Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Joshua L Solomon

Hui-ping Wang

Blair E Carlson

Bradley J Blaski

William P Payne

Michael R Kaphengst

Seog-Chan Oh

Alfred Manser

Lu Huang

Baixuan Yang

Qigui Wang

James W Wells

Huaxin Li

Kuo-Huey Chen

Joseph M Polewarczyk

David S Yang

Jian Cao

Scott E Parrish

Daniel J Wilson

Liang Wang

Wei Zeng

Miguel Arturo Saez

Wu Tao

Yu Pan

Joel S Hooton

Michael G Poss

Jason J Coryell

Barry L Farmer

John Forrest

Adam R Ballard

Antonio R Vittorini

Ethan Edward Peel Hodge

Todd H Smith

Nannan Chen

Dohyun Leem

Vivian Vasquez

Ahmed Alkhafaji

Ahmad Almarkhi

Paulina G Torres Guzman

Zixuan Wan

Methods and systems are provided that include one or more sensors configured to obtain biometric information as to one or more individuals who are to assist with manufacturing of a vehicle; a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store operational requirements for the manufacturing of the vehicle; and a processor that is configured to at least facilitate providing instructions for creating a swarm ramp on which the vehicle is to be placed in order to provide an ergonomic work envelope for the one or more individuals, based on the biometric information and the operational requirements.

System to use autonomous robot ergonomic swarm ramps

A method of customizing a vehicle body includes inputting a selected customized embellishment to a laser controller, directing a beam of the laser onto a surface of the vehicle body, and guiding the beam of the laser with the laser controller to impart the selected customized embellishment to the surface.

Laser marking system for vehicle body customization

An assembly and a method are provided for manufacturing a joined assembly. A method for manufacturing includes fitting together and datuming a beam and a node, wherein at least one of the beam and the node is formed with an aperture, and wherein a cylindrical interface is formed between the beam and node. Further, the method includes advancing a mechanical fastener through the aperture to temporarily hold the beam and the node in an engagement. Also, the method includes injecting a structural adhesive into the cylindrical interface between the beam and the node. The method includes final joining the beam and the node by curing the structural adhesive.

Adhesive bonding of beam and node assemblies

Systems and methods for bending a material to a target resultant bending parameter using a bend forming tool are disclosed. The systems and methods receive values for parameters of properties of the material and of a bending process to be performed by the bend forming tool, creating or retrieving a calibration curve relating input bending parameter and resultant bending parameter based on the values from a database of calibration curves, determining a first springback compensated input bending parameter based on the target resultant bending parameter using the calibration curve, inputting the first springback compensated input bending parameter to the bend forming tool, and in a first step of bending the material, bending the material to the first springback compensated input bending parameter by applying the bending process using the bend forming tool.

Systems and methods for spingback compensation in bend forming processes

A system for evaluating a rigidity of an angle bracket includes a test system having a first test fixture and a second test fixture. The system includes an angle bracket coupon including a first wall, a second wall coupled to the first wall at a bend to define an angle between the first wall and the second wall, and at least one three dimensional feature defined at the bend that extends between the first wall and the second wall. The angle bracket coupon is to be coupled to at least one of the first test fixture and the second test fixture to evaluate the rigidity of the angle bracket.

Systems and methods for evaluating rigidity of angle bracket

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

In accordance with exemplary embodiments, methods and systems are provided for providing electrical power for a manufacturing facility for manufacturing of a vehicle, the vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a processor, including: positioning the vehicle at the manufacturing facility, the manufacturing facility having an electrical component; and providing electrical power from the RESS of the vehicle to the electrical component of the manufacturing facility, in accordance with instructions provided by the processor.

Use of vehicle battery to provide power to manufacturing operations

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

The concepts described herein provide a method, system, and apparatus for joining, via welding, first and second members fabricated from an aluminum alloy including aluminum, zinc, and manganese, such as 7000-series aluminum alloys, and a resultant workpiece. A junction is formed by a first member being disposed contiguously to a second member. A welding machine generates a weld pool at the junction that includes liquified aluminum alloy. An ultrasonic transducer directs ultrasonic energy in proximity to the weld pool. In some embodiments, an electro-magnetic transducer directs electro-magnetic energy in proximity to the weld pool. The first member is fused to the second member at the junction upon solidification of the weld pool.

Method and apparatus for welding an aluminum alloy

A laser welded assembly and method of making. The laser welded assembly includes a first work piece having a thickness (T) defined between an external surface and a faying surface; a second work piece having a thickness (T) defined between an external surface and a faying surface of the second work piece; a weld seam having a core fusion zone extending from the external surface of the first work piece through the faying interface and at least partially into the thickness (T) of the second work piece; and a protruding fusion zone extending laterally from the core fusion zone adjacent to the external surface of the first work piece. The protruding fusion zone may be formed by post-heating or concurrently with the core fusion zone.

Laser welded assembly having a heat affected zone reinforcement and method of making the same

A method for manufacturing a foam in a conduit comprises extruding a metal conduit. A metal foam powder is injected into a cavity of the metal conduit. The metal foam powder is activated to form a metal foam in the cavity of the metal conduit. A device for producing a foamed metal comprises an extruder that comprises one or more screws for extruding a metal through a die to form a conduit. The die comprises a plurality of ports for injecting a metal foam powder into a central hollow cavity or a wall cavity of the conduit. The device comprises a pressurizing section for increasing pressure on the metal foam powder and a thermal section for increasing the temperature of the metal foam powder to facilitate its expansion into a metal foam.

Method of metal foam extrusion and articles manufactured therefrom

A flexible shelving unit includes a support frame having at least one vertical guide rack, the guide rack including an elongated slot. The shelf unit is supported by the guide rack. The shelf unit includes a shelf plate framed by a front reinforcement portion and by at least one side reinforcement portion. The shelf unit when in a release position is moved to selected upward and downward locations by vertical displacement of at least one locating pin connected to and extending from the at least one side reinforcement portion which is positioned and sliding within the elongated slot. A flat end face of the at least one side reinforcement portion directly contacts a plate face of the at least one vertical guide rack with the at least one side reinforcement portion and the shelf plate in a horizontal position to frictionally retain the shelf unit in the horizontal position.

Flexible shelving unit

A method of laser welding a workpiece stack-up () of overlapping steel workpieces () involves heat-treating a region () of the stack-up () followed by forming a laser weld joint () that is located at least partially within the heat-treated region (). During heat-treating, one or more pre-welding laser beams () are sequentially directed at a top surface () of the workpiece stack-up () and advanced along a pre-welding beam travel pattern () so as to reduce an amount of vaporizable zinc within the stack-up (). Thereafter, the laser weld joint () is formed by directing a welding laser beam () at the top surface () of the workpiece stack-up () and advancing the welding laser beam () along a welding beam travel pattern () that at least partially overlaps with a coverage area of a pre-welding beam travel pattern () or a shared coverage area portion of multiple pre-welding beam travel patterns (). The method can help reduce an amount of vaporizable zinc within the stack-up ().

Method for laser welding steel workpieces

A method for object distance detection and focal positioning in relation thereto. The method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying (via a computing device) a desired distance among a plurality of designated sites on an object; (b) adjusting a focus (via an autofocus device) onto the plurality of designated sites; (c) calculating (via an image recognition module) the actual distance among the plurality of designated sites; (d) determining (via the image recognition module) if error exist between the actual distance and the desired distance; and (e) wherein (in no particular order) repeating the steps of (b), (c), and (d) until no substantial error exists between the actual distance and the desired distance.

System and method for object distance detection and positioning

A method of laser welding a first component to a second component includes moving at least one of a laser beam and the components via a controller along a weld path at least a portion of which is a spiral having a first order of continuity thereby welding the first component to the second component. In one embodiment, the spiral is an Archimedean spiral.

Growing community of inventors

Detroit, MI, United States of America

Joshua L Solomon