The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Suppression Technologies, Inc.

Other

Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC

University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Northwestern University

Clemson University

Kevin Scott Smith

Matthew A Davies

Robert A Duncan

Terry A Spencer

Bethany A Woody

William E Barkman

Edwin F Babelay, Jr

Robert G Wilhelm

David Adams

Jian Cao

John C Ziegert

Tony Lavaun Schmitz

Robert J Hocken

Thomas S Assaid

Brian S Dutterer

Justin T McFarland

David A Tursky

Lonnie A Houck, Iii

Brian P Mann

T Phillip Jacobs, Jr

Systems for improving fire safety in agricultural machinery are configured for detecting, at least partially controlling, and/or suppressing adverse fire-related conditions. The adverse fire-related conditions can include sparks, embers, and/or flames in the agricultural machinery.

Systems and methods for improving fire safety in agricultural machinery

A manufacturing method, including: given a predetermined finished part geometry, providing a sacrificial structure preform that simultaneously contains the finished part geometry, minimizes material that must be removed from the sacrificial structure preform to achieve the finished part geometry during machining, and has a sufficient stiffness to resist a machining force that will be applied during machining without allowing the finished part geometry to be compromised; and machining the sacrificial structure preform to achieve the finished part geometry. The manufacturing method also includes preliminarily estimating a stiffness of the finished part geometry and the machining force that will be applied during machining.

Manufacturing methods and systems using sacrificial structure preforms

The present invention relates generally to deformation machining systems and methods that combine, in a single machine tool setup, the machining of thin structures and single point incremental forming (SPIF), such that novel part geometries and enhanced material properties may be obtained that are not achievable using conventional machining or forming systems and methods, individually or collectively. Important to many applications, lighter weight parts may be produced at lower cost using a conventional 3-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tool or the like, instead of the conventional 5-axis CNC machine tool or the like that is typically required.

Deformation machining systems and methods

Disclosed are various systems and methods for assessing and improving the capability of a machine tool. The disclosure applies to machine tools having at least one slide configured to move along a motion axis. Various patterns of dynamic excitation commands are employed to drive the one or more slides, typically involving repetitive short distance displacements. A quantification of a measurable merit of machine tool response to the one or more patterns of dynamic excitation commands is typically derived for the machine tool. Examples of measurable merits of machine tool performance include workpiece surface finish, and the ability to generate chips of the desired length.

Method and apparatus for characterizing and enhancing the functional performance of machine tools

The present invention provides dynamic metrology methods and systems for: periodically determining an actual position of one or more of a machine and a tool with respect to a workpiece using one or more laser interferometers; tracking a tracked position of the one or more of the machine and the tool with respect to the workpiece using one or more accelerometers; and altering a controlled position of the one or more of the machine and the tool with respect to the workpiece when either the actual position or the tracked position of the one or more of the machine and the tool with respect to the workpiece diverges from a desired position of one or more of the machine and the tool with respect to the workpiece.

Dynamic metrology methods and systems

The present invention provides a method for machining a part from a workpiece. The workpiece is divided into a plurality of sectors and a plurality of fiducials are disposed within each sector. The separation distance between each fiducial is then calibrated to a workpiece distance unit. The present invention then includes the steps of a) positioning the workpiece into the desired position relative to a cutting machine; b) calibrating the cutting machine to the workpiece distance units of one sector; c) cutting one sector with the calibrated cutting machine; d) repeating steps a-c until the part is completed.

Manufacture of large parts on small machines

The present invention provides methods and systems for chip breaking, controlling cutting tool wear, and the like in turning, boring, and other applications, including: engaging a workpiece with a cutting tool in a feed direction along a toolpath, superimposing an oscillation in the feed direction on the toolpath, and dynamically or non-dynamically varying the oscillation superimposed in the feed direction on the toolpath such that interrupted cuts and chips of a predetermined length or less are produced. These systems take full advantage of computer numerical control (CNC) methodologies.

Methods and systems for chip breaking in turning applications using CNC toolpaths

Systems and methods for creating assemblies are described. One method described comprises providing a first element at a first temperature, providing a second element at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, coupling the first and second elements to create an assembly, and changing the first temperature to a third temperature, thereby preloading and interlocking the assembly. The first element comprises a first dimension at the first temperature. The second element comprises a second dimension lesser than the first dimension at the second temperature. The first element comprises a third dimension at the third temperature lesser than the first dimension.

Methods and systems for creating assemblies

Methods for creating assemblies and disassembling

A variable tuned holder for machine tools that attaches to a machine tool to act in a manner similar to a dynamic absorber while the machine tool is used during machining. The natural frequency of the holder may be matched to the natural frequency of the machine tool as the tool is in use to reduce the amplitude of vibration at the cutting end of tool with a workpiece. The present invention is designed to provide an impedance match between the machine tool and the holder such that the cutting energy may escape and/or be dissipated. The flexible holder may be used as one part of an overall system. The system may be designed to be used with tools of different shapes and/or lengths. As the shape and/or length of the machine tool changes, the system may be easily modified to change the natural frequency of the flexible holder to enable the dynamic absorber effect of the flexible holder to occur. The flexible holder may be included in a kit that may be used with a wide range of lengths and/or shapes of machine tools.

Variable tuned holder for machine tools

A kit for suspending a sign is disclosed herein. The kit includes first and second column anchors operable to be permanently mounted in the ground or concrete. The kit also includes first and second columns individually receivable in one of the respective first and second column anchors. The first and second columns can be selectively removed when it is no longer desired to suspend a sign. Each of the first and second columns has a plurality of through-apertures. The kit also includes a plurality of bushings. An individual bushing is received in one of the through-apertures. The kit also includes a quantity of rope extending through the plurality of bushings when the kit is assembled. The kit also includes at least one rope tensioning member operable to engage both of the first and second ends of the rope for holding the rope taut.

Kit for signage suspension

Products and processes for forming assemblies are disclosed. One product described comprises a first element having a structured surface adapted to be coupled with a second element.

Damping products and processes

The present invention discloses a method and system comprised of a combination of submethods and subsystems relating to the manufacture of parts. By these submethods and subsystems, the present invention discloses using part data, machine data, and tool data to create a recipe for the production of a part. Also included in the recipe is an optimal combination of machine and tooling derived from a database of machine and tooling performance measurements. Further included in the recipe are a process plan and production settings. A party can select or create a vendor by using the recipe and a database of vendor information. Also disclosed by the present invention is monitoring of the machining setup and production to ensure manufacture of the part according to the recipe. The present invention can be implemented in numerous methods and systems, including sales of the recipe and licensing of the part production according to the recipe.

Growing community of inventors

Huntersville, NC, United States of America

Kevin Scott Smith