A system for supporting workpieces during machining. The system comprises one or more adjustable workpiece support assemblies and a robotic unit. Each workpiece support assembly comprises a pedestal and a rotatable fixture element. The robotic assembly comprises means of mobilizing and immobilizing each support assembly, so that the fixture element may be secured in a particular orientation. The robotic unit moves along a frame, and manipulates and fixes the position of the fixture elements to match the contour of a workpiece. Vacuum forces may be applied through the workpiece support assemblies to secure the workpiece against the fixture elements.

An apparatus for securing a wafer includes a chuck, at least one O-ring disposed on the chuck, a vacuum system connected to the chuck, such that the vacuum system comprises a plurality of vacuum holes through the chuck connected to one or more vacuum pumps, and a controller configured to control the height of the at least one O-ring relative to the top surface of the chuck. The controller is connected to pressure sensors capable of detecting a vacuum. The at least one O-ring may include a plurality of O-rings.

A method and apparatus. The apparatus comprises a first portion of a tool and a second portion of the tool. The first portion of the tool has a first surface. The first surface has a shape that is complementary to a first portion of a part. The second portion has at least one of a second surface configured to be recessed from a second portion of the part or a hollow portion.

An apparatus for securing a wafer includes a chuck, at least one O-ring disposed on the chuck, a vacuum system connected to the chuck, such that the vacuum system comprises a plurality of vacuum holes through the chuck connected to one or more vacuum pumps, and a controller configured to control the height of the at least one O-ring relative to the top surface of the chuck. The controller is connected to pressure sensors capable of detecting a vacuum. The at least one O-ring may include a plurality of O-rings.

The present disclosure provides a flexible workpiece pedestal capable of tilting a workpiece support surface. The workpiece pedestal further includes a heater mounted on the workpiece support surface. The heater includes a plurality of heating sources such as heating coils. The plurality of heating sources in the heater allows heating the workpiece at different temperatures for different zones of the workpiece. For example, the workpiece can have a central zone heated by a first heating coil, a first outer ring zone that is outside of the central zone heated by a second heating coil, a second outer ring zone that is outside of the first outer ring zone heated by a third heating coil. By using the tunable heating feature and the tilting feature of the workpiece pedestal, the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate the shadowing effect problem of the related workpiece pedestal in the art.

A method of manufacturing a vehicle suspension component includes inserting a cover body into an aperture of a housing, the cover body being disposed about a central axis concentric with the aperture of the housing, the cover body having a convex side and a concave side and an outer perimeter disposed about the central axis, the cover body defining a threaded bore concentric with the central axis, and deforming the cover body into retaining engagement with the housing by pressing against the convex side until the cover body is at least partial deformed and the outer perimeter is expanded compared to a pre-deformed state of the cover body.

A device for picking up, shaping, and placing a thin glass pane, includes a frame with an upper side and a lower side, which is suitable to be directed at a glass pane with a thickness of less than 1 mm, and which is provided with a plurality of picking up pins that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and whose end directed at the glass pane is equipped with a suction cup, wherein the picking up pins are movable along their direction of extension independent of one another in order to adapt the arrangement of the suction cups to an intended shape of the glass pane.

Embodiments described herein provide for devices and methods for retaining optical devices. The devices and methods described herein provide for retention of the substrate without contacting sensitive portions of the substrate. The devices and methods utilize retention pads or vacuum pins to contact the exclusion zones i.e., inactive areas of the substrate to retain the substrate and prevent the substrate from moving laterally. Additionally, a holding force retains the substrate in the vertical direction, without contacting the substrate. The methods provide for adjusting the devices to account for multiple geometries of the substrate. The methods further provide for adjusting the devices, such as adjusting a gap between the optical device and a suction pad, to alter the holding force of the devices on the optical devices.

A grinding apparatus has a hermetically sealed chamber defined by a portion of a holding surface which extends radially outwardly from a wafer, an outer wall surface of a first annular packing, a lower surface of a plate, and an inner wall surface of a second annular packing. A negative pressure is developed by suction forces applied from the holding surface, allowing the atmospheric pressure to press the plate toward the holding surface and causing the first annular packing to press an outer circumferential portion of the wafer against the holding surface. Since the outer circumferential portion of the wafer is pressed against the holding surface under the suction forces from the holding surface and the atmospheric pressure, the forces pressing the outer circumferential portion of the wafer against the holding surface are increased easily at a low cost without increasing the size and weight of the grinding apparatus.

An apparatus detachably fixed on a glazing panel mounted on a stationary or mobile object, the apparatus includes a fixing frame having a fixing frame plane, FFplane, a functional device, a first motor to move the functional device in a first direction, and a second motor to move the functional device in a second direction. The apparatus has at least N suction means, including a suction end, detachably fixed to the glazing panel, defining a resting distance, Drest, between the FFplane and the suction end, and defining a working distance, Dwork, between the FFplane and the suction end, and at least M rigid pushing means, comprising a pushing end defining a pushing distance, Dpush, between the FFplane and the pushing end, where the sum of the positive integers M and N is equal to or greater than 3 and where Dpush is equal to or greater than Dwork.