Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Dynalloy, Inc.

University of Michigan

Richard J Skurkis

Paul W Alexander

Nancy L Johnson

Xiujie Gao

Nilesh D Mankame

Alan L Browne

Nicholas W Pinto

Anthony L Smith

Nicholas William Pinto

Tyson W Brown

HyungMin Chae

Guillermo A Herrera

Mark Allen Smith

Dorel M Sala

Wonhee Michael Kim

Ivan G Sears

Whitney A Poling

Md Ashabul Anam

Patrick B Usoro

Geoffrey P McKnight

Robin Stevenson

James W Wells

John Patrick Spicer

Miguel Arturo Saez

Tyler P Ownby

Christopher Paul Henry

Andrew C Keefe

James Holbrook Brown

Mark T Riefe

Douglas Martin Linn

Michael J Walker

Christopher Burton Churchill

Steven J Weber

Kirk D Bennion

Scott R Webb

Amberlee S Haselhuhn

Tadge J Juechter

John Andrew Shaw

David Begleiter

Ian J Sutherland

Jeff Dellach

Mike Vainstein

Chandra S Namuduri

Suresh Gopalakrishnan

Pei-chung Wang

Lei Hao

Paul Edward Krajewski

Blair E Carlson

Sanjeev Manubhai Naik

Jennifer P Lawall

Wayne Cai

Chih-Hung Yen

Scott P Charnesky

Kevin B Rober

Brennon L White

Spyros Pete Mellas

Raymond J Kiefer

Kenneth J Shoemaker

Mark A Kramarczyk

Hanif Muhammad

Aragorn Zolno

Dooil Hwang

Kenneth A Strom

Peter Maxwell Sarosi

Thomas H Froling

Adam J Campbell

Jeffrey W Brown

Tony J Deschutter

Paulo M Mendonca

Wayne Brown

Daniel R Gee

Mark A Smith

Blagoj Dungevski

Matthew D Scrase

Joseph L Jablonski

Marco A Lopes

Jason F Laws

Brain D Van Buren

Clifford Jason Yee

Evan P Joranlien

John M Kuehnel

Mark D Dickens

Arnold G Warner

Laurence M Lemaire

Systems and methods are provided for locating a pair of components relative to one another using complex surfaces. One component has a complex surface, where the complex surface is smoothly contoured. Another component is shaped to be connected with the first component. A fixture locates the first component relative to the second component. The fixture includes a locator with a complex surface region shaped to mate with the complex surface of the one component to locate the fixture relative to that component. The fixture includes another locator to locate the fixture relative to the second component.

Complex locating fixture system and method

A powder bed fusion system includes a powder bed including a build surface and a vacuum system. The vacuum system includes a collection device positioned over the build surface. The collection device includes a body, a pathway defined in the body, wherein the pathway ends in a passageway opening, and a particle retainer connected to the body near the passageway opening. A method of forming a component includes forming a layer of unfused metal powder on a powder bed with a recoater, introducing gas to the powder bed and applying a vacuum with a collection device, fusing a portion of the layer of unfused metal powder on the powder bed with a heat source to form a component layer and generating contaminants, collecting the contaminants from the powder bed with the gas and the vacuum applied by the collection device.

Local collection of contaminants formed during metal powder bed fusion process

Systems and methods are provided for shape controlled gripping of a workpiece. A layer jamming structure includes a membrane defining an internal cavity containing a number of overlapping material layers. A pressure system includes a pump coupled with the internal cavity. A shape conforming tool includes at least one part configured to move to apply a force to the layer jamming structure. The shape conforming tool, by operation of the part, conforms the layer jamming structure to the workpiece. The pressure system, with operation of the pump, changes a pressure in the internal cavity to impart rigidity to the layer jamming structure.

Shape control in gripping systems and methods

Systems and methods are provided for gripping of a workpiece with a layer jamming structure having rigid datum structures. A system includes a layer jamming structure configurable in an inactivated conformable state, with a membrane defining an internal cavity containing a number of overlapping material layers. The rigid structures engage the layer jamming structure. A pressure system includes a pump coupled with the internal cavity to change a pressure therein to transform the layer jamming structure from the inactivated conformable state to an activated rigid state disposed around the workpiece. The rigid structures help conform the layer jamming structure to the workpiece during transformation to the activated rigid state and to present datum fixturing surfaces in the activated rigid state.

Rigid insert shape control in layer jammming systems and methods

A system and method for additive manufacturing are provided. The system includes a structure defining a chamber for manufacturing parts via additive manufacturing. A powder metal applicator is configured to deposit layers of powder metal material to build a part on a build platform. A laser source is configured to direct one or more laser beams onto each layer of powder metal material to fuse the powder metal material, wherein metal condensate is created by the laser beam(s) contacting the powder metal material. An element spaced apart from the layers of powder material has a temperature different than the chamber temperature, so that the element is configured to attract or repel the metal condensate by virtue of the temperature differential between the element and the chamber. The method includes using the element having the different temperature to attract or repel the metal condensate within the chamber.

Metal condensate control during additive manufacturing

A post-build powder removal system includes a work bed, a platform wall having at least one powder evacuation port, and an evacuation port sealing system operable for selectively closing and opening the powder evacuation port. The platform wall cooperates with the work bed to define a powder chamber. The evacuation port sealing system includes an external sleeve slidingly fitted onto the exterior surface of the platform wall such that the external sleeve is slideable in a first direction closing the at least one powder evacuation port and slideable in an opposite second direction opening the at least one powder evacuation port.

Post-build quick powder removal system for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

A configurable build volume system for a powder bed fusion manufacturing process includes a chamber wall defining a chamber, the chamber wall extending in the X-, Y-, and Z-axis directions, a plurality of build platforms enclosed within the chamber, a plurality of adjustment mechanisms coupled to the plurality of build platforms such that each build platform is coupled to a separate adjustment mechanism, a sensor mounted within the chamber and configured to capture data regarding a Z-axis position of each of the plurality of build platforms, and a controller in electronic communication with the plurality of adjustment mechanisms and the sensor. The controller receives the Z-axis position data and generates a plurality of control signals to adjust a Z-axis position of each of the plurality of build platforms and each of the plurality of build platforms is actively and independently controlled by the controller.

Configurable build volume systems

A clamp system and method for measurement and control of welding a first substrate to a second substrate is provided. The system comprises a squeeze clamp having to a first end and a second end. The system further comprises a motor connected to the squeeze clamp such that the first and second ends are movable to clamp the first substrate to the second substrate. The system further comprises at least one of an electromagnetic flux sensor, a current sensor, a position sensor, and a gap sensor disposed on one of the first and second ends for determining a first measured variable between the first and second substrates. The system further comprises a controller to control the motor to clamp the first substrate to the second substrate based on the first measured variable. The controller is in communication with the electromagnetic flux sensor, the current sensor, and the gap sensor.

Clamp system and method for control of welding a first substrate to a second substrate

A method of assembling a plurality of subcomponents to form a finished component comprises gripping a first subcomponent with a first end-of-arm tool, wherein the first end-of-arm tool is attached to a first robot arm and grasping a second subcomponent with a second end-of-arm tool, wherein the second end-of-arm tool is attached to a second robot arm. Moving the first and second end-of-arm tools to position the first subcomponent relative to the second subcomponent in a pre-assembly position and then moving the first and second end-of-arm tools to engage interface surfaces of the first and second subcomponents. Forming a joint between the first subcomponent and the second subcomponent with a joining tool attached to a joining robot arm to thereby assemble the finished component.

Fixtureless component assembly

A shield assembly is employed for a friction brake used to decelerate a road wheel of a vehicle. The vehicle has a body with a first body end configured to face an incident ambient airflow, a second body end opposite of the first body end, and an underbody section spanning a distance between the first and second ends. The shield assembly includes a first shield component arranged proximate the brake and rotationally fixed relative to the vehicle body. The shield assembly also includes a second shield component operatively connected to the first shield component for shifting relative thereto. The shield assembly additionally includes an actuator employing a shape memory alloy element to shift the second shield component relative to the first shield component in response to a temperature of the brake to thereby direct at least a portion of the airflow to the brake and control temperature thereof.

Articulated shield for a vehicle friction brake

A method for operating an automobile vehicle pedestrian sensing system includes: embedding multiple piezoelectric sensors in a vehicle bumper fascia, each generating a voltage in response to an impact of an object with the fascia; retrieving multiple threshold values from a memory, each assigned to one of the sensors; reading the voltage from each of the sensors; grouping individual sensors into multiple different logic circuits, each including at least two of the sensors; determining for each sensor in each of the logic circuits if the voltage is greater than the assigned threshold value; creating a positive signal following any one of the logic circuits when the voltage is determined to be greater than the assigned threshold value for the sensors grouped into the one of the logic circuits; and generating a hood deployment system deployment signal when the positive signal is output from all of the logic circuits.

Advanced pedestrian sensing system for vehicles with active hood

A thermal management device for dissipating heat from an electrical component includes a volume of working fluid configured to change from a liquid state to a vapor state in response to being heated by the electrical component. The thermal management device also includes a working fluid chamber configured to move the working fluid. The working fluid chamber includes an impermeable outer portion and a porous inner portion integrally formed with and connected to the impermeable outer portion. The inner portion is configured to move the working fluid when in the liquid state toward the electrical component. The impermeable outer portion is made of a first material and the porous inner portion is made of a second material. The first material is different from the second material.

Thermal management device for use on electronics in a transportation vehicle

An occupant support structure and a method of customizing an occupant support structure. The occupant support structure may comprise a base and a reconfigurable cushion carried by the base. The reconfigurable cushion may include an occupant support surface and a bladder. The bladder may include an outer wall that defines an inner cavity underlying the occupant support surface and two or more overlapping material layers disposed within the cavity. The overlapping material layers may be adapted to selectively transition from a compliant state to a rigid state and vice versa by selective control of a pressure condition across the outer wall of the bladder to reconfigure or conform the occupant support surface of the cushion to a contour of a portion of an occupant supported by the cushion.

Conformable and reconfigurable occupant support structure

A fluid bypass valve includes a valve member disposed within a valve chamber of a housing. A temperature based actuating mechanism moves the valve member between a first position and a second position in response to a temperature change. A temporary flow control device undergoes a one-time only shape change between a first shape and a second shape. The temporary flow control device enables fluid communication between a first port and a second port when exhibiting the first shape, and does not enable fluid communication between the first port and the second port when exhibiting the second shape. The temporary flow control device exhibits the first shape when having an initial temperature less than or equal to a second pre-defined temperature, and exhibits the second shape in response to a first heating of the temporary flow control device to a temperature that is greater than the second pre-defined temperature.

Fluid bypass valve with temporary flow control device to provide initially opened fluid circuit

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Richard J Skurkis