Abstract: A device for coating sheet-type substrates, in particular glass panes, in a vacuum coating system is described. The system includes a) a series connection of chambers, through which each substrate sheet passes and which are arranged on the entry side, namely a load lock chamber, a buffer chamber and a transfer chamber, each of which is vacuum-sealable by a check valve. An area of process chambers follows the transfer chamber and the process chamber is followed by a transfer chamber, buffer chamber and load lock chamber. The system also includes b) a conveyor device; c) a vacuum pump with an adapter flange in the region of the buffer chamber; d) at least two flow baffles in the buffer chamber; e) a system for the longitudinal and height displacement of the flow baffles; and f) an assembly for controlling the dynamic processes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and to a method for homogeneously welding two-dimensionally bent structures by friction stir welding.

Abstract: An apparatus a and method for networked transportation of patients or people with impaired mobility in a hospital bed, or nursing bed, having the following method features: a) a patient in question or an applicable caregiver is reported by a control centre as in need of transportation from one ward A to another ward B, b) the nursing staff on ward A beds down or puts the person in question into a special transportation bed or a special transportation chair and reports to the control centre when this person is correctly supported, this being able to be checked by means of a pressure sensor (23) in the lying area or sitting area, the identity being ensured by the nursing staff or being able to be checked by means of a patient identity card, c) the patient is automatically moved to ward B, d) the patient is brought to his treatment in ward B and then transported back to ward A by the same route.

Abstract: A method and device for order picking in a warehouse with an independently freely movable transport vehicle is disclosed. The device includes a vehicle housing having a carrier plate adapted for accommodating and transporting a load rack having transportable goods, a robot adapted for grasping goods, a transverse link connecting drive wheels, which are in each case by way of an angular lever pivotable about a rotation axis, such that the drive wheels are configured to execute mutually independent vertical motions, a centrally arranged actuating element for moving two front lifting rods and two rear lifting rods with a lifting rotary lever and a push rod connected to the lifting lever in order to raise or lower the carrier plate, and a 3-D scanner, light field sensor, and WLAN antenna.

Abstract: A method and device for conveying large-area panels, particularly panes of glass, of extreme size over 40 meters long and over 6 meters wide, wherein the panel can be held from the bath side or the air side, said method comprising the following features: a) the panes of glass (10) delivered on conveyance rollers (17) are swung by means of a vertical hoisting device (20) either on the left side or right side at an acute angle, wherein the device (20) has finger-like carrying elements structured in a comb arrangement which grip through the conveyance rollers (17) and carry suction discs (12); b) swung in this way, the pane of glass (10) is gripped by means of a plurality of comb grippers (22) using suction discs (12), which grippers are synchronized in their sequence of movements, and placed on a stacking frame (15, 16), wherein the comb grippers (22) are moved on a plurality of guiding beams (2) arranged like a portal.

Abstract: Device and method for producing defined properties of gradient layers in a system of multilayered coatings in sputtering installations with the following features: a) a pair of cathodes arranged in a common process chamber and consisting of a first cathode body and a second cathode body is supplied with direct current by means of a common power supply, wherein, before entering the process chamber, the direct current is converted into a series of pulses comprising alternating positive and negative pulses with interpulse periods in between, b) an arrangement for controlling the length of the individual pulses and the duration of the respective interpulse periods.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for detecting the mechanical forces at the welding pin tip during friction stir welding, having the following features: a) a strip-shaped sensor (3) at a long side of a tool cup (9) holding a welding pin pen (12) by way of a pin shaft (13) using a tool receiving cone (14), and also holding a welding shoe (11); b) a conical narrowed portion (20) in the further region of the tool-receiving cone (14), which serves to receive a sensor (18) for detecting the axial force, the torque and the bending moment at the welding pin pen (12); c) a further narrowed portion in the front region of the tool-receiving cone (14), having three sensors (24) distributed across the circumferences at a distance of 120 degrees; d) a sensor signal amplifier having a rotor antenna (19) for receiving, amplifying and forwarding all detected measurement values, said measurement values being forwarded by a static antenna (17) to a machine control; and e) an inductive power supply system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the residue-free friction stir welding of workpieces with different thicknesses, having the following method steps: a) two workpieces (6) to be welded are mounted such that the workpieces can be approached by a holding bell (3) for the friction stir welding tool and the drive head (2) thereof, b) after the welding device is started up, a welding pin tip (5) is immersed into the plastified material of the two workpieces (6) to be connected, wherein a welding shoe (4) is used which has a trapezoidal structure that extends in the diagonal direction of the welding shoe (4) for receiving the welding pin tip (5), and a circular opening (14) is mounted in a web with a smoothing surface (13) which has a front edge (12) that is part of a stepped Spahn guide stage (11), c) in order to improve the method, a welding shoe (4) is used in which the stepped Spahn guide stage (11) has material conducting channels on the front edge (12).

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for trimming a module are disclosed. In and embodiment the method includes fixing a rear transverse side of module, guiding the rear cutting head along the rear transverse side thereby cutting off a rear overlapping portion of the overlapping film and releasing the rear transverse. The method further includes moving the module into a region of two longitudinal cutting devices, fixing the module on both longitudinal sides, guiding longitudinal cutting heads along the longitudinal sides thereby cutting off longitudinally overlapping film portions on both longitudinal sides, and releasing the longitudinal sides of the module. The method furthermore includes moving the module into a region of the front cutting device, fixing a front transverse side of the module, guiding a front cutting head along the front transverse side thereby cutting off a front overlapping portion of the overlapping film.

Abstract: The invention relates to a driver-free transport vehicle and to a method for the safe transportation of heavy loads which are in the form of loaded carriages which can be moved on castors, said vehicle having the following characteristics: a) vehicle housing having a central lifting mandrel for receiving and transporting a carriage by means of a docking traverse, with two drive wheels arranged on both sides of the vehicle housing, and in the center thereof, and at least one laser scanner system which is installed in the outer area of the vehicle housing; b) a drive motor for driving a hub spindle which presses, by means of a compression spring, the central lifting mandrel in a central opening of the docking traverse, and a system for supplying energy of the transport vehicle via inductive lines laid in the ground, by means of an induction current collector, is provided; c) an emergency stop system which comprises an emergency switch on the transport vehicle, the activation on the emergency stop switches trigg

Abstract: Apparatus and method for increasing the quality of the weld seam in friction stir welding, with the following features: a) a receiving plate (1) with a drive head (2), the latter having a receiving flange (19) for receiving a holding bell (3) connected by means of a union nut (7) to a welding shoe (4) with a welding pin tip (5), b) the welding shoe (4) has a circular basic shape, on which there is a transverse web running over the cross section and rising at a right angle to said basic shape, said transverse web having a width of approximately ¼ to ? of the diameter of the basic shape and having an arc-shaped shoe sliding surface and shoe smoothing surface (9), c) the welding pin tip (5) has substantially a surface structure in the form of a tapering thread, this thread-like structure not being arranged in a purely circular manner.

Abstract: Method and device for quick and reliable tool changing in the process of friction stir welding, comprising the following features: a) a robot (1) with a robot pivoting head (2) and a friction welding head (3) with a welding shoe (13), wherein the robot (1) can select a friction welding head (2) from a tool magazine (4), b) a device for sensing the mechanical forces at the welding pin tip (14) of each welding shoe (13) of a friction welding head (2), wherein a sensor (16) is attached to the frustoconical part of the tool (11), wherein a sensor (21) is provided, and wherein furthermore a sensor (25) is provided in the flared pin receptacle (26) and a piezoelectric force-measuring sensor (24) is provided in the longitudinal axis of the pin shaft (27) for measuring the axial force acting on the welding pin tip, c) an RFDI code provided on the pin shaft (27) of each welding shoe (13) for identification, d) a changing skid (28) provided on each welding shoe (13).

Abstract: The invention relates to a transport vehicle and a method for a problem-free transport of heavy-duty shelves in workshops with radio shadowing using a partly autonomous drive mode, having the following features: a) a vehicle housing with a support plate for receiving and transporting a heavy-duty shelf, comprising two drive wheels which are driven separately on both sides in the center of the vehicle housing on a respective separately mounted rotational axle, b) a transverse link which connects the drive wheels, each drive wheel being pivotal about the rotational axle via an angle lever, such that the drive wheels can carry out vertical movements independently of each other, c) a centrally arranged actuating element which can move two front lift rods and two rear lift rods via a lift rotary lever and via a push rod which is connected to the lift rotary lever in order to lift or lower the support plate, d) a system for supplying energy to the transport vehicle, and e) at least one 3D scanner, at least one ligh

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for coating extra-long sheet-type substrates, in particular glass panes, in a vacuum coating system, said system having the following features: a) a series connection of chambers, through which each substrate sheet (9) passes and which are arranged on the entry side, namely a load lock chamber (1), a buffer chamber (2) and a transfer chamber (3), the entry side of each of said chambers being vacuum-sealable by a check valve (8, 11, 15), wherein an area of process chambers (4) follows the transfer chamber (3) and an exit-side series connection of a transfer chamber (5), buffer chamber (7) and load lock chamber (8) follows the process chambers (4); b) a conveyor device (10) constructed on rollers; c) a single high-power vacuum pump (13) with an adapter flange (14) in the region of the buffer chamber (2); d) at least two flow baffles (12) in the region of the buffer chamber (2); e) a system (16) for the longitudinal displacement of the flow baffles (12) and a system

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for operating a driver-free transport vehicle for transporting heavy loads which are in the form of loaded carriages which can be moved on four castors, comprising the following characteristics: a) a vehicle housing having a central lifting mandrel, a left lifting mandrel and a right lifting mandrel are used for receiving and transporting a carriage by means of a docking traverse integrated into the carriage, said vehicle housing being provided with two drive wheels mounted on both sides of the vehicle housing in the center thereof, and are driven individually by a drive system respectively on a separate rotational axis, b) the lowering of the vehicle housing to below a carriage, the determination of the openings of the docking traverse and the driving of the lifting mandrel, the left lifting mandrel and the right lifting mandrel, the orientation being determined by means of at least one laser scanner, c) the transport of the carriage, the release of the connection

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for the rapid and reliable measuring of distortion defects in a manufactured float glass strip, having the following features: a) a linear inset LED light source (5) sweeping the breadth of the glass strip (4) to be examined, said light source having LEDs that are tightly packed one next to the other below a glass strip (4) to be examined, b) a linear cylindrical lens 8) which is arranged in parallel to the entire length of the inset LED light source (5) and the distance of which to the inset LED light source (5) is continuously variable, c) a light source (2) arranged above the glass strip (4), d) an array of at least 4 CCD cameras arranged above the glass strip (4), and a two-stage parallel signal evaluation unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the low-resistance welding of metal sheets with a high cycle rate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and to a method for homogeneously welding two-dimensionally bent structures by friction stir welding.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for detecting the mechanical forces at the welding pin tip during friction stir welding, having the following features: a) a strip-shaped sensor (3) at a long side of a tool cup (9) holding a welding pin pen (12) by way of a pin shaft (13) using a tool receiving cone (14), and also holding a welding shoe (11); b) a conical narrowed portion (20) in the further region of the tool-receiving cone (14), which serves to receive a sensor (18) for detecting the axial force, the torque and the bending moment at the welding pin pen (12); c) a further narrowed portion in the front region of the tool-receiving cone (14), having three sensors (24) distributed across the circumferences at a distance of 120 degrees; d) a sensor signal amplifier having a rotor antenna (19) for receiving, amplifying and forwarding all detected measurement values, said measurement values being forwarded by a static antenna (17) to a machine control; and e) an inductive power supply system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and method for the orientation of electrically driven transport vehicles, especially so-called AGVs (automatic guided vehicles), automatically guided in factory buildings, the invention having the following features: a) a camera for identifying the reference points of a planned route using markers, in particular on the basis of the data matrix code, wherein a position marker is made up of an arrangement of nine data matrix codes arranged in a square, and wherein the diagonals of 3 individual codes are located on a straight line; b) a front ultrasound sensor and a rear ultrasound sensor; c) a laser scanner; and d) a light-field sensor.