Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for automated composite layup quality assurance.

During a molding process for bringing a mold into contact with a substrate on which a foreign substance is inspected, thereby molding a composition on the substrate, foreign substance positions on the substrate are detected, a substrate foreign substance position where a foreign substance is present on the substrate before the molding process is started is identified among the detected foreign substance positions, and an inspection condition used to inspect a foreign substance on the substrate is updated based on the identified substrate foreign substance position. An inspection condition is thus updated, whereby it is possible to provide a configuration having an advantage in detecting a foreign substance on a substrate.

An additive manufacturing apparatus, a computing system, and a method for operating an additive manufacturing apparatus are provided. The method includes obtaining two or more images corresponding to respective build layers at a build plate, wherein each image comprises a plurality of data points comprising a feature and corresponding location at the build plate; removing variation between the features of the plurality of data points; and normalizing each feature to remove location dependence in the plurality of data points.

There is provided a control system for an apparatus for taking out a molded product, the apparatus performing appropriate operation when a collision occurs while a servo system control section is manually operated. When a collision detection section outputs an operation stop command, a deviation clearing section performs clearing operation to bring deviations in a servo system control section to zero with the servo system control section kept on. Positioning is completed as the deviations are brought to zero, which enables operation to be performed again. When a retracting operation is performed after the operation is stopped, servomotors are operated according to an operation command, which allows smooth retraction from the collision state.

Methods and systems for forming a composite part. The methods include providing a layup model and characterizing the specific overlap ratio (SOR) in discretized sections of the layup model. The layup model can be modified until an acceptable range of SOR values is achieved along the length of the part. Once an acceptable range of SOR values is achieved, the resulting production model is used to produce the part, for example, using an automated fiber placement (AFP) process.

A molding management system including a server and managing production of a product in a production process including an injection molding process of the product by an injection molding device, wherein the server is communicably connected to a terminal device and configured to cause the terminal device to display production plan information indicating a production plan for a designated first product in response to an operation received from the terminal device and the production plan information includes first operating time period information indicating a first operating time period in which the injection molding device is operated to produce the first product and inoperable time period information indicating at least an inoperable time period during which the injection molding device cannot be operated to produce the first product.

A 3D-configured production structure of rubber products based on an intelligent manufacturing unit and a production method thereof. The structure includes a stereoscopic production warehouse used to store a mobile intelligent manufacturing unit and an ex-warehouse delivery system used to deliver the mobile intelligent manufacturing unit. The mobile intelligent manufacturing unit includes a unit functional assembly, a molding vulcanization apparatus, a blank feeder, a material-delivering apparatus, a product-collecting apparatus and a reclaimer. The molding vulcanization apparatus includes a upper heat plate, a upper mold, a lower mold, a lower heat plate and a support post. The upper mold and the lower mold are arranged on the inner sides of the upper heat plate and the lower heat plate, respectively. The upper heat plate is fixed on one end of the support post, and the lower heat plate is arranged through the support post.

Systems and methods for monitoring mold lifecycle and performance. The system includes a memory and a processor that receives, from a sensor implemented on a mold, first information associated with the mold, generates a digital molding process fingerprint associated with the mold based on the received first information, stores, in the memory, the generated digital molding process fingerprint, receives, from the sensor, second information associated with the mold, compares the received first information to the generated digital molding process fingerprint associated with the mold, and based on the comparison indicating a change in state of the mold, triggers a recommended action for the mold.

An information processing apparatus includes a shape data acquisition unit configured to acquire shape data indicating a three-dimensional shape of a mold for forming a molded product, a mold release direction acquisition unit configured to acquire a mold release direction in separating the molded product from the mold, a processing parameter acquisition unit configured to acquire a processing parameter for processing to be applied to a surface of the mold, a calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the shape data, the mold release direction and the processing parameter, a difference between a plurality of processing parameter maps each indicating a correspondence between a position on the surface of the mold and the processing parameter, and a notification unit configured to notify information about the difference.

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for processing a composite ply. An image of the composite ply is received. Natural features in the image of the composite ply are detected. Feature data for the natural features detected in association is saved with a ply identifier for the composite ply in a repository. The feature data is used to position the composite ply during manufacturing of a composite part using the composite ply.