Abstract: A method of controlling an additive manufacturing process in which a directed energy source is used to selectively melt material to form a workpiece, forming a melt pool in the process of melting, the method comprising: using an imaging apparatus to generate an image of the melt pool comprising an array of individual image elements, the image including a measurement of at least one physical property for each of the individual image elements; from the measurements, mapping a melt pool boundary of the melt pool; computing a geometric length of the melt pool boundary; and controlling at least one aspect of the additive manufacturing process with reference to the geometric length.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for monitoring operation of a pump are provided. In some embodiments, a system comprises: a pressure switch, comprising: a PCB within a housing; a power supply; a wireless gateway module configured to establishes a wireless connection to a wireless network; a pressure sensor; a microcontroller that: establishes a second wireless connection to a mobile device; receives instructions from the mobile device; connect to the first wireless network based on the instructions; determine pressure; control operation of the pump based on the pressure; determine that a fault has occurred, automatically stop operation of the pump, and send a message to a server over the first wireless network; and receive instructions from the mobile device via the server and the first wireless network to change a setting of the pressure switch.

Abstract: Provided is a management system for performing quality management on manufacturing equipment. A management system that includes: an acquisition component that acquires state information for manufacturing equipment that is subject to management; a determination component that, on the basis of the acquired state information, determines whether an event has occurred; a display component that displays both an image that schematically or realistically represents a manufacturing line included in the manufacturing equipment and, separated into the four perspectives Machine, Man, Material, and Method, indexes that indicate the likelihood that there is a factor that caused an event; and an output component that, when a specific event has occurred, outputs, in response to a user selection, analysis results for each of one or more factors belonging to each of the four perspectives, the analysis results indicating a likelihood of having caused the specific event that occurred.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for extracting maximal frequency response potential in controllable loads. In one example, a method includes assigning a fitness metric to at least one electrical device coupled to a power grid, assigning a frequency threshold based on the fitness metric, and transmitting the assigned frequency threshold to the at least one electrical device. The fitness metric can be based at least in part on an availability component and a quality component associated with the at least one device and the frequency threshold can cause the at least one electrical device to activate autonomously based on a frequency of the power grid.

Abstract: A system and methods that enables smart charging for electric resources. A charging behavior guarantee may comprise a guaranteed charging schedule that matches a regular charging schedule of an electric resource and provides power flow flexibility. A smart charging method may also include periodically updated schedules and may manage electric resources via a smart charging benefit analysis. A smart charging method may manage the charging behavior of the electric resources on a grid based on the smart charging benefit. Further, a smart charging method may manage electric resources via a smart charging benefit analysis and smart charging customer guarantees. A smart charging method also may include schedules with overrides, and may involve a method for local load management in the presence of uncontrolled loads. A smart charging method for managing electric resources may also provide direct control over prices-to-devices enabled devices.

Abstract: A valve control device, which is designed as a valve control head and/or as a valve position regulator head, for controlling a valve drive and/or a fitting. The valve control device includes a control unit for interacting with a functional unit, which is designed as an actuator unit, sensor unit, signal unit and/or communication unit, wherein the control unit has a device driver for interacting with the functional unit, wherein the device driver provides a software interface, which can be addressed by an application program which can be run on the control unit and/or a remote procedure call, in order to effect an interaction with the functional unit.

Abstract: The application refers to a method for generating three-dimensional object models for an additive manufacturing process in a layer-by-layer manner, e.g. 3D-printing, and to generating control data for use by the print apparatus. The object models are generated from a geometric description and from object generation data, which comprise the print apparatus and attributes such as a halftone scheme, a print apparatus setting, an object structure and a print material coverage representation. The method is implemented in the form of a computer software product and generates data specific for each identifies printing device.

Abstract: Provided is a management system associated with a manufacturing line including one or more facilities. Each of the facilities is configured to process each workpiece according to order information. The management system includes: a collecting means for collecting event information about a process that takes place in each of the facilities; a classifying means for classifying, on the basis of a generation source and content of each piece of event information, the event information collected by the collecting means, into sets of event information generated due to the same workpiece; a generation means for generating data which represents process circumstances for each workpiece on the basis of the event information belonging to each of the sets classified by the classifying means; and a visualizing means for visualizing process progression circumstances for each workpiece processed according to the order information, on the basis of the data generated by the generating means.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for simulating daylight performance of buildings based on regional daylight climate data. The method comprises the steps of: establishing a regional sky luminance distribution database from measured data; mapping sky luminance data to an artificial sky lamp group; using a 3D printing machine to fabricate a scaled physical model based on real parameters of the building to be simulated; and using the scaled physical model in the artificial sky integrated with regional sky luminance distribution data to make the daylight performance simulation. This method can achieve high-precision simulation of the daylight performance of buildings by using regional sky daylight climate data with a highly accurate physical model of the building.

Abstract: A method of printing a tag and attaching the tag to a bag for printing, severing and feeding non-curled tags to sewing machines. The method of printing a tag and attaching the tag to a bag comprising providing a control unit, a bag conveyor, a bag switch, a printer unit, a chute, a chute sensor, and a feeder assembly; printing and severing a tag in the printer unit; dispensing the tag into the chute to prevent the tag from curling and jamming; and feeding the tag to a sewing machine whereupon the tag is attached to a bag.

Abstract: Provided is a seat in which a physical quantity can be controlled according to a physique of an occupant. One aspect of the present disclosure provides a seat including a seat body that supports a body of an occupant, at least one driving device that changes a physical quantity of the seat body, and a controller that controls the at least one driving device. The controller includes a model generator that generates a human body model of the occupant, an analyzer that analyzes a state quantity of the human body model, and an instructing device that drives the at least one driving device based on a result of an analysis by the analyzer.

Abstract: An industrial automation system may include an automation device and a control system communicatively coupled to the automation device. The control system may include a first module of a number of modules, such that the first module may receive an indication of a target variable associated with the industrial automation device. The first module may then receive parameters associated with the target variable, identify a portion of data points associated with controlling the target variable with respect to the parameters, generate a model of each data point of the portion over time with respect to the parameters based on the data points, determine functions associated with the model. The functions represent one or more relationships between the each data point of the portion with respect to controlling the target variable. The first module may then adjust one or more operations of the automation device based on the functions.

Abstract: A production system includes a cell control apparatus that is connected to a machine control apparatus and an inspection control apparatus. The cell control apparatus includes a storage part that stores data on a state of the manufacturing machine, data on an environment state, and data on an inspection result of a product. The cell control apparatus includes a correlation analysis part that selects a variable relating to an abnormality based on a correlation between the inspection result of the product, and the data on the state of the manufacturing machine and the data on the environment state when the abnormality occurs in the inspection result, and a determination value setting part that sets a determination value of the variable relating to the abnormality.

Abstract: A health monitoring system for monitoring a lifecycle of an additively manufactured component having a microcrystalline structure that can be subjected to a cyclic operational stress is disclosed. The health monitoring system includes a plurality of additively manufactured health monitoring coupons disposed on the component in a representative position that is subjected to the cyclic operational stress, with the health monitoring coupons configured to be individually removable from the health monitoring system by precision machining.

Abstract: A sensor data fusion system includes a processor coupled to a plurality of sensors. The system is initialized by providing access to a data store storing at least one time series of sensor data; a semantic store storing semantic data including system variables, and relations between the system variables; and a mapping therebetween. A registration of a set of one or more variables of interest for which appropriate data is not available is obtained. An initially empty inference model is extended with the set of variables, to obtain an extended model. A request to observe a given one of the set of variables at a given timestamp is obtained. Responsive thereto, time series data for the set of registered variables is retrieved. The extended model is run with the retrieved data to obtain an estimate of the given one of the variables at the given timestamp.

Abstract: A building management system includes building equipment, a sensor, and a saturation detector. The building equipment is configured to operate at an operating capacity to drive a variable state or condition of a building zone toward a setpoint. The operating capacity and the setpoint vary over time. The sensor is in the building zone and is configured to provide a zone measurement of the variable state or condition of the building zone. The saturation detector is configured to determine whether the operating capacity is in a non-transient region for a threshold amount of a time period upon determining that an error for the building zone exists for the time period, and, in response to a determination that the operating capacity is in the non-transient region for at least the threshold amount of the time period, indicate the time period as a saturation period.

Abstract: Provided is a management system for performing quality management on production equipment. A management system that includes: an acquisition component that acquires status information for production equipment that is subject to management; a detection component that, on the basis of the acquired status information, detects the occurrence of some event; and a display component that displays, separated according to inclusion in the four perspectives Machine, Man, Material, and Method, a plurality of factors that could be presumed to have caused the detected event in a manner in which the contents thereof and a probability of having caused the event can be compared.

Abstract: A material shape simulation apparatus for simulating deformation of a three-dimensional woven fiber material is provided and includes: an orientation vector field generation unit generating a model shape orientation vector field on three-dimensional meshes of a model shape of a three-dimensional woven fiber material obtained by stacking sheets of two-dimensional woven fabric made of X-yarn and Y-yarn and binding them with Z-yarn; a parameterization unit that searches for a gradient vector for calculating a material shape orientation vector field, being an orientation vector field of a material shape before deformation of the model shape, from the model shape orientation vector field; and an orientation vector updating unit that updates the model shape orientation vector field by applying a condition of preserving a volume between the model shape orientation vector field and the material shape orientation vector field and a condition that neither the X-yarn nor the Y-yarn expands or contracts.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and non-transitory machine-readable medium provide for accurate automatic determination of alarm-operator action linkage for operator assessment and alarm guidance using custom graphics and control charts. The apparatus includes a memory and a processor operably connected to the memory. The processor receives process control system data regarding a field device in an industrial process control and automation system; extracts information from the process control system data; generates a tuple based on the extracted information; and performs a rectifying operation in the industrial process control and automation system based on the generated tuple of the field device.

Abstract: A water heating system includes a plurality of water heaters of which exhaust paths are connected in common to an exhaust path assembly, a control device configured for centralized control of the plurality of water heaters, and a non-volatile storage unit. The plurality of water heaters include control units configured to control hot water supply operations based on communication with the control device, respectively. The storage unit is configured to store information on the water heater of which control unit is recorded to have established communication with the control device. The control device turns off all of the plurality of water heaters when information on the water heater of which control unit has currently established communication with the control device does not match with the information stored in the storage unit.