Building transformative framework for isolation and mitigation of quality defects in multi-station assembly systems using deep learning

The manufacturing industry is undergoing significant transformation towards electrification (e-mobility). This transformation has intensified critical development of new lightweight materials, structures and assembly processes supporting high volume and high variety production of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). As new materials and processes get developed it is crucial to address quality defects detection, prediction, and prevention especially given that e-mobility products interlink quality and safety, for example, assembly of ‘live’ battery systems. These requirements necessitate the development of methodologies that ensure quality requirements of products are satisfied from Job 1. This means ensuring high right-first-time ratio during process design by reducing manual and ineffective trial-and-error process adjustments; and, then continuing this by maintaining near zero-defect manufacturing during production by reducing Mean-Time-to-Detection and Mean-Time-to-Resolution for critical quality defects. Current technologies for isolating and mitigating quality issues provide limited performance within complex manufacturing systems due to (i) limited modelling abilities and lack capabilities to leverage point cloud quality monitoring data provided by recent measurement technologies such as 3D scanners to isolate defects; (ii) extensive dependence on manual expertise to mitigate the isolated defects; and, (iii) lack of integration between data-driven and physics-based models resulting in limited industrial applicability, scalability and interpretability capabilities, hence constitute a significant barrier towards ensuring quality requirements throughout the product lifecycle. The study develops a transformative framework that goes beyond improving the accuracy and performance of current approaches and overcomes fundamental barriers for isolation and mitigation of product shape error quality defects in multi-station assembly systems (MAS). The proposed framework is based on three methodologies which explore MAS: (i) response to quality defects by isolating process parameters (root causes (RCs)) causing unaccepted shape error defects; (ii) correction of the isolated RCs by determining corrective actions (CA) policy to mitigate unaccepted shape error defects; and, (iii) training, scalability and interpretability of (i) and (ii) by establishing closed-loop in-process (CLIP) capability that integrates in-line point cloud data, deep learning approaches of (i) and (ii) and physics-based models to provide comprehensive data-driven defect identification and RC isolation (causality analysis). The developed methodologies include: (i) Object Shape Error Response (OSER) to isolate RCs within single- and multi-station assembly systems (OSER-MAS) by developing Bayesian 3D-convolutional neural network architectures that process point cloud data and are trained using physics-based models and have capabilities to relate complex product shape error patterns to RCs. It quantifies uncertainties and is applicable during the design phase when no quality monitoring data is available. (ii) Object Shape Error Correction (OSEC) to generate CAs that mitigate RCs and simultaneously account for cost and quality key performance indicators (KPIs), MAS reconfigurability, and stochasticity by developing a deep reinforcement learning framework that estimates effective and feasible CAs without manual expertise. (iii) Closed-Loop In-Process (CLIP) to enable industrial adoption of approaches (i) & (ii) by firstly enhancing the scalability by using (a) closed-loop training, and (b) continual/transfer learning. This is important as training deep learning models for a MAS is time-intensive and requires large amounts of labelled data; secondly providing interpretability and transparency for the estimated RCs that drive costly CAs using (c) 3D gradient-based class activation maps. The methods are implemented as independent kernels and then integrated within a transformative framework which is further verified, validated, and benchmarked using industrial-scale automotive sheet metal assembly case studies such as car door and cross-member. They demonstrate 29% better performance for RC isolation and 40% greater effectiveness for CAs than current statistical and engineering-based approaches

Building a scalable and interpretable bayesian deep learning framework for quality control of free form surfaces

Deep learning has demonstrated high accuracy for 3D object shape error modeling necessary to estimate dimensional and geometric quality defects in multi-station assembly systems (MAS). Increasingly, deep learning-driven Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is used for decision-making when planning corrective action of quality defects. However, given the current absence of scalability enabling models, training deep learning models for each individual MAS is exceedingly time-consuming as it requires large amounts of labelled data and multiple computational cycles. Additionally, understanding and interpreting how deep learning produces final predictions while quantifying various uncertainties also remains a fundamental challenge. In an effort to address these gaps, a novel closed-loop in-process (CLIP) diagnostic framework underpinned algorithm portfolio is proposed which simultaneously enhances scalability and interpretability of the current Bayesian deep learning approach, Object Shape Error Response (OSER), to isolate root cause(s) of quality defects in MAS. The OSER-MAS leverages a Bayesian 3D U-Net architecture integrated with Computer-Aided Engineering simulations to estimate root causes. The CLIP diagnostic framework shortens OSER-MAS model training time by developing: (i) closed-loop training to enable faster convergence for a single MAS by leveraging uncertainty estimates of the Bayesian 3D U-net model; and, (ii) transfer/continual learning-based scalability model to transmit meta-knowledge from the trained model to a new MAS resulting in convergence using comparatively less training samples. Additionally, CLIP increases the transparency for quality-related root cause predictions by developing interpretability model which is based on 3D Gradient-based Class Activation Maps (3D Grad-CAMs) and entails: (a) linking elements of MAS model with functional elements of the U-Net architecture; and, (b) relating features extracted by the architecture with elements of the MAS model and further with the object shape error patterns for root cause(s) that occur in MAS. Benchmarking studies are conducted using six automotive-MAS with varying complexities. Results highlight a reduction in training samples of up to 56% with a loss in performance of up to 2.1%

A computing structure for data acquisition in high energy physics

A review of the development of parallel computing ispresented, followed by a summary of currently recognised typesof parallel computer and a brief summary of some applicationsof parallel computing in the field of high energy physics.The computing requirement at the data acquisition stageof a particular set of high energy physics experiments isdetailed, with reference to the computing system currently inuse. The requirement for a parallel processor to process thedata from these experiments is established and a possiblecomputing structure put forward.The topology proposed consists of a set of rings ofprocessors stacked to give a cylindrical arrangement, ananalytical approach is used to verify the suitability andextensibility of the suggested scheme. Using simulationresults the behaviour of rings and cylinders of processorsusing different algorithms for the movement of data within thesystem and different patterns of data input is presented anddiscussed.Practical hardware and software details for processingequipment capable of supporting such a structure as presentedhere is given, various algorithms for use with this equipment,e. g. program distribution, are developed and the software forthe implementation of the cylindrical structure is presented.Appendices of constructional information and all programlistings are included

Bibliography of Lewis Research Center technical publications announced in 1993

This compilation of abstracts describes and indexes the technical reporting that resulted from the scientific and engineering work performed and managed by the Lewis Research Center in 1993. All the publications were announced in the 1993 issues of STAR (Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports) and/or IAA (International Aerospace Abstracts). Included are research reports, journal articles, conference presentations, patents and patent applications, and theses

Second Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR 1988)

Papers presented at the Second Annual Workshop on Space Operation Automation and Robotics (SOAR '88), hosted by Wright State University at Dayton, Ohio, on July 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1988, are documented herein. During the 4 days, approximately 100 technical papers were presented by experts from NASA, the USAF, universities, and technical companies. Panel discussions on Human Factors, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Space Systems were held but are not documented herein. Technical topics addressed included knowledge-based systems, human factors, and robotics

Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World

The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management - mathematical methods in reliability and safety - risk assessment - risk management - system reliability - uncertainty analysis - digitalization and big data - prognostics and system health management - occupational safety - accident and incident modeling - maintenance modeling and applications - simulation for safety and reliability analysis - dynamic risk and barrier management - organizational factors and safety culture - human factors and human reliability - resilience engineering - structural reliability - natural hazards - security - economic analysis in risk managemen