Systems and methods for manufacturing parts

Abstract

A system 10 for manufacturing a part 12 is provided. The system 10 includes a gantry 14, a first movable arm 22 and a second movable arm 24, at least one conveyor 26, 28, and at least one sensor 30, 32, 34, 36. The gantry 14 has a first member 16 and a second member 18 positioned opposite the first member 16 to define an opening 20. The first movable arm 22 and the second movable arm 24 are positioned on the first member 16 and the second member 18, respectively. The at least one conveyor 26, 28 operates to move the part 12 through the opening 20 to position the part 12 within access of the first movable arm 22 and the second movable arm 24. The at least one sensor 30, 32, 34, 36 operates to guide the first and second movable arms 22, 24 to one or more regions 38, 40, 42 of the part 12. The first and second movable arms 22, 24 operate to perform a manufacturing process on the part 12 at the one or more regions 38, 40, 42.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to boiler manufacturing, and more particularly to systems and methods for manufacturing components. [Background technology]

[0002] Many power plants use steam generators to power turbines, thereby producing electricity. Such plants typically use boilers to generate steam through tube assemblies, referred to herein as “pressure component assemblies” or “tube assemblies,” which capture thermal energy released by the combustion of fuel in a combustion chamber. Such pressure component assemblies are often located within or near the combustion chamber, e.g., in the “water wall,” or in various areas of an associated heat and steam recovery generator (“HRSG”), such as the superheater, reheater, and / or economizer section. Pressure component assemblies are typically formed by metal tubes welded together and are also referred to herein as “tube assemblies” and / or simply “tubes.” During steam-generating operations, the tubes of the pressure component assemblies are filled with water, thus enabling the pressure component assemblies to function as heat exchangers by capturing / absorbing heat released by burning fuel and / or other hot gases / steam and transferring the captured heat to the water.

[0003] The manufacture of tube assemblies has traditionally been a difficult and time-consuming process requiring manual welding of the tubes. Additionally, the welds between the tubes often must undergo post-weld heat treatment or solution annealing. Such procedures often involve queuing the tube assemblies in batches for manual heat treatment or processing in stand-alone heat treatment equipment, such as "car" or "bogie" furnaces, that are not integrated into the assembly line that primarily produces the tube assemblies.

[0004] Such stand-alone heat treatment facilities typically have a floor that serves as an insulated mobile cart for transporting batches of tube assemblies into and out of the furnace. However, as will be appreciated, stacking tube assemblies into batches and loading and unloading them from the furnace is a time-consuming process that carries the risk of damaging welds and / or other portions of the tube assemblies due to handling of the tube assemblies before they are heat treated.

[0005] Some stand-alone facilities utilize continuous rolling mills, i.e., conveyors that continuously move the tube assembly through an open furnace, but such systems are typically expensive to install, operate, and maintain. Furthermore, such systems can be very inefficient because they typically heat all parts of the tube assembly, regardless of whether they require heat treatment.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for manufacturing parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent No. 109623104 Summary of the Invention

[0008] In one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a part is provided. The system includes a gantry, first and second movable arms, at least one conveyor, and at least one sensor. The gantry has a first member and a second member disposed opposite the first member to define an opening. The first and second movable arms are disposed on the first and second members, respectively. The at least one conveyor operates to move the part through the opening to position the part within the access of the first and second movable arms. The at least one sensor operates to guide the first and second movable arms to one or more regions of the part. The first and second movable arms operate to perform a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more regions.

[0009] In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing a part is provided. The method includes receiving the part on one or more conveyors that operate to move the part through an opening in a gantry, the opening being defined by a first gantry member and a second gantry member positioned opposite the first member. The method further includes positioning the part within accesses of a first movable gantry arm and a second movable gantry arm via the one or more conveyors. The first and second movable arms are positioned on the first and second members, respectively. The method further includes guiding the first and second movable arms to one or more regions of the part via at least one sensor. The method further includes performing a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more regions via the first and second movable arms.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions is provided. The instructions adapt at least one processor to receive a part on one or more conveyors operative to move the part through an opening in a gantry, the opening being defined by a first gantry member and a second gantry member disposed opposite the first member. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to position the part within access of a first movable gantry arm and a second movable gantry arm via the one or more conveyors, the first movable arm and the second movable arm being disposed on the first member and the second member, respectively. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to guide the first and second movable arms to one or more regions of the part via at least one sensor. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to perform a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more regions via the first and second movable arms.

[0011] The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for manufacturing a part, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is another schematic diagram of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 2 is yet another schematic diagram of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a part manufactured by the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5 is another cross-sectional view of the component of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a part utilizing the system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 2 is a flowchart illustrating another method of manufacturing a part utilizing the system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts without repeating description.

[0014] As used herein, the terms "substantially," "approximately," and "about" refer to conditions within reasonably achievable manufacturing and assembly tolerances relative to ideal desired conditions suitable for achieving the functional purpose of a component or assembly. Also used herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the location and / or order of elements and / or stages of an assembly line / conveyor system relative to a direction that defines the order in which objects moving through the assembly line / conveyor system encounter the elements and / or stages. Also used herein, the term "thermal contact" means that the referenced objects are in close proximity to one another such that heat / thermal energy can be transferred between them. Additionally, the term "real-time" refers to a level of processing responsiveness that is perceived by a user as being sufficiently immediate or that allows a processor to keep up with external processes.

[0015] Furthermore, while the embodiments disclosed herein are primarily described with respect to the manufacture of parts / components of boilers or HRSGs, e.g., pressure part assemblies, it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be applicable to the manufacture of parts / components of other types of equipment / machines, e.g., solar panels.

[0016] 1 and 2, a system 10 for manufacturing a part 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The system 10 includes a gantry 14 having a first member 16 and a second member 18 (best seen in FIG. 2) disposed opposite the first member 16 to define an opening 20. The system 10 further includes a first movable arm 22 (best seen in FIG. 2) and a second movable arm 24 disposed on the first member 16 and the second member 18, respectively. The system 10 further includes at least one conveyor 26, 28 operative to move the part 12 through the opening 20 to position the part 12 within the access of the first movable arm 22 and the second movable arm 24. As used herein, the term "within access" means within a sufficient distance of an object to be worked on by the object. Similarly, as used herein, the terms "having access" or "being able to access" mean being able to act on the object. In other words, the movable arms 22, 24 are accessible to the part 12, or the movable arms 22, 24 are accessible to the part 12 means that the movable arms 22, 24 are within a sufficient distance of the part 12 to perform an operation on the part 12. The system 10 further includes at least one sensor 30 ( FIG. 2 ), 32, 34, 36 that operates to guide the first movable arm 22 and the second movable arm 24 to one or more regions 38, 40, 42 of the part 12. As will be understood and described in more detail below, the first movable arm 22 and the second movable arm 24 operate to perform a manufacturing process on the part 12.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , in embodiments, the at least one conveyor may include a first / upstream conveyor 26 and a second / downstream conveyor 28 disposed on opposite sides of the gantry 14. In such embodiments, the upstream conveyor 26 has a receiving end 44, a mid-section 46, and a transfer end 48. The receiving end 44 operates to receive parts 12, which may be moved along the mid-section 46 toward the transfer end 48 via rollers and / or other suitable devices. Similarly, the downstream conveyor 28 may also include a transfer end 50, a mid-section 52, and a delivery end 54. As best seen in FIG. 2 , the transfer ends 48, 50 may be located near and / or within the opening 20 such that parts 12 may be moved / transferred from the upstream conveyor 26 to the downstream conveyor 28 by passing through the opening 20.

[0018] In embodiments, conveyors 26, 28 may move parts 12 by contact rollers, belts, magnets, and / or other suitable actuators. In embodiments, conveyors 26, 28 may have a width W1 (FIG. 1) of about 15' to about 40' and lengths L1 and L2 (FIG. 1) of about 60' to about 120'. In embodiments, conveyors 26, 28 may operate in unison, i.e., at the same speed and in the same direction, or may operate independently of one another. In embodiments, conveyors 26, 28 may be attached / fixed to gantry 14.

[0019] 2, in embodiments, transfer ends 48, 50 are spaced apart to form a gap 56 that allows second movable arm 24 to access part 12. In embodiments, gap 56 may have a length of from about 4' to about 10'. Thus, as will be appreciated, in embodiments, movable arms 22, 24 collectively have access to all sides of part 12, i.e., 360° access.

[0020] Thus, in an embodiment, the upstream conveyor 26 can receive the part 12 at the receiving end 44 and position the part 12 near and / or within the opening 20 so that the first movable arm 22 has access to a first side / top side 58 of the part 12 and the second movable arm 24 has access to a bottom side 60 of the part (best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 ), where, as used herein, the bottom side 60 is the side of the part 12 that is in contact with and / or closest to the conveyors 26, 28 and / or second member 18, and the top side 58 is the side of the part 12 opposite the bottom side 60 and / or closest to the first member 16. Once the part 12 is in an appropriate position to allow the movable arms 22, 24 to access one or more regions 38, 40, the upstream conveyor 26 can stop moving the part 12 to allow the movable arms 22, 24 to perform the manufacturing process.

[0021] It will be appreciated that in embodiments, the upstream conveyor 26 can reposition the part 12 as needed to allow the movable arms 22, 24 to access additional areas, e.g., 42 ( FIG. 1 ), which may be upstream of areas, e.g., 38, 40, initially accessed by the movable arms 22, 24. It will be appreciated that in embodiments, the upstream conveyor 26 and the downstream conveyor 28 can cooperate to position the part 12 relative to the opening 20. Furthermore, while the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings includes two conveyors 26, 28, it will be appreciated that other embodiments may use a single conveyor and / or more than two conveyors.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2 , the first member 16 and the second member 18 of the gantry 14 may be supported and / or secured in position relative to one another via additional members 62. In embodiments, the members 16, 18, and / or 62 may be straight, curved, or other suitable shapes and may be made from steel, composite, wood, plastic, or other suitable materials. While FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the system 10 having two movable arms 22, 24, other embodiments may include, for example, three or more additional movable arms 68, as shown in FIG. 3 . In embodiments, the gantry 14 may have a height H1 of about 6' to about 15', a width W3 of about 5' to about 15', and a length L3 of about 15' to about 40', defined as the distance between the first member 16 and the second member 18. Thus, in embodiments, the opening 20 may have a substantially rectangular shape as shown in the accompanying figures. However, it will be understood that in embodiments, the opening 20 may have another shape, such as, for example, a circular or oval shape. Additionally, in embodiments, the width W3 of the gantry 14 may be the same as the length of the gap 56. However, in other embodiments, W3 of the gantry 14 may be greater or less than the length of the gap 56. The gantry 14 may further include one or more tracks 64, 66 (and / or lead screws, slide assemblies, etc.) disposed in or on the first member 16 and second member 18 to facilitate movement of the movable arms 22, 24 along the length L3 of the gantry 14.

[0023] As described above, the movable arms 22, 24 operate to perform manufacturing processes on regions 38, 40, 42 of the part 12, which may be bends or weld sites within a tube assembly. Accordingly, in embodiments, the movable arms 22, 24 may include one or more tools 70 for accomplishing the manufacturing process. The one or more tools 70 may be selectively secured to the movable arms 22, 24 via magnets, fasteners, clamps, or other suitable devices. In embodiments, the manufacturing process may include welding, heat treating, including post-weld heat treating, tempering, solution annealing, inspection, cutting, drilling, cooling, polishing, grinding, and / or other processes for manufacturing the part 12. Thus, in embodiments, one or more tools 70 may include induction heaters, saws, welding torches, optical pyrometers, grinding and / or polishing heads, lasers, ultrasonic and / or contact measurement system components, dye penetrant sources, computer vision equipment, e.g., radar, laser sensors, optical cameras, e.g., visible wavelength, infrared and / or ultraviolet cameras, ultrasonic thickness and / or phased array inspection system components, spray coating equipment, marking equipment, forced cooling, drills, and / or other types of equipment suitable for performing a manufacturing process. In embodiments, movable arms 22 and / or 24 are capable of automatically exchanging one of one or more tools 70 with a different tool 70 stored in container 72. As used herein with respect to movable arms 22, 24 and tools 70, the term "automatically exchanging" means removing a first tool from the movable arm and attaching a second tool to the movable arm without human intervention.

[0024] For example, with brief reference to FIG. 4 , in an embodiment, the component 12 may be a pressure component assembly for a boiler or HRSG made of assembly tubes 74. While FIG. 4 depicts the component 12 as a pressure component assembly having solid bar interconnecting tubes, it will be understood that in an embodiment, the component 12 may be a single tube or any other type of manufactured component. Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 , in such an embodiment, the movable arms 22, 24 may have a welding torch attached as a tool 70 for initially welding the assembly tubes 74 together in regions 38, 40, as shown in FIG. 5 . The movable arms 22, 24 may then replace the torch with an induction heater, as shown in FIG. 6 , for post-weld heat treatment of the welded regions 38, 40. As will be appreciated, in an embodiment, the induction heater 70 ( FIG. 6 ) may be a shaped induction heater that conforms to the contours of the assembly tube 74. As used herein, the term “shaped induction heater” refers to an induction heater whose heating / magnetic elements are curved and / or angled, i.e., not substantially linear / straight. After post-weld heat treatment of regions 38,40, movable arms 22,24 can replace induction heater 70 (FIG. 6) with an optical pyrometer to perform inspection of regions 38,40.

[0025] 1 and 2, the at least one sensor 30 (FIG. 2), 32, 34, 36 may be an optical camera, including infrared, ultraviolet, and visible wavelength cameras, a laser, a radar sensor, a pressure sensor, and / or other type of sensor capable of determining the size and / or position of the part 12 relative to the opening 20 and / or the movable arms 22, 24 and / or identifying the regions 38, 40, 42. The sensor may be attached to the movable arms 22, 24, e.g., sensor 30 (FIG. 2), to the gantry 14, e.g., sensor 32 (FIG. 1), to the conveyors 26 and / or 28, e.g., sensor 34 (FIG. 1), and / or may be remote from the gantry 14, the conveyors 26, 28, and the movable arms 22, 24, e.g., sensor 36 (FIG. 1).

[0026] In embodiments, the sensors 30, 32, 34, 36 may be in electronic communication with a controller 76 ( FIG. 1 ), which compares data received from the sensors 30, 32, 34, 36 with known information about the part, such as a CAD drawing, to identify the areas 38, 40, 42 to be worked by the movable arms 22, 24. Thus, as will be appreciated, in embodiments, the conveyors 26, 28 provide general positioning of the part 12 relative to the movable arms 22, 24, while the sensors 30, 32, 34, 36 provide local positioning of the movable arms 22, 24 relative to the areas 38, 40, 42. In other words, in embodiments, the conveyors 26 and / or 28 position the part 12 so that the areas 38, 40 are within the reach / access of the movable arms 22, 24, while the sensors 30, 32, 34, 36 guide the movable arms 22, 24 to the areas 38, 40.

[0027] 7, a method 100 for manufacturing a part 12 (FIG. 1) utilizing the system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is shown, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Accordingly, the method 100 includes step 102 of receiving the part 12 at one or more conveyors 26, 28. As described above, the part 12 may be received at the receiving end 44 (FIG. 1) of the upstream conveyor 26. For example, the part 12 may be placed on the upstream conveyor 26 by a human, a crane, or other suitable method, and / or may be fed to the receiving end 44 via another conveyor associated with an upstream process for manufacturing the part 12.

[0028] Method 100 further includes step 104 of positioning part 12 via one or more conveyors 26, 28 so that part 12 is within access of movable arms 22, 24. In other words, in embodiments, upstream conveyor 26 moves the part along mid-section 46 ( FIG. 1 ) toward opening 20 ( FIG. 1 ). Step 104 of positioning part 12 may include step 106 of contacting a bottom of part 12 with conveyors 26, 28.

[0029] The method 100 further includes a step 108 of directing the movable arms 22, 24 to one or more regions 38, 40, 42 via one or more sensors 30, 32, 34, 36. In an embodiment, the step 108 of directing the movable arms 22, 24 to the regions 38, 40, 42 may further include a step 110 of scanning the part 12 via the sensors 30, 32, 34, 36.

[0030] Method 100 further includes step 112 of performing a manufacturing process on part 12 in one or more regions 38, 40, 42. In an embodiment, step 112 of performing a manufacturing process may further include step 114 of accessing top side 58 ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of part 12 with first movable arm 22 and / or step 116 of accessing bottom side 60 ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of part 12 with second movable arm 24.

[0031] As further shown in FIG. 7 , in an embodiment, the method 100 may include a step 118 of determining whether additional manufacturing processes are to be performed on the part 12 via the movable arms 22, 24, and if so, the method 100 may also include a step 120 of replacing one or more tools 70 with other tools, and a step of determining whether the next area of ​​the part 12 to be worked on is within the access of the arms 22 and / or 24, and if not, a step of repositioning the part 12 so that the area is within the access of the arms 22 and / or 24.

[0032] 8 illustrates another method 200 of manufacturing part 12 utilizing system 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Method 200 includes step 202 of moving tube assembly 12 to system 10 and step 204 of stopping conveyor 26 to position the lead end of tube assembly 12 on conveyor 26. Step 204 of stopping conveyor 26 can be facilitated by a visual proximity sensor and / or a proximity switch.

[0033] Method 200 may also include a part number / identifier check 206 of the tube assembly 12 via a sensor or by manual inspection by an operator. Method 200 further includes a step 208 of scanning the tube assembly 12 to identify regions 38, 40 requiring heat treatment. Method 200 further includes a step 210 of matching the scan data with a CAD drawing. In an embodiment, method 200 further includes a step 212 of cutting / sawing the tube assembly 12 to a desired length. Method 200 may further include a step 214 of selecting a tool 70 for the movable arms 22 and / or 24 and a step 216 of performing a manufacturing process on the identified regions 38, 40 via the movable arms 22, 24. Method 200 may further include a step 218 of heat treating the identified regions 38 and / or 40 and then a step 220 of performing a high temperature heat treatment on the same regions 38 and / or 40. Method 200 may then include step 222 of cooling regions 38 and / or 40 with still or circulating air and step 224 of tempering regions 38 and / or 40. In an embodiment, method 200 may include step 226 of determining whether to subject part 12 to another manufacturing process 216, and if not, step 228 of painting part 12 (or a process separate from system 10) and / or storing part 12.

[0034] Finally, it should be understood that system 10 may include the necessary electronics, software, memory, storage, databases, firmware, logic / state machines, microprocessors, communications links, displays or other visual or audio user interfaces, printing devices, and any other input / output interfaces capable of executing in real time to perform the functions, e.g., mechanization or automation, described herein and / or to achieve the results described herein. For example, as described above, system 10 may include at least one processor in the form of a controller and system memory / data storage structures in electronic communication with one or more components of system 10. Additionally, software applications that control one or more of the various components of system 10 may be loaded into the main memory of at least one processor from a computer-readable medium.

[0035] It is to be further understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, not limiting. For example, the above-described embodiments (and / or aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings thereof without departing from the scope thereof.

[0036] For example, in one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a part is provided. The system includes a gantry, first and second movable arms, at least one conveyor, and at least one sensor. The gantry has a first member and a second member disposed opposite the first member to define an opening. The first and second movable arms are disposed on the first and second members, respectively. The at least one conveyor operates to move the part through the opening to position the part within the access of the first and second movable arms. The at least one sensor operates to guide the first and second movable arms to one or more regions of the part. The first and second movable arms operate to perform a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more regions. In certain embodiments, the first and second movable arms operate in conjunction to provide 360° access to the part. In certain embodiments, the first and second movable arms are operable to access a top side of the part and a bottom side of the part located opposite the top side, respectively. In certain embodiments, the at least one conveyor is operable to contact the bottom side of the part. In certain embodiments, the manufacturing process is heat treating, tempering, solution annealing, and / or inspection. In certain embodiments, the first and / or second movable arms include a tool for accomplishing the manufacturing process. In certain embodiments, the tool is an induction heater, a welding torch, and / or an optical pyrometer. In certain embodiments, the tool is an induction heater, and the induction heater is formed. In certain embodiments, the first and / or second movable arms are operable to automatically exchange the tool with another tool. In certain embodiments, the part is a pressure part assembly for a boiler.

[0037] Yet another embodiment provides a method for manufacturing a part. The method includes receiving a part on one or more conveyors that operate to move the part through an opening in a gantry, the opening being defined by a first gantry member and a second gantry member positioned opposite the first member. The method further includes positioning the part within access of a first movable gantry arm and a second movable gantry arm via the one or more conveyors. The first and second movable arms are positioned on the first and second members, respectively. The method further includes guiding the first and second movable arms to one or more areas of the part via at least one sensor. The method further includes performing a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more areas via the first and second movable arms. In certain embodiments, the first and second movable arms operate in conjunction to have 360° access to the part. In certain embodiments, performing a manufacturing process on the part in one or more regions via the first and second movable arms includes accessing a top side of the part and a bottom side of the part via the first and second movable arms, respectively. The top side is opposite the bottom side. In certain embodiments, positioning the part via one or more conveyors includes contacting the bottom side of the part with the one or more conveyors. In certain embodiments, the manufacturing process is heat treating, tempering, solution annealing, and / or inspection. In certain embodiments, the first and / or second movable arms include a tool for accomplishing the manufacturing process. In certain embodiments, the tool is an induction heater, a welding torch, and / or an optical pyrometer. In certain embodiments, the tool is an induction heater, and the induction heater is shaped. In certain embodiments, the method further includes automatically replacing the tool with another tool.

[0038] Yet another embodiment provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions. The instructions adapt at least one processor to receive a part on one or more conveyors operable to move the part through an opening in a gantry. The opening is defined by a first gantry member and a second gantry member disposed opposite the first member. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to place the part within an access of a first movable gantry arm and a second movable gantry arm via the one or more conveyors. The first and second movable arms are disposed on the first and second members, respectively. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to guide the first and second movable arms to one or more regions of the part via at least one sensor. The instructions further adapt the at least one processor to perform a manufacturing process on the part in the one or more regions via the first and second movable arms.

[0039] Thus, by providing automated, localized post-weld heat treatment of parts, some embodiments of the present invention can reduce the risk of damaging sections of the part that do not benefit from the heating. Furthermore, while heating only localized regions / areas of the part, some embodiments of the present invention provide greater efficiency than batch firing furnaces or open continuous furnaces. In other words, some embodiments of the present invention provide a continuous work flow of parts without spending time in a queued batch process, while significantly reducing the amount of heat / energy used to process the parts.

[0040] Additionally, some embodiments of the present invention may be mobile, for example, the conveyor and gantry may be on wheels or other devices suitable for easy movement. As will be appreciated, such embodiments may provide a workstation, i.e., gantry and movable arm, that can be easily inserted / integrated into various locations on an assembly line.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing automated, localized processing of parts, some embodiments of the present invention may provide for reduced part processing time over conventional manual methods and / or may provide processing stations, e.g., gantries, within improved flexibility to accept and process parts having a wide range of shapes and sizes, i.e., perform manufacturing processes, compared to conventional manufacturing lines that typically require parts to be the same size and / or be accepted in the same position from cycle to cycle.

[0042] Furthermore, by positioning the movable arms on either side of a gap in the conveyor flow path, i.e., the path from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, some embodiments of the present invention provide localized 360° access to parts.

[0043] Furthermore, by providing the ability to perform welding and post-weld heat treatment in the same equipment, some embodiments of the present invention reduce the amount of part movement / handling prior to post-weld heat treatment, thereby reducing the risk of part breakage and / or providing greater manufacturing efficiency.

[0044] Furthermore, by providing 360° access via two movable arms positioned on either side of the part passing through the gantry / opening, some embodiments of the present invention provide coordinated heat treatment of a section of tube or other formed part, i.e., along all sides of the tube. In other words, one movable arm can heat treat a 180° portion of the circumference of the tube, while the other movable arm can simultaneously heat treat the remaining 180° portion of the circumference of the tube. Similarly, some embodiments can also provide coordinated welding of a section of tube or other portion, which can reduce and / or eliminate tube warpage.

[0045] Additionally, by providing a movable arm for tooling changes, some embodiments can improve the workflow of a manufacturing process. For example, in some embodiments, the movable arm can first weld a region of an assembly and then switch to the heat treatment element. As will be appreciated, in such embodiments, the region may already be at or near the heat treatment temperature due to the heat generated during the welding process. Thus, by providing the ability to quickly switch from the welding torch to the heat treatment element, some embodiments can utilize residual heat from the welding process to reduce the time required to complete heat treatment of the region.

[0046] The dimensions and types of materials described herein are intended to define the parameters of the invention and are by no means limiting, being merely exemplary embodiments. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the above description. Therefore, the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms "including" and "in which" are used as the plain-English equivalents of the terms "comprising" and "wherein," respectively. Also, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," "third," "upper," "lower," "bottom," "top," etc. are used merely as guides and are not intended to impose numerical or positional requirements on their objects. Moreover, the following claim limitations are not written in, and are not intended to be construed as, means-plus-function, unless such claim limitations expressly use the phrase "means for," followed by a description of the function devoid of further structure.

[0047] This specification uses examples to disclose some embodiments of the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the invention, including making and using any devices or systems, and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that do not differ substantially from the literal language of the claims.

[0048] As used herein, elements or steps described in the singular and followed by the word "a" or "an" should be understood not to exclude a plurality of those elements or steps, unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. In addition, unless expressly stated to the contrary, embodiments "comprising," "including," or "having" an element or elements having a particular characteristic may include additional elements that do not have that characteristic.

[0049] Since certain modifications may be made to the above-described invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention contained herein, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description as shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as merely examples illustrating the inventive concepts herein and should not be considered as limiting the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Systems 12-Part Tube Assembly 14 Gantry 16 First member 18 Second member 20 Opening 22 First movable arm 24 Second movable arm 26 Upstream conveyor 28 Downstream conveyor 30 sensors 32 sensors 34 Sensors 36 sensors 38 areas 40 areas 42 areas 44 Receiving end 46 Mid Section 48 Transfer end 50 Transfer end 52 Mid Section 54 Delivery end 56 Gap 58 Top side 60 Bottom side 62 Additional Materials 64 tracks 66 tracks 68 additional moving arms 70 Tools, Induction Heater 72 Container 74 Assembly Tube 76 Controller 100 ways 102 Steps to Acceptance 104 Positioning Steps 106 Contacting step 108 Guiding Steps 110 Scanning Steps 112 Steps to be taken 114 Access Steps 116 Access Steps 118 Judging Step 120 Replacement Steps 200 ways 202 moving steps 204 Stop Step 206 Part Number / Identifier Check 208 Scanning Steps 210 Matching Steps 212 Cutting / Sawing Steps 214 Selection Steps 216 Steps to be performed, manufacturing process 218 Heat Treatment Step 220 Steps to be taken 222 Cooling step 224 Tempering Step 226 Decision Step 228 Painting Steps

Claims

1. A system (10) for manufacturing a part (12), the system (10) comprising: a gantry (14) having a first member (16) and a second member (18) disposed opposite the first member (16) to define an opening (20); a first movable arm (22) and a second movable arm (24) disposed on the first member (16) and the second member (18), respectively; at least one conveyor (26, 28) operative to move the part (12) through the opening (20) to position the part (12) within access of the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24); at least one sensor (30, 32, 34, 36) operative to guide the first and second movable arms (22, 24) to one or more regions (38, 40, 42) of the part (12); It is equipped with the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24) are operable to perform a manufacturing process (216) on the part (12) in the one or more regions (38, 40, 42); the at least one conveyor (26, 28) includes a first conveyor (26) and a second conveyor (28) disposed on opposite sides of the gantry (14), a first transfer end (48) of the first conveyor (26) and a second transfer end (50) of the second conveyor (28) being spaced apart from each other such that a gap (56) is formed therebetween; the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24) operate in concert to have 360° access to the part (12); the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24) are operable to access a top side (58) of the part (12) and a bottom side (60) of the part (12) located opposite the top side (58), respectively; System (10).

2. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the at least one conveyor (26, 28) operates to contact the bottom side (60) of the part (12).

3. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the manufacturing process (216) is heat treating, tempering, solution annealing, and / or inspection.

4. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the first movable arm (22) and / or the second movable arm (24) include a tool (70) for accomplishing the manufacturing process (216).

5. The system (10) of claim 4, wherein the tool (70) is an induction heater (70), a welding torch, and / or an optical pyrometer.

6. The system (10) of claim 5, wherein the tool (70) is the induction heater (70), and the induction heater (70) is molded.

7. The system (10) of claim 4, wherein the first movable arm (22) and / or the second movable arm (24) are operable to automatically exchange the tool (70) for another tool.

8. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the component (12) is a pressure component assembly for a boiler.

9. A method (100) for manufacturing a part (12) using the system of any one of claims 1 to 8, the method (100) comprising: receiving (102) the parts (12) on the one or more conveyors (26, 28); positioning (104) the part (12) within access of the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24) via the one or more conveyors (26, 28); directing (108) the first and second movable arms (22, 24) to one or more regions (38, 40, 42) of the part (12) via at least one sensor (30, 32, 34, 36); performing a manufacturing process (216) on the part (12) in the one or more regions (38, 40, 42) via the first movable arm (22) and the second movable arm (24); A method (100) comprising:

10. The method (100) of claim 9, wherein the manufacturing process (216) is heat treating, tempering, solution annealing, and / or inspection.

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