Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Ut-battelle, Inc.

Jian Chen

Claus Daniel

Zhili Feng

Peter J Soles

Adrian Stefan Sabau

Donald L Erdman, Iii

Charles David Warren

Blair E Carlson

Wayne Cai

Yong Chae Lim

Xin Sun

Oleg G Basin

Hui Huang

Richard W Davies

Hui-Ping Wang

A joined article includes a first component having a laser-treated surface portion and a second component having a laser-treated surface portion. An adhesive joins the first component to the second component at the treated surface portion. A method of making a joined article form components and a system for making joined articles are also disclosed.

Laser nanostructured surface preparation for joining materials

A method for accelerating an explicit finite element analysis (FEA) simulation of a modeled system or process includes performing an initial iteration of the FEA simulation according to a baseline time interval via an FEA computing network, and calculating a criteria ratio of a predetermined set of scaling criteria for the modeled system or process. The method includes determining a time-scaling factor using the criteria ratio via the FEA computing network as a function of the criteria ratio, and then applying the time-scaling factor to the baseline time interval to generate a scaled time interval. The scaled time interval accelerates simulation time of the FEA simulation. The method includes performing a subsequent iteration of the explicit FEA simulation at the scaled time interval using the FEA computing network. The process continues for subsequent iterations, with the time-scaling factor adapting with each iteration.

Adaptive time scaling for accelerating explicit finite element analysis

A method for joining dissimilar materials is provided. The method includes a solid-state joining process in which a rivet is plunged into a predrilled hole in a top workpiece. When the rivet contacts the bottom workpiece, ultrasonic vibration by oscillatory motion of a sonotrode, such as horizontal, vertical, or rotational motion, creates frictional heat at the interface between the rivet and the lower workpiece. With the aid of frictional heat and axial compression, metallurgical bonding is achieved at the interface between the rivet and the bottom sheet, while being below the melting temperature of the bottom workpiece. The sonotrode is retracted while the rivet remains.

Ultrasonic rivet joining of dissimilar materials

A leaf spring system includes a main leaf pack having a main leaf spring including a first end, a second and a first surface and a second opposing surfaces extending therebetween. An auxiliary stage leaf pack is arranged at the first. The auxiliary stage leaf pack includes a first surface portion and a second, opposing surface portion. A spacer is arranged between the first surface of the main leaf spring and the second surface portion of the auxiliary stage leaf pack. The spacer includes first axial end, a second axial end. A reinforcement plate is arranged at the first surface portion of the auxiliary stage leaf pack substantially aligned with the spacer. The reinforcement plate includes a first end section, a second end section. At least one of the first end section and the second end section extends beyond a corresponding one of the first and second axial ends.

Reinforcement plate for an auxiliary state leaf pack of a leaf spring system

A leaf spring assembly comprises a leaf spring having an axially extending member, an axis, a key portion disposed at an end thereof, first and second parallel elongate members extending radially from the attachment ring along an axis and include inner facing surfaces opposing one another along the axis to define a receiving slot that is configured to receive the end of the leaf spring. The leaf spring is joined with the leaf spring eye and a key slot, formed adjacent to a terminal end of the receiving slot and comprising an enlarged slot portion defined by a first shoulder formed in an inner facing surface of an elongate member and configured to receive the key portion disposed at the end of the axially extending member.

Leaf spring assembly

A leaf spring assembly, which may be attached to, for example, an axle or suspended components a vehicle, includes a leaf having a first end and a second end on opposing sides of a center point. The leaf is the only leaf in the leaf spring assembly. The leaf spring assembly also includes a first bumper and a second bumper spaced from the first bumper. The first bumper contacts the leaf upon a first displacement of the leaf spring assembly. The second bumper also contacts the leaf upon the first displacement of the leaf spring assembly.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Jian Chen