Abstract: Method of rapidly producing a contoured part, comprising: designing a computer graphic model of the part, sectioning the graphic model into graphic members which are at least one of blocks or slabs, carving a solid member (14-150 mm in thickness) for each of the graphic members, the solid member being proportion to and enveloping such graphic members, the carving being carried out by accessing two or more sides (opposite sides) of such solid member to at least essentially duplicate the corresponding graphic member, and securing the carved solid members together to replicate the graphic model as a usable unitary part.The method can be modified to make castings by carving wax or foam solid members which are assembled to form an investment pattern, the was pattern being used in a shell mold casting steps and the foam pattern being used in evaporative casting steps.

Abstract: A method of predicting volume of finished combustion chambers from a raw cylinder head casting including the steps of capturing cylinder head geometry of a raw cylinder head casting, transforming the captured cylinder head geometry into a machining coordinate system, virtual machining the raw cylinder head casting based on the transformed geometry, calculating a volume of combustion chambers of the virtually machined cylinder head, adding signed volumes of at least one component to the calculated volume to obtain a finished volume, and adjusting a mold for the raw cylinder head casting to achieve the desired finished volume.

Abstract: An iron or copper based metal powder useful for plasma deposition of a coating that has a dry coefficient of friction 0.75 or less and readily conducts heat through the coating. The powder comprises (a) H.sub.2 O atomized and annealed particles consisting essentially of (by weight) carbon 0.15-0.85%, oxygen 0.1-0.45%, an air hardening agent selected from manganese and nickel of 0.1-06.5%, and the remainder iron or copper, with at least 90% of the particles having oxygen and iron or copper combined in the lowest atomic oxygen form for an oxide of such metal.A method of making anti-friction iron powder that is economical, selectively produces FeO and promotes fine flowable particles. The method comprises (a) steam atomization of a molten steel that excludes other oxygen, the steel containing carbon up to 0.4% by weight to produce a collection of comminuted particles, and (b) annealing the particles in an air atmosphere for a period of time of 0.25-2.0 hours in a temperature range of 800.degree.-1400.degree. F.

Abstract: A method of treating metal working dies by the steps of: forming a metal working die part to be constituted of consolidated particulate material with a porosity in the range of 0.01-0.5%; immersing the part in a lubricant that is flowable under the working conditions of use for the die part, the lubricant being contained within a pressure chamber; raising the pressure within the chamber to 3,500 psi and the temperature of the lubricant to about 100.degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to allow the lubricant to migrate and be trapped within the micro pores of the part with a positive internal pressure; and placing into use the treated cold working die part so that such die part is subjected to shear, such use being without the need for burn in and redressing.

Abstract: A cylinder block isolator core for use in casting engine cylinder blocks for internal combustion engines. The isolator core cooperates with companion core elements in a casting operation to form a short coolant jacket surrounding the upper portion of each engine cylinder adjacent the air/fuel combustion chamber and an air pocket that surrounds the lower region of the cylinder. Drainback passage core elements may be formed integrally with the isolator core thereby reducing the total number of cores in the casting mold package during a casting operation, the finished casting thereby eliminating dividing walls between the isolator and the oil drain cores thus reducing the number of core elements and reducing the cost and complexity of the casting operation as well as reducing the weight of the finished casting. The isolator core may be used independently of cylinder liners during the casting operation.

Abstract: An iron or copper based metal powder useful for plasma deposition of a coating that has a dry coefficient of friction 0.75 or less and readily conducts heat through the coating. The powder comprises (a) H.sub.2 O atomized and annealed particles consisting essentially of (by weight) carbon 0.15-0.85%, oxygen 0.1-0.45%, an air hardening agent selected from manganese and nickel of 0.1-6.5%, and the remainder iron or copper, with at least 90% of the particles having oxygen and iron or copper combined in the lowest atomic oxygen form for an oxide of such metal.A method of making anti-friction iron powder that is economical, selectively produces FeO and promotes fine flowable particles. The method comprises (a) steam atomization of a molten steel that excludes other oxygen, the steel containing carbon up to 0.4% by weight to produce a collection of comminuted particles, and (b) annealing the particles in an air atmosphere for a period of time of 0.25-2.0 hours in a temperature range of 800.degree.-1400.degree. F.

Abstract: A collection of agglomerated anti-friction grains for plasma deposition, the grains each consisting essentially of (a) H.sub.2 O atomized stainless steel particles, (b) solid lubricant particles consisting of at least one of boron nitride or a eutectic of calcium fluoride and lithium fluoride, and (c) a binder holding said steel and solid lubricant particles together for plasma spraying, said binder being present in an amount of 0.5-4.0% by weight and is vaporizable at the temperature of plasma spraying and does not interfere with the deposited process. A method of making agglomerated grains of powder suitable for plasma deposition, by (a) H.sub.

Abstract: Method of rapidly producing a contoured part, comprising: designing a computer graphic model of the part, sectioning the graphic model into graphic members which are at least one of blocks or slabs, carving a solid member (14-150 mm in thickness) for each of the graphic members, the solid member being proportion to and enveloping such graphic members, the carving being carried out by accessing two or more sides (opposite sides) of such solid member to at least essentially duplicate the corresponding graphic member, and securing the carved solid members together to replicate the graphic model as a usable unitary part.

Abstract: An aluminum clip useful for being bonded to glass and serving as a terminal for an electrical lead circuit in or on such glass, comprising: an aluminum-based body having a cup shape. The cup shape having a substantially flat surface; an ultra thin pad of noble metal adhered to the substantially flat surface, the pad presenting a surface roughness in the range of 1-5 microns.

Abstract: Method of surface mounting an electronic component to a bonding pad on one side of a supporting insulating board carrying a planar printed circuit thereon, the pad being connected to one or more conductors on the board by use of solder material subject to one or more gas trapping through-hole vias, comprising: (a) creating at least one vent channel below the top plane of the printed circuit and extending from a location at or closely adjacent to one of said vias to a location essentially near a periphery of solder material to be placed thereover; (b) planting a deposit of solder material between the component and pad; (c) bringing the component, solder material and pad together to form an assembly; and (d) heating the assembly to momentarily reflow the solder material in place without shifting, skewing, or tilting of the component, any trapped air in said one vias being allowed to expand and migrate away through the channel to at least the periphery of the pad.

Abstract: A method for producing powder metal cylinder bore liners for an internal combustion engine includes the steps of loading a powder metal mixture into a die cavity of a die, compacting the powder metal mixture in the die cavity using uniaxial pressure from the die and forming the powder metal cylinder bore liner, and sintering the powder metal cylinder bore liner.

Abstract: A method of thermally spraying at least one adherent metallic coating onto an unroughened cleansed aluminum or aluminum alloy substrate to produce a coated substrate, comprising: wire-arc thermally spraying of melted metallic bonding droplets and fluxing particles onto the substrate using air propulsion to concurrently adherently deposit flux particles and bonding droplets, the spraying using air propulsion and a wire feedstock having a core and a sheath, the wire core being constituted of both metal powder readily metallurgically bondable to the substrate and a fluxing powder that readily deoxidizes the substrate, the wire sheath being constituted of pliable metal that is metallurgically compatible with the core metal powder, the fluxing powder having a halide salt chemistry effective to deoxidize the substrate upon contact of the melted fluxing powder therewith, said fluxing powder and bonding metal having a particle size that more uniformly promotes distribution throughout said spray.

Abstract: A diagnostic envelope is used to analyze measurements from an internal combustion engine. Measurements may be from a partially assembled engine during a cold test to detect subtle mechanical anomalies, or from a fully assembled engine during a cold test or a hot test (with active fuel and spark). The measurements represent vibrational amplitudes corresponding to various crankshaft angular positions of the internal combustion engine. The first step in generating the diagnostic envelope includes filtering the measurements to enhance local variations. Filtered measurements representing a number of engine cycles are then combined to reduce random cycle-to-cycle variations. The diagnostic envelope is then generated by subtracting corresponding measurements obtained from engines with known operating characteristics. The diagnostic envelope is used in analyzing and/or classifying the engine.

Abstract: A method for forming an injection molded component from a host polymer (18) uses a very small quantity of an additive (32) that is efficiently driven to the surface of the component during the injection molding process. The additive exists in the host polymer at a very low concentration in the bulk, much lower than would be necessary to achieve the modification in a homogeneous blend. The additive is an insoluble liquid in the host polymer under the temperature and pressure conditions of injection molding. The additive is driven to the flow front surface (22) during injection molding and then translated to the surface (24) of the component by fountain flow and is distributed on the surface in a thin layer, producing the desired surface modification, without altering the properties of the bulk polymer, and eliminating post processing steps from the manufacturing process.

Abstract: A method of fluxing a cast light-weight metal substrate for thermally adhering sprayed metallic coatings thereto, comprising: (a) preparing the substrate to be clean of grease and oil and to have a uniform and homogeneous surface energy; (b) electrostatically depositing a dry flux powder coating onto such prepared surface; and (c) thermally depositing melted metal onto and across the flux coated surface to further thermally activate the flux if not already activated, for stripping away any substrate oxides and to thermally metallurgically bond the deposited molten metal to the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus and method which utilize electrical discharge machining equipment and techniques to prepare an electrically conductive surface for thermal spray coating or for other purposes. The apparatus includes one or more electrodes, with each electrode having a working face, defining a plane. The one or more electrodes are mounted on the leading end of a shaft and can form part of an electrode assembly. The shaft is at least moveable axially by a shaft actuating mechanism and, in some applications, may also rotate the shaft. Each electrode is moveable by a gap setting mechanism in response to and in a direction different than the axial movement of the shaft to form a voltage gap between each working face and the surface being prepared. A supply of dielectric fluid is disposable in the voltage gap. An electrical discharge circuit conducts an electric current through the dielectric fluid in the gap to produce a gap voltage. The shaft actuating mechanism is controlled by a gap voltage control system.

Abstract: A method for producing self lubricating powder metal cylinder bore liners for an internal combustion engine includes the steps of loading a powder metal mixture into a die cavity, compacting the powder metal mixture in the die cavity and forming the powder metal cylinder bore liner having a porous structure, sintering the powder metal cylinder bore liner, and impregnating the porous structure of the cylinder bore liner with lubricant.

Abstract: A resin coated sand is blown into a core box to form an uncured core with a desired packing density. The core box has one or more inlets to permit ingress of gases and one or more outlets to permit egress of only gases. A non-catalyzing gas is passed through the defined sand core in the core box to create a first effluent and the hydrocarbon content in such first effluent that was exposed to the uncured resin of the sand core is measured. A catalyst carrying gas (nitrogen) is injected into the inlets to pass through the defined sand core within the core box for polymerizing the resin and thence exit from the outlets as a second effluent. The hydrocarbon content of the second effluent is continuously measured (i.e. non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy system). When the hydrocarbon content decreases to approximately the hydrocarbon content of the first effluent, the core box is opened to remove the sand core in a consistently cured condition.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is hermetically sealed at the wafer level. A substrate is provided having associated electronics and at least one metal bonding pad. A dielectric layer, such as pyrex glass film, is sputter deposited atop the substrate to form a glass/metal seal. A glass film is thereafter planarized, preferably by chemical-mechanical polishing, to remove surface variations. A cover wafer is thereafter anodically bonded to the dielectric layer/glass film so as to define a sealed cavity for housing and protecting the substrate electronics. The resultant microelectronic device is packaged in its own hermetically sealed container at the wafer level.

Abstract: An inert gas air horn distribution device employs a labyrinth with a baffle to clean the nitrogen gas used to deposit flux on circuit boards before wave soldering operations. The baffle diverts the gas flow causing heavier flux particles to collect in the labyrinth while the lighter gas exits for use in depositing flux on the circuit boards. The labyrinth cleans the gas thereby keeping the knife clean which produces more uniform results with less maintenance.