Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Dawn Roberta White

Richard L Allor

John Scott Badgley

Jerald Edward Jones

Daniel Edward Wilkosz

Samir Samir

Sankaran Subramaniam

Joseph A Szuba

Alvin Kenneth Oros

Tyann Sue Chappell

Daniel E Wikosz

Susan Marie Ward

A method of solid free form fabrication of an object includes the steps of providing a substrate, forming a plurality of molten droplets, and spraying the molten droplets upward against the substrate to form a net shape object.

Method of solid free form fabrication of objects

A method of making a low distortion frame construction, the construction having joint regions formed by first and second overlapping members defining a lapped interface, the joint regions being comprised of material that can be converted to a solid state deformable plastic condition by friction heat, comprising: (a) providing a stir friction welding tool having (i) a rotatable thermally conductive body presenting a shoulder to engage the joint region for storing friction-generated heat, and (ii) a friction generating pin rotatable with said body about a pin axis and selectively extendable from the shoulder to progressively penetrate the overlapping members as the joint region in contact with the pin becomes plastic; (b) placing the tool shoulder against the joint region with the pin axis transverse to the lapped interface and spinning the body while progressively extending the pin at a rotational speed effective to generate friction heat that converts the adjacent material of the joint to a plastic condition allowing the spinning of the probe to stir such plastically converted material; and (c) controlling the depth of penetration of the spinning probe while translating the tool across the joint region to perfect a friction stirred welded zone that extends through the interface and between the overlapping members to provide a welded joint that is exceptionally strong in shear.

Fabricating low distortion lap weld construction

A method for spot-welding aluminum workpieces with copper electrodes that comprises the steps of: (a) dissolving copper and one or more alloying elements X to yield an alloy that increases the liquidus of Al when dissolved in molten Al, super heating the alloy of copper and one or more elements X that normally have little or nor solubility in copper at room temperature, such super heating being a temperature at which X is soluble in copper, X being selected from the group of Mo, Ta, V, and W, elements that form monotectic or peritectic phases with copper and aluminum devoid of an eutectic, X being present in an amount of 4-15% by weight of the copper; (b) rapidly cooling the alloy to room temperature to retain such elements in solid solution; (c) either concurrently or subsequent to step (b), forming the alloy as an electrode shape; and (d) passing current through the electrode shape to effect spot-welding of the aluminum workpieces when pressed thereagainst while extending the welding life of the electrode. Super heating and rapid cooling may be carried out by atomizing a melt of Cu and X with a pressurized gas that directs the spray onto a target for further cooling and eventual working or shaping.

Method of making and/or using copper based electrodes to spot-weld

Method of aligning a metallic solderable object to a glass plate comprising loading a solderable object onto an end effector of a robotically supported spindle of a spindle assembly, handing a support from the spindle assembly that extends beneath the axis of the spindle and has camming surfaces precisely aligned with the spindle axis, resiliently cradling a backing member on the support by use of a cam member adapted to fit against the support camming surface when the resiliency is overcome, positioning a glass plate on the backing member to overcome the resiliency of the backing member and cause the cam to engage the camming surfaces of the support and automatically obtain normality of the spindle axis with respect to the glass plate. An end effector assembly for facilitating friction soldering of a metal object to a glass plate, comprising a rotary spindle applicator having a support structure carrying a linearly moveable spindle along its axis, a hanging support depending from the support structure that extends beneath the axis of a spindle and carries camming surfaces precisely aligned with the spindle axis, a backing member resiliently carried on the hanging support, the backing member having a cam member depending therefrom and adapted to fit against the support camming surfaces when a glass plate is loaded onto the backing member to overcome such resiliency.

Self-aligining end effector for friction soldering metals to glass plate

A method of electric arc spraying metal upon an article. The method comprises providing an article to be sprayed, providing a supply of fusible metal feedstock, providing a metal feedstock feeding device, and providing a substrate of conductive heat resistant material. The substrate has a centrally disposed orifice extending therethrough. A source of electrical current is provided having a first electrode electrically coupled with an end of the metal feedstock, and a second electrode electrically coupled with the plate of conductive material. The source of current is activated to establish an electric arc between the metal feedstock and the plate of conductive material. The electrical arc creates a droplet spray of metal from the metal feedstock. The droplet spray is directed through the orifice in the substrate towards the article. The power supply is periodically pulsed between a first current and a second current.

Depositing metal upon an article

There is disclosed herein a method for attaching a terminal to a metallic mating surface on a workpiece by friction joining, comprising the steps of: (1) providing the terminal and the workpiece, wherein the terminal comprises an electrically conductive body having a top end to which an electrical connector may be attached, a bottom end having a bottom surface generally conforming to the mating surface of the workpiece, a rotational axis substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface about which the terminal may be rotated, and a layer of solder attached to the bottom surface wherein the layer has an outer perimeter and defines a central solder-free region about the axis; (2) rotating the terminal about its rotational axis at a predetermined rotational speed while holding the workpiece stationary; (3) pressing together the rotating terminal and the stationary workpiece using a predetermined forging force for a predetermined length of time, so as to promote a galling bond between the mating surfaces; and (4) abruptly stopping the rotation of the terminal. During the pressing together step, the solder is generally maintained at an average temperature below its melting temperature.

Method for attaching a terminal connector to a metallic surface

A method for producing a composite mandrel (20) for use in creating a precise set of surface features inside a hot isostatic pressed (HIP) billet for producing a desired tool uses a composite nickel shell (16) and ceramic interior (18). A free form fabrication (FFF) or wax positive pattern (10) of the desired tool is made first, then a layer of nickel is deposited on the surface of the FFF positive pattern to produce a nickel shell (16) which is a negative of the desired tool. The final step in creating the composite mandrel (20) is filling the nickel shell (16) with ceramic material (18) to increase the rigidity of the nickel shell thereby forming a mandrel for use in an HIP process to make the desired tool.

Method for producing a mandrel for use in hot isostatic pressed powder

An automotive body glass product, comprising: (a) a laminated glass having its perimeter painted to obscure the presence of applied adhesives; (b) conductive leads on or in the glass and having one or more conductive lead terminals; (c) an ultra thin pad of noble metal deposited onto a small zone of the glass in connection with at least one terminal; and (d) a conductive metal clip connected to the end of each lead path, said clip having a dimple thereof bonded to the pad by inertial welding of the dimple and noble metal pad material.

Friction welding non-metallics to metallics

There is disclosed herein a terminal connector 20 attachable to a metallic mating surface 52 on a workpiece 50 by friction joining. One embodiment of the connector 20 comprises an electrically conductive body 22 having a top end 24 to which an electrical connector 70 may be attached, a bottom end 26 having a bottom surface 28 generally conforming to the mating surface 52 of the workpiece 50, and an axis R substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface 28 about which the terminal 20 may be rotated. Attached to the bottom surface 28 is a layer of solder 30 having an outer perimeter 32 and defining a central solder-free region 34 about the axis R. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 28 of the terminal 20 is substantially circular in shape, and the layer of solder 30 is substantially annular in shape with the central solder-free region 34 being substantially circular and generally centered about the rotational axis R. The solder layer 30 may further define a plurality of evenly spaced radial grooves 38 therein.

Terminal connector capable of attachment to a metallic surface

An aluminum clip useful for being bonded to glass and serving as a terminal for an electrical lead circuit in or on such glass, comprising: an aluminum-based body having a cup shape. The cup shape having a substantially flat surface; an ultra thin pad of noble metal adhered to the substantially flat surface, the pad presenting a surface roughness in the range of 1-5 microns.

A method of inertial bonding of a conductive metallic member to a fragile non-conductive member, comprising: (a) depositing a thin adherent conductive pad onto the fragile member to present a first friction creating surface: (b) forming the conductive metallic member with a second friction mating surface conforming essentially to the first friction creating surface; (c) bringing the first and second friction surfaces together with high relative movement transverse to the surfaces and with a gradually increasing forging force along an axis perpendicular to the surfaces to generate sufficient frictional heat therebetween to effect at least a galling or smearing of melted particles of said surfaces; and (d) abruptly ceasing the relative rotation and increasing forging force upon the attainment of such melted particles at the engaging interface between the surfaces.

Method of making a rapid tool, comprising: making a plastic pattern of the tool by free form fabrication techniques following a computer aided design, the design having a base and no undercuts taken in a direction perpendicular to base; constructing a ceramic mold as the inverse of the pattern; separating the pattern from the mold by a separating movement in a direction perpendicular to the base to leave a surface defining a casting cavity within the mold; and thermally spraying tool steel particles against the casting cavity surface is a thickness exceeding 1 inch while rapidly cooling the sprayed particles to effect a net shape tool without the need for further working or heat treatment.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Dawn Roberta White