公开(公告)号：US20170176985A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-22

申请号：US15450028

申请日：2017-03-06

Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.

Inventor： Rahul Gajkumar Chougule ,  Michael A. A'Hearn ,  Cary J. Lyons ,  Ben P. Slater ,  Gary E. Bright ,  Keith Joseph Lensing ,  Yihong Yang

IPC: G05B19/418

CPC classification number: G05B19/41875 ,  G05B2219/32194 ,  G05B2219/32203 ,  Y02P90/04 ,  Y02P90/18 ,  Y02P90/22

Abstract: A method for predicting an End of Line (EOL) quality of a product in an assembly plant is provided. The method includes performing a downstream test on a plurality of sub-components for determining a set of attributes. The method also includes receiving, by a control module, the set of attributes of the sub-components. The method further includes performing, by the control module, a root cause investigation on the set of attributes of the sub-components for identifying a subset of attributes from the set of attributes. The subset of attributes contributes to lowering the EOL quality of the assembled product. The method includes developing and validating, by the control module, dynamic prediction models based on the identified subset of attributes associated with the sub-components. The method also includes predicting, by the control module, the EOL quality of the assembled product based on the dynamically validated prediction model.

公开(公告)号：US20170100772A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-13

申请号：US14877246

申请日：2015-10-07

Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.

Inventor： Scott A. Johnston ,  Cary J. Lyons ,  Christopher A. Barnes

IPC: B22D46/00 ,  B22D23/00

CPC classification number: B22D46/00 ,  B22D23/00 ,  B33Y10/00 ,  B33Y30/00 ,  B33Y50/02

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an article from a metal alloy is described. The method includes supplying the metal alloy into a nozzle of a printing chamber, where temperature of the metal alloy is between a solidus and a liquidus temperature. Further, the method includes depositing the metal alloy in successive layers on a substrate plate, inside the printing machine, using the nozzle. The method also includes controlling movement of at least one of the nozzle and the substrate plate within the printing chamber based on an electronic data source of the article, where the electronic data source includes geometry of the article.