Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Baixuan Yang

Joshua L Solomon

Blair E Carlson

Kuo-Huey Chen

Scott E Parrish

Hui-ping Wang

Wei Zeng

Ahmed Alkhafaji

Air management systems are provided for optimizing airflow in laser welding with deflectors. A system for a welder includes a blower to generate an airflow stream. A plenum receives the airflow stream, directs it toward the workpiece, and defines an outlet facing the workpiece to expel the airflow stream toward the workpiece. A deflector adjacent the outlet is formed as a conical section converging from the plenum toward the workpiece, and is defined by an angled wall with an open center. The deflector concentrates the airflow stream to impart a velocity increase to the airflow stream after leaving the outlet and to impart a favorable directional component to the airflow stream toward a weld zone, as well as protecting the laser lens by increasing the downward momentum force of the air stream to eliminate the potential of spatter impinging the lens.

Air management system for laser welding with airflow optimizing deflector

Methods and systems for detecting weld defects, and methods for manufacturing vehicles using such methods or systems, are provided. An exemplary method includes receiving an input indicating a weld material and material thickness by a portable computing device and determining, with the portable computing device, a detection protocol for the weld material and material thickness. Further, the method includes communicating the detection protocol from the portable computing device to a portable heating source and to a portable thermographic sensor, heating a weld with the portable heating source according to the detection protocol, and recording thermographic data from the weld with the portable thermographic sensor according to the detection protocol. Also, the method includes communicating the thermographic data from the portable thermographic sensor to the portable computing device, and analyzing the thermographic data to detect whether the weld includes a defect and/or determine type, dimension and location of the defect.

Method and system for weld defect detection

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Baixuan Yang