Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible support assembly for supporting and/or locating a fixture on a tooling plate. The support assembly includes a stanchion with a bore, and a threaded portion on an inner-diameter surface thereof. A base plate is attached to, and configured to repositionably fix the stanchion to the tooling plate. A cylindrical sleeve with a threaded portion on an outer-diameter surface thereof is threadably engaged with the stanchion, whereby the sleeve is operable to telescope with respect to the stanchion between a first, lowest position and a second, highest position. A nut is threadably engaged with the sleeve to lock the sleeve at any predetermined position between the first and second positions. A locator pin is releasably engaged with the sleeve at a first end thereof. The locator pin has a protrusion projecting outward from a second opposing end thereof for engaging a pinhole in the fixture.

Abstract: A method to diagnose a failed weld in a welding process includes monitoring a location of a weld created on a plurality of work pieces, diagnosing the weld as a failed weld based on said location with respect to a closest edge of one of the work pieces, and identifying said failed weld based on the diagnosing.

Abstract: A method of monitoring and maintaining a weld cap which is executing successive resistance welds on a plurality of workpieces includes measuring a first weld indentation formed during a first resistance weld and measuring a second weld indentation formed during a second resistance weld. The measured first and second weld indentations are compared with a severe threshold. If either of the measured first or second weld indentations is greater than the severe threshold, an abnormal condition is signaled. The method may include tip dressing the weld cap based upon the signaled abnormal condition. The method may further include determining a degradation rate between the first resistance weld and the second resistance weld. The degradation rate is the time differential between the measured first and second weld indentations, and either a first or a second tip dressing schedule is chosen based upon the determined degradation rate.

Abstract: A method for weldbonding together metal sheets includes applying adhesive on the surface of a first sheet and placing a second sheet atop the first sheet. The sheets are heated at a selected location to a high temperature forming a metallic weld nugget between the first sheet and the second sheet. The adhesive may be a heat curable adhesive that is cured by the heat, or the adhesive may be heated at ambient temperatures. One or both of the sheets is then cooled in the area surrounding the selected location of heating so that the high temperature needed to created the metallic weld nugget is prevented from transferring so far beyond the selected location as to overheat the adhesive layer and thereby degrade the quality of the adhesive bond.

Abstract: The present invention provides a flexible support assembly for supporting and/or locating a fixture on a tooling plate. The support assembly includes a stanchion with a bore, and a threaded portion on an inner-diameter surface thereof. A base plate is attached to, and configured to repositionably fix the stanchion to the tooling plate. A cylindrical sleeve with a threaded portion on an outer-diameter surface thereof is threadably engaged with the stanchion, whereby the sleeve is operable to telescope with respect to the stanchion between a first, lowest position and a second, highest position. A nut is threadably engaged with the sleeve to lock the sleeve at any predetermined position between the first and second positions. A locator pin is releasably engaged with the sleeve at a first end thereof. The locator pin has a protrusion projecting outward from a second opposing end thereof for engaging a pinhole in the fixture.

Abstract: A method to diagnose a failed weld in a welding process includes monitoring a location of a weld created on a plurality of work pieces, diagnosing the weld as a failed weld based on said location with respect to a closest edge of one of the work pieces, and identifying said failed weld based on the diagnosing.

Abstract: A method to diagnose weld integrity in a welding process includes monitoring a weld indentation characteristic, comparing the monitored weld indentation characteristic to a threshold weld indentation characteristic, and identifying a discrepant weld when the weld indentation characteristic comparison shows the monitored weld indentation characteristic violates the threshold weld indentation characteristic.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for maintenance opportunity planning in a production line having a plurality of machines and buffers between machines on the production line, with the buffers processing production units between at least two of the machines. The system, method, and apparatus advantageously indicates maximum allowed downtime for a machine, through monitoring the status of the buffers to determine whether the flow of units through the buffers is favorable, monitoring the status of the plurality of machines, and determining which of the plurality of machines may be shut down for a particular period of time while substantially maintaining the favorable flow of units through the buffers. In this way, the inventive system and method saves time and resources by reducing production line downtime and unscheduled overtime.

Abstract: A method of forming a composite surface which is comprised of a base or primary surface and a number of features, and which satisfies certain functional objectives or requirement. Implemented in a Computer Aided Design system employed to assist in the design of automobile inner panels, the method accepts as input a feature-based information which describes the geometry of a particular inner panel, and produces as an output, a composite surface with a user-specified degree of smoothness. The method permits interactive design and modification of complex inner panel surfaces, and significantly simplifies attendant aspects of the panel design process such as numerically controlled machining.