Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Mark Edward Nichols

Christopher Michael Seubert

Kevin Richard John Ellwood

Wanjiao Liu

Scott Adams

Tony Misovski

Cindy Anne Peters

Larry Dean Elie

John Matthew Ginder

Kerrie Nikaido Holguin

Aaron Fiala

Sabrina Louise Peczonczyk

Marina Menendez Baker

Michael Robertson, Jr

Ellen Cheng-chi Lee

Janice Lisa Tardiff

Kevin R Ellwood

William McMurray Stewart

Steven J Simko

Joseph Steven Mark

Brian Schneider

Dennis Lee Havlin, Jr

Venkatesh Krishnan

Andrew Robert Drews

S George Luckey, Jr

Kevin James Rhodes

Deborah Frances Mielewski

Raghuraman Surineedi

Sunil Reddy Patil

Kenneth Edward Nietering

David John Hill

Robert A Pett

Emily Ann Ryan

Rosa Lynda Nuno

Sami A Alkharabsheh

Matthew Linden Bedell

Nicholas Ryan Gunther

Yun Bai

James Robert McBride

Elyssa Kayser

Chelsea Cates

An atomizer for applying a coating to a substrate includes a nozzle and at least one electrode. The nozzle defines a plurality of apertures. The nozzle includes a nozzle plate, a nozzle body, and an actuator. The nozzle plate defines the apertures. The nozzle body and an inner side of the nozzle plate define a reservoir in fluid communication with the first apertures. The actuator is configured to vibrate the nozzle plate to eject droplets of a liquid from the reservoir through the first apertures. The at least one electrode is configured to directly or indirectly electrostatically charge the droplets with a charge that repels the droplets from each other to reduce coalescence of the droplets before the droplets reach the substrate.

Ultrasonic atomizer for applying a coating to a substrate with electrostatic charge to prevent droplet coalescence during atomization

A method of forming a part includes 3D printing a photopolymerizable resin and forming a preformed part and subsequently post-curing the preformed part with electron beams. The preformed part may be cured via UV curing. A section of the preformed part post-cured with electron beams may have a thickness of at least 1.0 centimeter, for example, at least 2.0 centimeters or at least 3.0 centimeters. An electron beam dosage to post-cure the preformed part may be between 10 kilogray (kGy) and 100 kGy. The preformed part may be 3D printed using stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP) or material jetting (MJ) and the photopolymerizable resin may include at least one of an acrylate functional polymer and a methacrylate functional polymer. In the alternative, or in addition to, the photopolymerizable resin may include at least one of a urethane, a polyester, and a polyether.

Methods of post-curing additive manufacturing parts using electron beams

An ultrasonic atomization material applicator includes a material applicator with at least one transducer and an array plate with an array of micro-applicators. Each of the micro-applicators has a material inlet, a reservoir, and a micro-applicator plate with a plurality of apertures. At least one supply line is in communication with the micro-applicators and configured to supply at least one material to each of the micro-applicators. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is mechanically coupled to the at least one array of micro-applicators and configured to vibrate the at least one array of micro-applicators such that atomized droplets of the at least one material are ejected from each of the micro-applicators. A movement device configured to cyclically move the at least one array of micro-applicators back and forth about at least one axis of the at least one array of micro-applicators can be included.

Ultrasonic material applicators and methods of use thereof

A method of manufacturing a metal component includes performing a test stamping process on a test sheet metal blank, generating a strain map of the test sheet metal blank for the test stamping process, generating a lubrication program based on the strain map, applying lubrication to the sheet metal according to the lubrication program, and stamping the sheet metal to form the metal component. The lubrication program is configured to control a lubrication system to apply lubrication to sheet metal in a non-uniform distribution across the sheet metal. The non-uniform distribution correlates to the strain map.

Method and system for lubricating and forming a metal component from sheet metal

A material applicator for controlling application of at least one material on a substrate includes a housing and an array plate with an applicator array positioned within the housing. The applicator array has a plurality of micro-applicators and each of the plurality of micro-applicators has an ultrasonic transducer, a material inlet, a reservoir, and a micro-applicator plate with a plurality of apertures. The applicator plate is in mechanical communication with the ultrasonic transducer such that at least one material is ejected through the plurality of apertures as atomized droplets when the ultrasonic transducer vibrates the micro-applicator plate.

Composite ultrasonic material applicators with individually addressable micro-applicators and methods of use thereof

An atomizer for applying a coating includes a nozzle plate, an actuator, and an acoustic focusing device. The nozzle plate defines at least one aperture. The actuator is configured to oscillate to form pressure waves within a fluid to eject the fluid from the nozzle plate. The acoustic focusing device focuses the pressure waves toward the apertures.

Ultrasonic atomizer with acoustic focusing device

A method of controlling application of at least one material onto a substrate includes configuring a material applicator having an array plate with an applicator array. The applicator array has a plurality of micro-applicators with a first subset of micro-applicators and a second subset of micro-applicators. Each of the plurality of micro-applicators has a plurality of apertures through which fluid is ejected. The first subset of micro-applicators and the second subset of micro-applicators are individually addressable, and a liquid flows through the first subset of micro-applicators and a shaping gas, e.g., air, flows through the second subset of micro-applicators. The flow of shaping gas shapes the flow of the liquid from the first subset of micro-applicators to the substrate.

Composite ultrasonic material applicators with embedded shaping gas micro-applicators and methods of use thereof

An assembly includes a sensor lens, a polymer film adhered to the sensor lens, a hydrophilic coating applied to the sensor lens, and a fluid layer between the sensor lens and the polymer film, wherein the fluid layer is disposed on the hydrophilic coating.

Vehicle sensor assembly

A device and method of forming a three-dimensional component includes filling a reservoir () with a volume of curable resin (), the resin configured to undergo a first reaction to form a first product when exposed to light () of a first wavelength and to undergo a second reaction to form a second product when exposed to light () of a second wavelength. The presence of the first and second products at a common location in the resin causes a third reaction that results in a solid polymer at the common location. The method further includes directing a first light source () of the first wavelength into the reservoir, directing a second light source () of the second wavelength into the reservoir such that the first and second light sources intersect at a first predetermined location () within the reservoir, and allowing the third reaction to form the solid polymer at the first predetermined location.

3-D printing components using two-light sources to control location of solidification

An additive article stabilizing method includes prior to polymerization, adding a radiation-activated stabilizing composition to a liquid resin, forming the article from the liquid resin, layer by layer, using radiation such that the stabilizing composition does not stabilize the liquid resin but the formed article, and neutralizing free radicals generated during a degradation process initiated by exposure of the article to additional radiation post-cure.

Stabilized additive manufacturing articles

A nozzle for an atomizer includes a plate, a piezoelectric actuator, a body, and a connector. The plate defines an aperture. The actuator is configured to oscillate the plate. The body supports the plate. The connector is configured to reversibly mount the body to the atomizer in a first orientation and in a second orientation. In the first orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along a first axial direction through the aperture. In the second orientation, fluid exits the nozzle along an opposite axial direction through the aperture.

Reversible nozzle in ultrasonic atomizer for clog prevention

A film-application apparatus includes a body including a first body half, a second body half, and a hinge coupling the body halves; and a squeegee blade movable from a first position relative to the body to a second position relative to the body. The second body half is rotatable about the hinge relative to the first body half to a closed position. When the second body half is in the closed position, the body includes a top ring and a bottom ring both centered on an axis and defining an axial gap therebetween. When the second body half is in the closed position and the body is enclosing a sensor having a cylindrical sensor window, the axial gap exposes the cylindrical sensor window, and moving the squeegee blade from the first position to the second position covers substantially an entire surface area of the cylindrical sensor window.

Film applicator for cylindrical sensor window

A method of controlling application of at least one material to a substrate is provided. The method includes configuring at least one array having a plurality of micro-applicators such that a subset of the micro-applicators is individually addressable to apply the at least one material to the substrate. Individually addressing the subset of micro-applicators provides control of a pattern width of a coating applied to a substrate, control of a flow rate of the material applied to the substrate, control of an angle of application of the material to the substrate, control of which and how many materials are applied to the substrate, and combinations thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Saline, MI, United States of America

Mark Edward Nichols