Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Tech.inc

Gary Farquhar

Dimitar Petrov Filev

Malgorzata M Skender

Frank Migda

Evangelos Liasi

Chandra Sekhar Jalluri

Prashanth Magadi

Michael R Wilson

Valerie Catherine Bolhouse

Thurston Sandy Matthews

A system and method for monitoring operation of a press assembly includes establishing a baseline vibration level for a first location on the press assembly. The baseline vibration level defines a boundary for vibrations beyond which one or more press elements have a reduced life expectancy. Vibrations are measured at the first location and also at a second location during operation of the press. The vibrations measured at the first location are correlated with the vibrations measured at the second location, and a relationship between the vibrations at the first and second locations is established. Vibrations measured at the second location can then be adjusted and compared to the baseline vibration level to determine if adjustments to the press operation need to be made, or if certain press elements will need to be replaced prior to their expected life span.

System and method for monitoring operation of a press assembly

A method of detecting and repairing paint defects on a vehicle body ( ) is provided, including developing paint defect data using electronic imaging of the vehicle body (S ), referencing said electronic imaging with vehicle CAD data to develop three dimensional paint defect coordinates for each paint defect (S ), storing said paint defect data and said paint defect coordinates referenced to the vehicle body (S ), developing a repair strategy based upon said paint defect data and said paint defect coordinates (S ), and performing an automated repair on the paint defects based upon said repair strategy (S ).

Paint defect automated seek and repair assembly and method

An apparatus and method of detecting defects or abnormalities in a wet polymeric surface coating of an object to limit or eliminate costs associated with retouching or reapplying the coatings on the object. The apparatus and method is accomplished by capturing an image of the wet coating surface of the object and comparing the image to known defect images to determine the type and location of the defect in the coating surface on the object. The coating application process can then be modified to remedy the coating application defect at the earliest possible instance.

Vision system for identification of defects in wet polymeric coatings

A system is provided for automatically measuring paint film thickness of painted bodies for closed loop control of a paint process for painting the bodies in a paint booth. The system includes a cell for receiving painted bodies from the paint booth and a conveyor control system for controlling the movement of painted bodies between the paint booth and the cell. The system also includes an AutoPelt system communicating with the conveyor control system for measuring paint film thickness of the painted bodies in the cells. The system includes an integrated paint quality control (IPQC) monitoring system communicating with the AutoPelt system for receiving data of paint film thickness information and combining the paint film thickness information with automation parameters on a vehicle identification number (VIN) basis of the painted bodies to control paint automation equipment of the paint booth.

System for automatically measuring paint film thickness

A non-contact mask which is selectively deployed in close proximity to an object and which has a certain type of electrical charge. A substance to be selectively applied to the object is provided with the certain type of electrical charge and the electrical charge of the mask and the electrical charge of the substance cooperate to substantially prevent the substance from being applied to the mask

Paint mask and a method for utilizing the same

A method for painting a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes applying a first base coat to a first portion of the body of the vehicle and applying a second base coat to a second portion of the vehicle while the first base coat remains unmasked, effective to cooperate with the first base coat to form a line of demarcation.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Gary Farquhar