A system and corresponding method are provided for controlling production in a blow room, the blow room including a controller, a supplying machine having a supplying part, and a machine to be supplied that has a filling level measurement. The supplying machine and the machine to be supplied are connected to the controller. A production area is defined for the supplying machine and includes a minimum production and a maximum production. Production of the supplying part of the supplying machine is determined based on a filling level of the filling level measurement. When production of the production area drops below the minimum production, the supplying part of the supplying machine is shut down, the shutdown taking place independently of the filling level of the machine to be supplied.

Systems and methods are provided for verifying the placement of tows by a robot. One embodiment includes a robot that includes an end effector that lays up tows, actuators that reposition the end effector, a memory storing a Numerical Control (NC) program, and a robot controller that directs the actuators to reposition the end effector based on the NC program, and instructs the end effector to lay up tows based on the NC program. The system also includes a sensor system comprising an imaging device that acquires images of the tows as the tows are laid-up, a measuring device that generates input as tows are laid-up by the end effector, and a sensor controller that receives images from the imaging device and the input from the measuring device, and updates stored data to correlate the images with instructions in the NC program, based on the input.

A hand hygiene system is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the hand hygiene system includes a hand sanitizer dispensing unit that dispenses a hand sanitizer, a shared electronic device in communication with the hand sanitizer dispensing unit and a manual override device. The hand sanitizer dispensing unit transmits an activation signal to the shared electronic device. The shared electronic device reduces resistance to access to the shared electronic device, upon receipt of the activation signal from the hand sanitizer dispensing unit. The manual override device allows access to the shared electronic device independent of the activation signal of the hand sanitizer dispensing unit. The manual override device also provides greater resistance to access the shared electronic device than provided from the receipt of the activation signal.

There is disclosed a method of designing a plybook (204, 708) for a composite component (402), comprising: defining a component volume (12) corresponding to the composite component (402) to be manufactured; defining a plurality of successive plies (20) of composite material to fill the component volume (12); simulating at least some of the plurality of successive plies (20) of composite material based on an estimate of variable cured ply thickness, wherein the variable cured ply thickness is estimated by: simulating at least a portion of a respective ply (20) of composite material; and estimating a cured ply thickness for the portion of composite material at least partly based on local conditions of the portion. A plybook (204, 708) is defined based on the plurality of simulated plies (20).

A novel method designs and analyzes composite parts including optimal manufacturing strategies. The invention analyzes part design including curvatures and other surface topology to formulate an optimal strategy for material layup, number of plies, initial orientation angle, and towpath steering vectors. The method computes an optimum starting point for each fiber path and a stagger offset for each successive fiber path to as to eliminate or minimize gaps and overlaps between adjacent plies. Intermediate surfaces are generated by a polynomial discretization method which generates large computational time savings and enhances blending of adjacent zones to control surface smoothness. The method further calculates a variable steering path for the layer taking into account material parameters and limitations such that plies originating in the same location have a variable orientation angle and follow any reference curve generated by the method to maximize strength and minimize weight of the component.

A method for calibrating a fluid dispensing system includes the steps of locating an external reference point with an optical sensor, moving a fluid dispenser to the external reference point, dispensing fluid with the fluid dispenser at the external reference point, locating the dispensed fluid with the optical sensor, calculating a distance between the location of the external reference point and the location of the dispensed fluid, determining a correction value based at least in part on the calculated distance, and using the correction value to improve placement accuracy of dispensed fluid.

A remote adhesive monitoring system is used in connection with adhesive applied to workpieces moving along a production line. A reservoir, pump, and applicator apply the adhesive to the workpieces. A monitor control computer has an associated data processing program. A pump cycle sensor senses pump cycles. An applicator sensor senses when the adhesive is applied to the workpieces. A workpiece sensor senses the workpieces moving along the line. The monitor control uses input from the applicator sensing means and the workpiece sensor to determine an ON time per each workpiece at a predetermined speed. The monitor control uses input from the workpiece sensor and the pump cycle sensor to determine the number of workpieces per pump cycle. The monitor control calculates an ON time to TOTAL time ratio per each workpiece. The monitor control will then calculate an amount of adhesive used for the given ON time to TOTAL time ratio.

There is disclosed a method of checking headpath data for a layup operation in which fibre reinforcement material is applied over a tool by an applicator roller of an applicator head biased against the tool along a compaction axis by a compaction force. The method comprises receiving baseline headpath data defining a baseline headpath position of the applicator head relative the tool; and determining a head displacement along the compaction axis corresponding to an equilibrium condition between the compaction force and a reaction force through the fibre reinforcement material. The method further comprises checking for at least one of a non-compacted portion of fibre reinforcement material and an intersection of the applicator head and an obstacle.

The present invention relates to a metering robot for dispensing liquid and/or pasty media having three degrees of freedom of movement oriented perpendicular to one another, having a base having two first linear guides spaced apart in parallel from one another; a portal bridge that is supported in a travelable manner on the two linear guides and that has a second linear guide oriented perpendicular to the two first linear guides; and a third linear guide for the movable guiding of a cart for receiving a metering unit that is oriented perpendicular to the first and second linear guides and that is travelable along the second linear guide. The metering robot has a work space that extends in a region that is located in the longitudinal direction of the two first linear guides in a prolongation of the region that extends directly between the two first linear guides.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, computing devices, and/or the like are provided. In some embodiments, an example system for conditioning a user device may include a handling device including an end effector, wherein the handling device is configured to operably engage the user device with the end effector and deliver the user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device selected from a group of apparatuses for conditioning the user device, the apparatus for conditioning the user device comprising a platform configured to support the user device; a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head; a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein; a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.