Abstract: An apparatus and a relative method for measuring straightness errors of elongated-shape elements, such as bars, tubes and the like is presented. The measuring apparatus includes a supporting system for a bar, a first detecting system having one or more first sensors to detect the development of the longitudinal axis of the bar, and a central control unit. The measuring apparatus further includes a second detecting system provided with a plurality of second sensors to detect the forces the bar applies to the supporting system and acquiring means to acquire at least one physical parameter of the bar under measuring. The central control unit includes at least one data acquiring and processing module to acquire and process the data detected by said first and second detecting systems and acquired by said acquiring means, in order to determine the possible straightness error of the bar.

Abstract: A distortion correction tool corrects distortion in a workpiece held by a fixture. Sensors in the fixture determine the existence, extent, and location of distortions in the workpiece and a controller directs the application of the distortion correction tool to the workpiece based on the information received from the sensors. Particularly, a ram mounted to a quick-change tool head for a robotic arm is used as a distortion correction tool to correct distortions in a workpiece by inducing plastic deformation through use of compressive force, the extent and location of which is determined by a controller based on sensor measurements.

Abstract: A method of identification of a cause of occurrence of springback comprising a press forming analysis step of numerically analyzing forming conditions of press forming to obtain forming data of a press formed part, a processing step of processing at least one of a physical property value and physical property quantity data of part of the regions of said press formed part among forming data of said press formed part, and a springback value calculation step of calculating a springback value based on the results of said processing.

Abstract: In a method and a control device for adjusting a state of a rolling stock, particularly a near-net strip, defined at least by an out-of-parallel condition and/or a curvature of the rolling stock, the rolling stock is transitioned from an initial into an intermediate state by a roll stand and by impressing a stress onto the rolling stock by an additional processing device, and the rolling stock is transitioned from the intermediate into a final state by at least one processing aggregate. By determining whether rolling stock should be fed into the at least one processing aggregate, the intermediate state requiring a non-zero out-of-parallel condition and/or curvature in order to achieve a predetermined final state, and the roll stand and/or the processing device are controlled and/or regulated as a function thereof to adjust the required intermediate state, the shape reliability of an ultimately parallel, non-curved rolling stock can be increased.

Abstract: A method corrects a head suspension by irradiating an objective part of the head suspension with a laser beam. The method is capable of precisely correcting the head suspension even when correcting the head suspension a plurality of times. The method removes residual stress created by the preceding correction from the head suspension, and then, carries out the next correction. Accordingly, the method can precisely correct the objective part of the head suspension with a laser beam even if the objective part has once been irradiated with a laser beam in the preceding correction.

Abstract: A bending angle detecting device for a workpiece used in a bending machine that bends the workpiece in cooperation of upper and lower tools. The bending angle detecting device has a detector which includes a casing and which can detect a bending angle of the workpiece with the casing fixed in contact with a contact portion of the lower tool.

Abstract: Systems and methods are employed for monitoring and controlling a can necking process in a multi-stage can necking machine. Sensors are employed that communicate with local controllers. A local controller is used at each stage of the multi-stage can necking machine. The local controllers are used to perform fast processing of information from the sensors located in the stage associated with the local controller. A main controller is then used to determine drop rates. Predefined threshold rates may be used to compare with calculated drop rates. A multi-stage can necking machine may be controlled in part based on drop rates crossing threshold rates.

Abstract: Provided is a die cushion controller (40) that controls an ascending/descending speed of a die cushion pad (15) based on a preset pressure pattern (56) and positional pattern (54), in which a position/pressure control switching unit (51) constantly monitors and compares a for-pressure speed command signal ?pc corresponding to a pressure deviation signal ep and a for-position speed command signal ?hc corresponding to a position deviation signal eh, and selects smaller one of those speed command signals to be sent to a speed control unit (53). Since the for-pressure speed command signal ?pc and the for-position speed command signal ?hc are constantly monitored and either one of them is selected, change in pressure and change in position can be accurately recognized to allow switching between a pressure control and a position control quickly, stably, and reliably.

Abstract: An ultrasonic device and method obtains desirable crimp connections between a crimp connector and a wire, or bundle of wires, by assessing the desirability of connections made in a wire-to-wire connection and in other situations where two materials with good acoustic propagation characteristics are joined together via deformation. An embodiment of the device as a crimping tool comprises a compressing means, pulse-generating circuitry, at least one ultrasonic transmitting transducer, at least one ultrasonic receiving transducer, receiving circuitry, and a display. The user may return to a previously crimped connection and assess the desirability of the connection by compressing the device about the connection, sending an acoustic signal through the crimp, and comparing the received signal to a signal obtained from known desirable connections.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the pitch and roll static torques (PST and RST) on a slider in a disk drive head-suspension assembly (HSA) during manufacturing assures that each HSA is manufactured with acceptable PST and RST values. The method includes measuring each slider's pitch and roll static attitudes (PSA and RSA) and determining each HSA's pitch and roll torsional stiffnesses. These values are then used to calculate the required amount of adjustment to PSA and RSA to achieve the desired values of PST and RST for each HSA. The suspension is then adjusted, such as by heating the flexure with a laser.

Abstract: A thin walled body such as a container (1) is gripped at a holding station and tooling (10) is engaged to deform the wall of the body at a predetermined zone. The predetermined wall zone is co-aligned with the tooling (10) by means of coordinated movement of the tooling (10) (typically by means of rotation about a tooling axis) prior to engagement with the wall zone.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock includes a source of heat that is adapted to impose a focused beam of light on at least one surface of a work piece to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of the heat source so as to impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece. In addition, a method of manufacturing a discrete curved product from feed stock is also disclosed.

Abstract: A panel, formed from a perforated face (102), is respectively concavely and convexly curved by seriatim stretching or contracting its flanges (104a, b; 156a, b). Such stretching and contracting is produced by placing the opposed flanges within jaw halves (110a, b; 166a, b) of a jaw mechanism (110, 166), by seriatim positioning of the paired flanges between their respective jaw halves, and by moving the jaw halves away from or towards one another. Jaw movement towards one another effects a stretching function. Jaw movement towards one another effects a shrinking function. Computerization enables the panel curving to be precisely controlled. The curved panel, as it exits from the panel curving machine (126, 148) is supported on rollers (146) or, more precisely, by a scissor apparatus (176). The scissors apparatus includes roller sets (242, 244, 246) which are positionable, relative to one another, to conform the roller sets to the curvature of the exiting panel.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a heat transfer member comprises the step of subjecting material to be worked, which is made of a metallic thin sheet, to a press forming utilizing upper and lower molds of a press-forming devices to form the material to be worked into a shape having prescribed irregularities, thereby preparing a heat transfer member for a heat exchanger. An elongated material is used as the material to be worked. A press-forming device is provided with molds each having a length shorter than the elongated material to be worked.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a system for lifting objects comprises a Cartesian manipulator, a machine vision system for acquiring video images of the objects, and a control processor for processing the video images and providing position command signals to the Cartesian manipulator.

Abstract: A punch press includes: a press main body; an upper turret member having a workpiece detecting plate; a lower turret member; a striker; striker ascending/descending means; a carriage with a clamper for holding a workpiece in order to position the workpiece between the upper turret member and the lower turret member; and carriage moving means to move the carriage in the horizontal direction. In the above construction, one end of a first conductive wire is electrically connected to the workpiece detecting plate; and one end of a second conductive wire is electrically connected to the press main body. The other end of the first conductive wire and the other end of the second conductive wire are electrically connected to a touch detecting unit to detect a touch between the workpiece detecting plate of the upper turret member and a workpiece clamped by the clamper.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus (30) for a workpiece includes a base (310) with a shoulder (312), a positioning block (330) and a circuit. The positioning block includes an upper block (332) secured on the shoulder, and a lower block (334) having a front surface (336). A lay of insulator (320) is compressed between the base and the positioning block. The circuit includes a power source (50) and a relay (60). The power source provides direct current voltage. The relay comprises a coil (601) electrically connected between the power source and the positioning block, and a normal-open switch (603) electrically connected between the power source and a manipulator which acts on the workpiece. When the workpiece contacts the front surface of the positioning block, the coil is electrified and the normal-open switch closes. The interface of the manipulator turns to high level, and the manipulator starts its next programmed motion.

Abstract: An integrated die cast system is provided comprising a die casting machine, a servo-controlled ladle, a servo-controlled sprayer, a pick and place robot, an integrated controller, and a programming pendant. The die casting machine includes a die casting machine controller. The servo-controlled ladle includes a molten material ladle and a servo-motor arranged to cause the ladle to transfer molten material to an injection chamber of the die casting machine. The servo-controlled sprayer includes a sprayer assembly and a servo-motor arranged to orient the sprayer assembly proximate a die cavity of the die casting machine. The pick and place robot is arranged to access a die cavity of the die casting machine. The integrated controller is in communication with the die-casting machine controller, the servo-controlled ladle, the servo-controlled sprayer, and the pick and place robot.

Abstract: Several methods and subsystems are provided for aligning a workpiece as it is being loaded into a die space of a bending apparatus, and for performing sensor-based control of a robot as it moves a workpiece from one location to another within a bending apparatus environment. A backgaging mechanism is provided with finger gaging mechanisms having force sensors for sensing forces in directions perpendicular to and parallel to a die. In addition, a robot gripper sensor is provided for sensing either or both of shear forces and normal forces created by movement of a workpiece being held by the gripper.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for bending hard-drawn copper conductor bars for rotor windings of turbo-generators and engines. This method makes it possible to prevent heating up and accompanying transformation of hard-drawn copper into soft copper, which leads to a reduction in the stability with respect to centrifugal forces and thermal expansions. The apparatus and the method permit automatic, step-by-step bending of hard-drawn copper conductor bars, with sensing of the bending radius achieved and correction in the direction of the desired bending radius. For this purpose, initially a hard-drawn copper conductor bar is bent by means of a pair of bending cylinders to a previously set bending radius, the bending radius actually achieved is measured and a correction of the bending radius used in the next step takes place, in order to achieve an approximation to the desired bending radius.

Abstract: Apparatus and method to facilitate the insertion, alignment, and bending of metal sheets in a press brake machine is described herein. Automated insertion of properly aligned sheets into a bending machine can be accomplished using a press brake that includes at least two press brake fingers that act independently with respect to one another to determine whether the sheet has been received by the respective finger. The fingers are electrically coupled (via the sheet itself, for example) to a processor that communicates with. a robot. As the robot inserts the metal sheet into the press brake, it adjusts the alignment of the sheet until the sheet contacts the back planes of both press brake fingers. An electrical connection is formed when the metal sheet is received by the fingers (which are maintained at a nominal potential of 24V). When electrical connections are formed with both fingers, the processor tells the robot that the sheet is aligned and bending of the sheet can begin.