306 results about "Manufacturing operations" patented technology

The present invention includes a high performance communications cable for transmission media that includes core support-separators which define clearance channels to maintain spacing between transmission media or transmission media pairs. The core support-separator can be either interior to a cable jacket or be employed singularly without the benefit of a jacket and extends along the longitudinal length of the communications cable. The core support-separator has a central region that may include flap-tops along the radial edge that are available for partial or complete sealing of the clearance channels during manufacturing operations. The central region may also include a hollow center portion and include various geometric shapes to provide proper spacing between conductors. Each of the defined clearance channels allow for disposal therein of metal conductors and/or optical fibers.

Agricultural operations by applying flexible manufacturing software, robotics and sensing techniques to agriculture. In manufacturing operations utilizing flexible machining and flexible assembly robots, work pieces flow through a fixed set of workstations on an assembly line. At different stations are located machine vision systems, laser based raster devices, radar, touch, photocell, and other methods of sensing; flexible robot armatures and the like are used to operate on them. This flexible agricultural automation turns that concept inside out, moving software programmable workstations through farm fields on mobile robots that can sense their environment and respond to it flexibly. The agricultural automation will make it possible for large scale farming to take up labor intensive farming practices which are currently only practical for small scale farming, improving land utilization efficiency, while lowering manpower costs dramatically.

This invention teaches a multi-sensor quality inference system for additive manufacturing. This invention still further teaches a quality system that is capable of discerning and addressing three quality issues: i) process anomalies, or extreme unpredictable events uncorrelated to process inputs; ii) process variations, or difference between desired process parameters and actual operating conditions; and iii) material structure and properties, or the quality of the resultant material created by the Additive Manufacturing process. This invention further teaches experimental observations of the Additive Manufacturing process made only in a Lagrangian frame of reference. This invention even further teaches the use of the gathered sensor data to evaluate and control additive manufacturing operations in real time.

An integrated wafer fab production characterization and scheduling system incorporates a manufacturing execution system with a scheduling system based on simulation. The integrated characterization/scheduling system provides manufacturing with a simulation tool integrated with the manufacturing execution system to evaluate proposed production control logic as a practical alternative to expensive experimentation on actual production system. Furthermore, simulation models are used to create short term dispatch schedules to steer daily manufacturing operations towards planned performance goals. Innovative features include integration of preventive maintenance scheduling, Kanban based WIP control, an integrated time standard database, a, and real time lot move updates.

Waxes prepared from hydrogenated plant oils, such as palm and soybean, are used as substitutes for petroleum derived waxes in hot-melt adhesive compositions. Unlike petroleum-derived or synthetic waxes, adhesive compositions comprising these waxes, which are obtained from naturally derived, renewable resources, achieve adhesion performance similar to conventional adhesives containing petroleum-derived waxes. The inventive waxes have a low iodine value (between 2-5), and melting points between approximately 120-165 degrees F. (Mettler Drop Point). These waxes comprise a triglyceride whose fatty acids are predominantly stearic acid (C₁₈). The naturally derived waxes are used as an alternative to petroleum and synthetically derived waxes in the manufacture of adhesives used to bond paper, wood, glass, plastic and metal in a variety of manufacturing operations.

Comprehensive, Systematic and Practical Engineering/Manufacture/Operation/Management System for Electric Vehicle with dual usage for Decentralized Smart Power Storage that includes: Smart Battery Subsystem (SBS), which includes the Smart Battery Assembly (SBA) with embedded computer/data logger and the Battery Compartment (BC) on the EV and in the Swapping Recharge Stations (RS); the computers on the EV and RS; hardware and software for the SBA Exchange/Recharge/Maintenance/Management/Billing Subsystem; the Smart Decentralized Energy Storage Subsystem for on-line, off-line and/or emergency uses. The SBA can be swapped at RS or recharged at home or any recharge stations, or dismounted/mounted easily in garage or during roadside service. The SBA could include the built-in charge controller and inverter. All the subsystems are indispensable parts or options for this invented integrated system.

Operation state information for each cycle of manufacturing operations of each of injection molding machines 300 is acquired by a center management terminal device 400 via a network from a plurality of controlling terminal device 400 for controlling the injection molding machines 300. Cumulative utilization of replacement parts of each injection molding machine 300 put into practical operation is recognized by the operating condition recognizing section of the center management terminal device 400 based on the parts state information for the replacement parts of each injection molding machine 300 included in the operating state information. Based on the cumulative utilization, availability of the parts is recognized with reference to lifetime information concerning lifetime of the parts previously stored in the center storage section, and situation of the availability is displayed with a different display format on the center terminal displaying section 503.

The invention is an integrated temporary wireless network system for controlling, collecting, processing, and responding to data generated by a plurality of sensors configured for measuring data associated with operation of, and the environment related to, commercial, industrial and manufacturing operations, processes and equipment located within a fixed geographic area; a plurality of Wireless-Nodes, one coupled to each sensor, configured and adapted for wirelessly transmitting the data, via a Repeater if necessary, to a Base-Station, configured for receiving the data and connected to a primary computer; a CPU coupled with the primary computer and; a memory operatively connected to the CPU, the memory containing a program adapted to be executed by the CPU and the CPU and memory cooperatively adapted to perform data flow control from the plurality of Wireless-Nodes, data storage, and diagnostic analysis of the transmitted sensor data.

An integrated wafer fab production scheduling and simulation system incorporates a manufacturing execution system with a scheduling system based on simulation. The integrated system provides manufacturers with a simulation tool integrated with the manufacturing execution system to evaluate proposed production control logic as a practical alternative to expensive experimentation on an actual production system. Furthermore, simulation models are used to create short-term dispatch schedules to steer daily manufacturing operations towards planned performance goals. Innovative features include integration of preventive maintenance scheduling, Kanban based WIP control, an integrated time standard database, and real time lot move updates.

A system and method of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) that is capable of providing synchronized travel along a line or path while maintaining a desired takt time such that regular manufacturing operations may be performed to material or workpieces on the vehicle without the need for a traditional conveyor systems.

Provided are methodologies to properly assess and manage operational risks at operations sites, e.g., a manufacturing, production or processing facility, such as a refinery, chemical plant, fluid-catalytic-cracking units, or nuclear energy plant, or a biological or waste management facility, airport or even financial institutions, or at any facility in which operations are often accompanied by risk associated with many high-probability, low-consequence events, often resulting in near-misses. In some operations, processes are monitored by alarms, but the invention operates on either process data or alarm data. The methods are based upon measurement of one or more variables, and/or utilization and management of the concept of “hidden process near-miss(es)” to identify a change or escalation, if any, in probability of occurrence of an adverse incident. The methodologies combine a plurality of subsets (also useful independently) of dynamically calculated leading risk indicators for dynamic risk management.

A system and method of automatic guided vehicles that are capable of providing synchronized travel along a line or path such that regular manufacturing operations may be performed to material or workpieces on the vehicle without the need for a traditional conveyor systems.

The present invention relates to a system and methodology facilitating material-driven processing in an industrial controller environment. Various models supported by database objects are provided to automatically and dynamically map inventory systems/processes to control systems/process such as in batch or recipe operations. A material model is provided that tracks to an inventory database and includes such aspects as defining material types and containers to house such materials. An area model maps the material model to possible units and equipment modules to process the materials. These models include phased-based parameters that define amounts of material that flow into and out of a determined area for processing the materials. Before, during and/or after automated manufacturing operations, object binding operations occur between material-based servers associated with an inventory system and batch servers associated with a process-control system. Such binding includes Just-In-Time or on-demand binding at run time, and relates material requirements of a recipe (or batch) to the units and equipment that are available to produce the recipe.

Waxes prepared from hydrogenated plant oils, such as castor, palm, and soybean, are used to prepare water based emulsions. The inventive waxes, obtained from naturally derived, renewable resources, were emulsified under anionic, cationic and nonionic conditions, producing emulsions having a solids content up to about 45% solids. When used to coat fibrous cellulosic articles, such as paperboard, the emulsions' performance was similar to emulsions containing petroleum-derived waxes. The inventive waxes have a low iodine value (between 2-5), and melting points between approximately 120-200 degrees F. (Mettler Drop Point). These waxes comprise a triglyceride whose fatty acids are predominantly stearic acid or ricinoleic acid. The inventive waxes are used as an alternative to petroleum-derived, or expensive naturally-occurring waxes in the manufacture of emulsions used in coatings, polishes, adhesives, paper products, paperboard and other manufacturing operations.

A component part container delivery rack used in manufacturing operations. An E-frame defining at least two compartments that are open on at least one side that extends between the front and back ends of the rack. The frame is supported on a plurality of wheels and is adapted to receive a dolly in the compartment. Each dolly is removably received in one of the compartments and locked in place when placed in the delivery rack. The locking element includes a pivoting lever that is rotated to lock and unlock the dolly within the compartment. The dolly is supported on roller guide elements that guide the dollies as they are moved into and out of the compartment. The dollies are raised above the floor so that the wheels of the dollies do not contact the floor as it is transported by the rack.

Apparatus and methods are provided for wafer translators having a silicon core, an isolating conductive ground plane, and copper and subjacent resin layers disposed on the ground plane. A silicon substrate having at least one major surface coated with an electrically conductive layer is subjected to a number of printed circuit board manufacturing operations including, but not limited to, application of resin-coated copper foils; mechanical grinding of copper layers; mechanical drilling of via openings in a dielectric material; plating of copper, nickel, and gold layers; laser removal of metal; and chemical removal of metal; in order to produce a wafer translator having a silicon core. In further aspects of the present invention, alignment marks are formed and contact structures, such as stud bumps, are placed relative to a local set of alignment marks.

An effluent gas stream treatment system for treatment of gaseous effluents such as waste gases from semiconductor manufacturing operations. The effluent gas stream treatment system comprises a pre-oxidation treatment unit, which may for example comprise a scrubber, an oxidation unit such an electrothermal oxidizer, and a post-oxidation treatment unit, such as a wet or dry scrubber. The effluent gas stream treatment system of the invention may utilize an integrated oxidizer, quench and wet scrubber assembly, for abatement of hazardous or otherwise undesired components from the effluent gas stream. Gas or liquid shrouding of gas streams in the treatment system may be provided by high efficiency inlet structures.

An ophthalmic lens design and modeling system comprises a user interface providing functionality for generating a template associated with a desired lens design to be manufactured, the template comprising design information sufficient for generating three-dimensional (3D) models of lens, and 3D models of associated components required for lens manufacture in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing system. The system further includes functionality for generating and/or specifying linking information, via the user interface, that governs the physical behavior of lens design features included in said template in accordance with one or more process parameters affecting lens manufacture and manufacture of associated components in an ophthalmic lens manufacturing system. The use of the template and design and linking information therein thus facilitates rapid lens modeling and lens manufacturing operations with greater accuracy, thereby reducing lens design build and test (DBT) cycle time.

A control system that includes deflection sensors which can control clamping forces applied by electrostatic chucks, and related methods are disclosed. By using a sensor to determine a deflection of a workpiece supported by an electrostatic chuck, a control system may use the deflection measured to control a clamping force applied to the workpiece by the electrostatic chuck. The control system applies a clamping voltage to the electrostatic chuck so that the clamping force reaches and maintains a target clamping force. In this manner, the clamping force may secure the workpiece to the electrostatic chuck to enable manufacturing operations to be performed while preventing workpiece damage resulting from unnecessary higher values of the clamping force.

A fluid containment system including a vessel for containing a fluid that is discharged from the vessel in use or operation of the system. A pressure monitoring assembly including a strain-responsive sensor is disposed on an exterior wall surface of the vessel, to sense dynamic strain on the wall surface of such vessel that is incident to discharge of fluid from the vessel, and to responsively output a pressure-indicative response. Such arrangement is particularly useful in application to fluid storage and dispensing vessels containing interiorly disposed pressure regulator assemblies and holding liquefied gases or compressed gases, e.g., for use in semiconductor manufacturing operations.

A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn't require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.