why they should care about and protect intellectual property. They are also asking how they can become a bona fide inventor and contribute to creating a climate of innovation,” Chang said. But before a potentially great idea can be turned into a valuable patent, would-be inventors need to know how to access resources and complete an invention disclosure. Chang helped Debbie Errazo, a Composites Fabrication numerical control programmer at Boeing South Carolina, do just that. Errazo was installing machinereference targets for use in the Trim and Drill cell to cut door and window outlines and drill nearly 1,000 holes in fuselage panels when Chang stopped 28 Boeing Frontiers by to chat. Errazo shared that she envisioned an easier way to do her work. Errazo and her team noted that installing these reference targets used a process that was not consistently precise as they would have liked. This led to extra work time during trimming and drilling setup. Her invention proposed methods to reduce this variation and improve quality. “I was hesitant at first to think that I could patent my concept,” Errazo said. “I was a machine operator with no technical background. But with Li’s guidance and mentoring, we went from having a concept to forming a team.” In the days that followed, Chang checked in and suggested ways to improve the process. He also helped Errazo move her idea forward by pulling together production and manufacturing engineers to collaborate and further flesh out the invention. The result? Boeing filed for patent protection in 2014. “When it comes to inventing something at Boeing—and filing a patent—I can honestly and proudly say ‘it can be done.’ Anyone with a vision and the help of a good team can do it,” Errazo said. “And now I wear an inventor pin on my lanyard!” n elizabeth.s.davis@boeing.com Photo: Inside a 737 main landing gear wheel well, Chris Black, left, and Kathy Ferguson, a materials engineer, use an electromagnetic field detector to find a previously magnetized tool. Marian Lockhart | Boeing
Frontiers October 2015 Issue
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