re composite cutting
My comments were intended to be specific to field repair. Orbital drilling if you note is a factory- machine tool- sub assembly drilling of large holes prior to or during final assembly and not likely to be used in the field.
In then field, hand drilling and reaming are the most common methods used, or in some cases, a bolted on drilling/assembly - alignment jig may be used.
I'm sure Boeing plans to learn a lot about relatively large scale composite repair in this case.
Side note for a long time, people were worried about composite ' dust' being able to short circut electrial- electronics - base on conductivity of carbon.
so a ' cigar box ' sized clear plastic box was made, and filled with composite grindings, slivers, etc. probes were placed in the box ( like your standard ohm-meter ) and as I rcall, the box was shaken rattled, turned, etc and measurements were made of any conductivity. Answer of course was zip- nada- nothing.
What most did not realize was that for conductivity to take place with coated carbon fibers - a few hundred pieces of ' dust'- slivers would have to line upm end to end and make contact with the carbon fiber. Sort of like gettting a bunch of hot-dogs to line up end to end while surrounded by a bun.
That being said- the dust is still something to be avoided in electronics..
Last edited by DWS; 22nd Oct 2013 at 23:23.