their man". I knew the "language", and could make it happen in CATIA.
I spent the next decade doing all of the surface modeling of all of the complex contoured interior panels in all models of Boeing aircraft. Ceiling panels, stowage bin doors, sidewall panels, and others (I also did a lot of exterior aero surfaces, like wing to body fairing panels, stabilizer and vertical fin roots, etc. but you can't see those from your seats...). I'm rather proud to say that I did all of the surface modeling on each and every one of those panels on every currently in service model of Boeing aircraft. I worked hand in hand with the WDT&A design people to put their designs into the CAD world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Heap
(Post 12331200)
Jeff, describe the HUGE Interior Sidewall Panel Presses speaking of complex surfaces and contours.
5x8' surface area chromium nickel plated steam heated surfaces........and what, 300-400 ton?
brute force manufacturing for big composite aircraft sidewall panels where you look out through your window in flight.
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Boeing, of course, had to have a way to manufacture those panels. Being the tooling engineer that I was, the surface modeling for WDT&A was far from my main responsibility. That responsibility centered around the forming tools for these panels. The first step was actually forming a fiberglass, kevlar, or carbon fiber panel built up with a Nomex honeycomb core. We used various weaves of those materials that were pre-impregnated with a thermo setting epoxy resin. The build up of pre-impregnated skins and whatever core material was required where pressed into shape on a 900 ton press loaded with the appropriate mold die. These mold dies were heated with high pressure steam routed through holes drilled through the dies, and featured the contour of the deserted part. Each half of the die for the large panels could weigh up to 40,000 pounds. The "charge" (panel buildup) was laid into the open die, the die was closed with up to 900 tons of pressure, and the panel was formed. The heated die cured the thermo setting resin.
I was the only guy at the entire Boeing Company doing this surface modeling for interiors panels and designing these tools for over fifteen years. I left the Interiors division after having done this for ten years, joining our AOG unit. Funny, though, since unless there is a disabled aircraft somewhere AOG can get rather slow, I continued this design work for Interiors until I retired. I did it "at home in my spare time" so to speak, between AOG assignments. I did manage to wean the Interiors division off of my modeling/design teat, but they wound up with several people doing full time what I had, in the end, wound up doing part time. The 787 was my "last hurrah". So when you ride on those things and stow your carry on, or look out that window, think of me - those are very much "my" panels. And, well, on 737, 767, 777, and 747 as well.
So, yeah, I had the grand privilege of having timed it just right. I learned to do all of this by hand from some real masters of the trade, and I had the privilege of helping to usher in today's CAD modeling equivalent. It was a fun ride. I had a great career. All of that is what had led me to my interest in what is shown in this video - I lived and worked every step of all of this. I know what they are going through, what it takes to get where they are. My hat is off to them.
