Abstract: Monitoring a process sector in a production facility includes establishing a tool defect index associated with a process sector in the production facility. The tool defect index includes a signal representing a defect factor associated with a tool in the process sector. Monitoring the process also requires determining whether the defect factor is a known defect factor or an unknown defect factor, and analyzing a unit from the tool if the defect factor is an unknown defect factor. Monitoring the process further requires identifying at least one defect on the unit from the tool, establishing that the at least one defect is a significant defect, determining cause of the significant defect, and creating an alert indicating that the tool associated with the process sector is producing units having significant defects.

Abstract: In a central fastening element for an axially symmetric, vehicle gas spring, which includes a bellows that has central bores or cutouts in the region of its end faces, the fastening element being fixed to the vehicle body, protruding from the surroundings of the attachment point in a direction normal to it, and being encompassed by the bores or cutouts. The fastening element includes a shaped stud or a shaped cap, the maximum outer diameter of the stud or the cap being at least less than one fifth of the maximum outer diameter of the gas-spring bellows. A device may be provided which allows a gas spring to be installed in a simple manner and allows the spring bellows to rotate with respect to the suspension and/or the vehicle body during the initial installation and/or the initial operation.

Abstract: A proportional valve for a hydraulic dashpot, with a piston that slides back and forth on the end of a piston rod in a shock-absorbing cylinder. The piston is provided with pressure-sensitive valves for the exchange of fluid during suction and compression states and separates the cylinder into two compartments. Passages are provided for the fluid that applies pressure to the valves to flow through. Space that communicates with whichever compartment it faces and supplies regulating pressure to the particular shock-absorbing valve is provided on the side of the shock-absorbing valve that faces away from the passages. The piston is mounted on a control bolt. The control bolt has two valve seats and two bypass systems. One seat is associated with an electromagnetic spool accommodated in the first bypass system and chokes the fluid flowing through it.