General Electric Technology Gmbh

General Electric Company

Alstom Technology Limited

Ronald Francis Konopacki

Allan Ferry

Matthew David Allen

Robert F Crocker

Richard Jeffrey Schmidt

Junior Grant Parrish

Russell O'Daniel Brumfield

Philip Frederick Gilston

Russell Brumfield

Xiaoling Li

Allan Gunn Ferry

A system for manufacturing boiler tubes includes a first spindle for receiving a first tube having a first weld preparation, a second spindle for receiving a second tube having a second weld preparation, the first spindle and the second spindle being rotatable synchronously, and a welding device having a first weld head. The welding device is configured to automatically weld the first tube to the second tube according to a control routine stored in memory to produce a boiler tube.

System, method and apparatus for welding tubes

A system for cleaning a tube is provided. The system includes an enclosure, a laser, and an actuator. The enclosure receives the tube. The laser is disposed within the enclosure and operative to ablate a substance disposed on a surface of the tube. The actuator is operative to move the tube relative to the laser.

System and method for cleaning a tube

A system for manufacturing a part is provided. The system includes a gantry, a first mobile arm and a second mobile arm, at least one conveyor and at least one sensor. The gantry has a first member and a second member disposed opposite the first member so as to define an opening. The first and the second mobile arms are disposed on the first and the second members, respectively. The at least one conveyor is operative to move the part through the opening so as to position the part within access of the first and the second mobile arms. The at least one sensor is operative to guide the first and the second mobile arms to one or more areas of the part. The first and the second mobile arms are operative to perform a manufacturing process on the part at the one or more areas.

System and method for manufacturing a part

A method for manufacturing boiler tubes includes the steps of removing end caps from a plurality of tubes, the plurality of tubes including at least a first tube and a second tube, cleaning an outer surface of the first tube and the second tube, forming a weld preparation on an upstream end of the first tube, forming a weld preparation on a downstream end of the second tube, welding the upstream end of the first tube to the downstream end of the second tube to form a butt weld, to produce a long tube, and with an automated device, measuring a parameter of at least the first tube and the second tube. The steps of removing the end caps, cleaning the outer surface of the tubes, forming the weld preparations, welding the first tube to the second tube, and measuring the parameter are performed autonomously.

System, method and apparatus for manufacturing boiler tubes

An automated system for manipulating a workpiece includes a machining device, a locating device configured to determine a position of a workpiece, and a positioning system operatively connected to the machining device and being configured to adjust a position of the machining device to align a centerline of the machining device with a longitudinal axis of the workpiece, based upon the determined position of the workpiece. The machining device includes a stabilizing mechanism to engage the workpiece to maintain the workpiece in the determined position, and a cutting element for performing a machining operation on the workpiece.

System, method and apparatus for manipulating a workpiece

A method of manufacturing a tube is provided. The method includes: selecting a core pipe having a thickness that is initially less than a desired thickness of the tube; and building-up an outer layer over an exterior surface of the core pipe via additive manufacturing so as to increase the thickness of the core pipe such that the thickness of the core pipe is equal to the desired thickness of the tube.

System and method for additively manufacturing boiler tubes

A system and method for reading a barcode displayed on an object is provided. The system includes a barcode reader having a plurality of cameras communicatively coupled to an image processor, and a controller device communicatively coupled to the plurality of cameras and the image processor. The cameras are arranged to define a first opening therebetween sized to receive the object therein. The controller device triggers an operation of each camera. Each camera is operative to capture a respective image of a different corresponding portion of the surface of the object, and to send the respective image to the image processor. The image processor is configured to combine the respective images received from each camera into a composite image, and to read a barcode from the composite image.

System and apparatus for identifying boiler tubes

A waterwall panel welding apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an inlet assembly, a welding assembly, an outlet assembly, and a heating system. The inlet assembly is for receiving a plurality of tubes. The welding assembly is for receiving the tubes from the inlet assembly and for allowing the tubes to be welded together to form a waterwall panel. The outlet assembly is for receiving the waterwall panel from the welding assembly. The heating system heats the tubes and operates via magnetic induction.

Apparatus and method for welding a waterwall panel

A system for locating the position of a component includes, an image capture device, the image capture device being configured to capture an image of a component, a working implement mounted in fixed relation to the image capture device, a positioning system configured to adjust a position of the image capture device and the working implement in relation to the component, and an image processing module in communication with the image capture device, the imaging processing module being configured to receive the image from the image capture device and to identify at least one feature of the component. The positioning system is configured to adjust the position of the image capture device based on a location of the identified feature within the image to align the image capture device with the identified feature, and to align the working implement with the identified feature based upon an offset between the image capture device and the working implement.

System, method and apparatus for locating the position of a component for use in a manufacturing operation

A system for preserving and capping tubes includes a compressed air reservoir for storing compressed air, a preservative reservoir containing a supply of a preservative, a nozzle in fluid communication with the compressed air reservoir and the preservative reservoir for injecting the preservative into the interior of a tube, and a capping device configured to insert a cap onto the end of the tube.

System, method and apparatus for preserving and capping tubes

Disclosed herein is a system having a first housing that includes an optically transparent substrate having a first side and a second side that is opposed to the first side, a camera disposed on the first side of the optically transparent substrate and a source of illumination. The source of illumination is disposed in a ring on the periphery of the first housing and located on the first side of the optically transparent substrate. The system further has a second housing having a circuit board that is operative to process the image captured by the camera, and a battery pack that is operative to supply electrical energy to the source of illumination and to power the circuit board.

Method and system for determining quality of tubes

Disclosed herein is a system having an optically transparent substrate having a first side and a second side that are opposed to each other, a microprocessor, a database, a camera disposed upon the first side of the optically transparent substrate and a source of illumination. The source of illumination is disposed in a ring around the camera on the first side and is operative to illuminate the object disposed on the second side of the optically transparent substrate. Further the camera is in operative communication with the microprocessor and the database. The camera is operative to capture an image of an object disposed upon the second side of the optically transparent substrate. The microprocessor is operative to calculate dimensions and geometry of the object from the image and facilitate acceptance or rejection of the object based upon a standard, a parameter or a calibration chart.

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CT, United States of America

Ronald Francis Konopacki