A method for fabricating a component of an abatement apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises: meshing a 3D model representation of a component defining a reaction chamber of an abatement apparatus based on specified component characteristics to define an optimised finite element representation of the component; and fabricating the optimised finite element representation. In this way, a 3D model of a component of an abatement apparatus can be generated from which its performance can be modelled. Particular characteristics of the component may be defined which affect the operation of the abatement apparatus. Those characteristics may then be used to generate the optimized finite element representation of the component which has those characteristics using meshing (it will be appreciated that meshing is the operation of representing a geometric object as a set of finite elements). The optimized finite element representation may then fabricated, reliably producing a component having the required characteristics.

Additive manufacturing methods and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes receiving, by a data processing system, a three-dimensional (3D) model of a product to be manufactured by additive manufacturing. The method includes generating, by the data processing system, a time-based heat map of temperatures of the product during manufacture. The method includes identifying, by the data processing system, hot spots in the heat map where the temperature exceeds a first predetermined threshold. The method includes adding, by the data processing system, heatsink support structures to the 3D model at locations corresponding to the hot spots to produce a modified 3D model. The method includes storing, by the data processing system, the modified 3D model.

Additive manufacturing methods and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes receiving, by a data processing system, a three-dimensional (3D) model of a product to be manufactured by additive manufacturing. The method includes generating, by the data processing system, a time-based heat map of temperatures of the product during manufacture. The method includes identifying, by the data processing system, hot spots in the heat map where the temperature exceeds a first predetermined threshold. The method includes adding, by the data processing system, heatsink support structures to the 3D model at locations corresponding to the hot spots to produce a modified 3D model. The method includes storing, by the data processing system, the modified 3D model.

A method of controlling a positioning control apparatus includes the steps of: deriving a predetermined relational expression in advance; detecting the pressing force during machining by a force sensor; calculating the sideslip amount corresponding to the pressing force detected by the force sensor, in accordance with the predetermined relational expression at any time; correcting a position command value of an arm tip of the positioning control apparatus based on the calculated sideslip amount; and machining the workpiece while moving the arm tip of the positioning control apparatus in accordance with the corrected position command value.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of health monitoring for civil structures, and an anomaly identification method considering spatial-temporal correlation is proposed for structural monitoring data. First, define current and past observation vectors for the monitoring data and pre-whiten them; second, establish a statistical correlation model for the pre-whitened current and past observation vectors to simultaneously consider the spatial-temporal correlation in the monitoring data; then, divide the model into two parts, i.e., the system-related and system-unrelated parts, and define two corresponding statistics; finally, determine the corresponding control limits of the statistics, and it can be decided that there is anomaly in the monitoring data when each of the statistics exceeds its corresponding control limit.

A spatial difference measurement method, can include generating first key features of a first skeleton of a nominal 3D model of an object and extrapolating the first key features onto the nominal 3D model. The method can include creating an actual 3D model of the object during or after a construction process (real or simulated). The method can include generating second key features of a second skeleton of the actual 3D model of the object and extrapolating the second key features onto the actual 3D model of the object. The method can include comparing the first key features extrapolated on the nominal 3D model to the second key features extrapolated on the actual 3D model to determine one or more distances between the first and second key features to measure a spatial difference between the nominal 3D model and the object during or after construction.

A method for re-shaping a shape of a plastically deformable component that is preferably embodied from a metal material includes: creating a three-dimensional desired model of the component; designing a finite element model (FEM model) of the desired model of the component; capturing a three-dimensional geometry of a deformed actual component; determining a deviation of the actual component with respect to the desired model; deforming by applying forces to calculated positions of the component; and checking and comparing the actual component with the desired model after the deforming. Forces that are applied for the deforming and the calculated positions for introducing the forces to the component are determined on a basis of the FEM model.

A method of designing (300) an optimised component (100) for a load-bearing application comprises the steps of: analysing (302) a solid component (200) having an external shape to determine a stress distribution in the solid component (200) in response to an applied load; and defining (304), based upon the determined stress distribution in the solid component (200), a structure for an optimised component (100) comprising an outer skin layer (108) and an internal filament structure (110). The outer skin layer (108) forms an external shape substantially identical to the external shape of the solid component (200) and the internal filament structure (110) is enclosed by the outer skin layer (108), such that the optimised component (100) is configured to bear the applied load.

A machine tool for processing a workpiece having a temperature that deviates from a pre-defined processing temperature, the machine tool comprising a base to position the workpiece on, at least one processing means for processing the workpiece, one or more actuators for moving the processing means relative to the base, a control unit for controlling the actuators, the control unit comprising a data storage for storing nominal data providing nominal dimensions of the workpiece at the pre-defined processing temperature, and at least one temperature sensor that is configured to determine one or more actual temperature values of the workpiece, wherein the at least one temperature sensor is configured to generate temperature data based on the determined actual temperature values and to provide the temperature data to the control unit.

A method of controlling a positioning control apparatus includes the steps of: deriving a predetermined relational expression in advance; detecting the pressing force during machining by a force sensor; calculating the sideslip amount corresponding to the pressing force detected by the force sensor, in accordance with the predetermined relational expression at any time; correcting a position command value of an arm tip of the positioning control apparatus based on the calculated sideslip amount; and machining the workpiece while moving the arm tip of the positioning control apparatus in accordance with the corrected position command value.