公开(公告)号：US20240116133A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-11

申请号：US18045585

申请日：2022-10-11

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Junjie Ma ,  John Forrest ,  William A. Keller ,  Baixuan Yang ,  Michael G. Poss ,  Blair E. Carlson

IPC: B23K26/042 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/211 ,  B23K26/70

CPC classification number: B23K26/042 ,  B23K26/0648 ,  B23K26/211 ,  B23K26/705

Abstract: Systems and methods determine alignment between a wire and a laser beam in laser joining. A system for checking alignment of a wire relative to a beam of a laser includes a controller configured to align, by tooling, the beam with a sensor system. A laser generates the beam across the wire, with the beam directed to the sensor system. The sensor system measures light intensity of the beam. A processor computes a feature parameter representative of an alignment between the wire and the beam. The processor determines whether the feature parameter is within the process specifications.

公开(公告)号：US20230158605A1

公开(公告)日：2023-05-25

申请号：US17456037

申请日：2021-11-22

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Joshua Lee Solomon ,  Kuo-huey Chen ,  Blair E Carlson ,  Baixuan Yang ,  Ahmed Alkhafaji

IPC: B23K26/142 ,  B23K26/14

CPC classification number: B23K26/142 ,  B23K26/147 ,  B23K26/1476 ,  B23K26/21

Abstract: Air management systems are provided for optimizing airflow in laser welding with deflectors. A system for a welder includes a blower to generate an airflow stream. A plenum receives the airflow stream, directs it toward the workpiece, and defines an outlet facing the workpiece to expel the airflow stream toward the workpiece. A deflector adjacent the outlet is formed as a conical section converging from the plenum toward the workpiece, and is defined by an angled wall with an open center. The deflector concentrates the airflow stream to impart a velocity increase to the airflow stream after leaving the outlet and to impart a favorable directional component to the airflow stream toward a weld zone, as well as protecting the laser lens by increasing the downward momentum force of the air stream to eliminate the potential of spatter impinging the lens.

公开(公告)号：US12023757B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-02

申请号：US17456037

申请日：2021-11-22

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Joshua Lee Solomon ,  Kuo-huey Chen ,  Blair E Carlson ,  Baixuan Yang ,  Ahmed Alkhafaji

IPC: B23K26/142 ,  B23K26/14 ,  B23K26/21

CPC classification number: B23K26/142 ,  B23K26/147 ,  B23K26/1476 ,  B23K26/21

Abstract: Air management systems are provided for optimizing airflow in laser welding with deflectors. A system for a welder includes a blower to generate an airflow stream. A plenum receives the airflow stream, directs it toward the workpiece, and defines an outlet facing the workpiece to expel the airflow stream toward the workpiece. A deflector adjacent the outlet is formed as a conical section converging from the plenum toward the workpiece, and is defined by an angled wall with an open center. The deflector concentrates the airflow stream to impart a velocity increase to the airflow stream after leaving the outlet and to impart a favorable directional component to the airflow stream toward a weld zone, as well as protecting the laser lens by increasing the downward momentum force of the air stream to eliminate the potential of spatter impinging the lens.

公开(公告)号：US20240024986A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-25

申请号：US17814637

申请日：2022-07-25

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Baixuan Yang ,  Wei Zeng ,  Hui-ping Wang ,  Stephen Kyle Greutman ,  Eric Barnhart ,  Andrew Hromadka

IPC: B23K26/70 ,  B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K37/04 ,  B23K26/142

CPC classification number: B23K26/706 ,  B23K26/244 ,  B23K26/22 ,  B23K37/04 ,  B23K26/142

Abstract: A laser welding system for joining a first workpiece to a second workpiece includes a laser welder configured to emit a laser beam at a power to form a weld to join the first workpiece and the second workpiece at a weld location. The laser welding system includes a plasma protection fixture coupled to a surface of at least the first workpiece. The plasma protection fixture defines an opening configured to receive the laser beam. The opening has a perimeter that surrounds and is spaced apart from the weld. The plasma protection fixture has a height above the surface of at least the first workpiece about the perimeter of the opening that is defined based on the power of the laser beam.

公开(公告)号：US20240075553A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-07

申请号：US17901158

申请日：2022-09-01

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Wei Zeng ,  Scott E. Parrish ,  Baixuan Yang ,  Hui-ping Wang ,  Scott A. Hooker ,  Blair E. Carlson

IPC: B23K26/14 ,  B23K26/03

CPC classification number: B23K26/14 ,  B23K26/032

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include air flow systems configured to regulate air flow when laser welding to improve laser weld quality. An exemplary air flow system can include a primary inlet coupled to an air source and one or more secondary inlets coupled to the primary inlet. At least one of the one or more secondary inlets can include an internal valve. Each internal valve is actuatable between a fully open state, a fully closed state, and an intermediate state. The air flow system can further include an outlet coupled to each of the one or more secondary inlets downstream of the internal valve and a controller configured to adjust a position of each internal valve. The controller is configured to adjust the position of each internal valve based on an air flow mapping to increase an average air flow velocity along a laser beam of a welding laser.

公开(公告)号：US20230166361A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-01

申请号：US17456992

申请日：2021-11-30

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Baixuan Yang ,  Wei Zeng ,  Hui-ping Wang ,  Joshua Lee Solomon ,  Scott E. Parrish

IPC: B23K31/12 ,  B23K26/03

CPC classification number: B23K31/125 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K2101/006

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting weld defects, and methods for manufacturing vehicles using such methods or systems, are provided. An exemplary method includes receiving an input indicating a weld material and material thickness by a portable computing device and determining, with the portable computing device, a detection protocol for the weld material and material thickness. Further, the method includes communicating the detection protocol from the portable computing device to a portable heating source and to a portable thermographic sensor, heating a weld with the portable heating source according to the detection protocol, and recording thermographic data from the weld with the portable thermographic sensor according to the detection protocol. Also, the method includes communicating the thermographic data from the portable thermographic sensor to the portable computing device, and analyzing the thermographic data to detect whether the weld includes a defect and/or determine type, dimension and location of the defect.

公开(公告)号：US20240095425A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-21

申请号：US17933495

申请日：2022-09-20

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC ,  Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University

Inventor： Ying Lu ,  Junjie Ma ,  Hui-ping Wang ,  Mitchell Poirier ,  Baixuan Yang ,  Jay Oswald

IPC: G06F30/27 ,  B23K9/095

CPC classification number: G06F30/27 ,  B23K9/0953

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for predicting microhardness properties of a weld that defines a weld joint between at least two workpieces. The system includes a processor programmed to: receive temperature data that includes temperature values each attributed to a corresponding one of a plurality of points of the weld at corresponding times during a welding process used to produce the weld, determine peak temperature values and cooling rate values for each of the points of the weld based on the temperature values, predict a three-dimensional (3D) distribution of microhardness values of the weld based on a machine learning method that evaluates the peak temperature values and the cooling rate values, and generate display data based on the 3D distribution of microhardness values.

公开(公告)号：US11839935B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-12

申请号：US17456992

申请日：2021-11-30

Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

Inventor： Baixuan Yang ,  Wei Zeng ,  Hui-ping Wang ,  Joshua Lee Solomon ,  Scott E Parrish

IPC: B23K31/00 ,  B23K31/12 ,  B23K26/03 ,  B23K26/21 ,  B23K101/00

CPC classification number: B23K31/125 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K26/21 ,  B23K2101/006

Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting weld defects, and methods for manufacturing vehicles using such methods or systems, are provided. An exemplary method includes receiving an input indicating a weld material and material thickness by a portable computing device and determining, with the portable computing device, a detection protocol for the weld material and material thickness. Further, the method includes communicating the detection protocol from the portable computing device to a portable heating source and to a portable thermographic sensor, heating a weld with the portable heating source according to the detection protocol, and recording thermographic data from the weld with the portable thermographic sensor according to the detection protocol. Also, the method includes communicating the thermographic data from the portable thermographic sensor to the portable computing device, and analyzing the thermographic data to detect whether the weld includes a defect and/or determine type, dimension and location of the defect.