Using integrated knowledge acquisition to prepare sophisticated expert plans for their re-use in novel situations

Plans which were constructed by human experts and have been repeatedly executed to the complete satisfaction of some customer in a complex real world domain contain very valuable planning knowledge. In order to make this compiled knowledge re-usable for novel situations, a specific integrated knowledge acquisition method has been developed: First, a domain theory is established from documentation materials or texts, which is then used as the foundation for explaining how the plan achieves the planning goal. Secondly, hierarchically structured problem class definitions are obtained from the practitioners\u27 highlevel problem conceptualizations. The descriptions of these problem classes also provide operationality criteria for the various levels in the hierarchy. A skeletal plan is then constructed for each problem class with an explanation-based learning procedure. These skeletal plans consist of a sequence of general plan elements, so that each plan element can be independently refined. The skeletal plan thus accounts for the interactions between the various concrete operations of the plan at a general level. The complexity of the planning problem is thereby factored in a domain-specific way and the compiled knowledge of sophisticated expert plans can be re-used in novel situations

Gap and force adjustment during laser beam welding by means of a closed-loop control utilizing fixture-integrated sensors and actuators

The development of adaptive and intelligent clamping devices allows for the reduction of rejects and defects based on weld discontinuities in laser-beam welding. The utilization of fixture-integrated sensors and actuators is a new approach, realizing adaptive clamping devices that enable in-process data acquisition and a time-dependent adjustment of process conditions and workpiece position by means of a closed-loop control. The present work focused on sensor and actuator integration for an adaptive clamping device utilized for laser-beam welding in a butt-joint configuration, in which the position and acting forces of the sheets to be welded can be adjusted during the process (studied welding speeds: 1 m/min, 5 m/min). Therefore, a novel clamping system was designed allowing for the integration of inductive probes and force cells for obtaining time-dependent data of the joint gap and resulting forces during welding due to the displacement of the sheets. A novel automation engineering concept allowed the communication between different sensors, actuators and the laser-beam welding setup based on an EtherCAT bus. The subsequent development of a position control and a force control and their combination was operated with a real time PC as master in the bus system and proved the feasibility of the approach based on proportional controllers. Finally, the scalability regarding higher welding speeds was demonstrated

Effect of local gas flow in full penetration laser beam welding with high welding speeds

Spatter formation is a major issue in deep penetration welding with solid-state lasers at high welding speeds above 8 m/min. In order to limit spatter formation, the use of local gas flows represents a technically feasible solution. By using the gas flow, the pressure balance inside the keyhole, and therefore the keyhole stability, is affected. Existing investigations demonstrate a reduction in spatter and pore formation for partial penetration welding up to a welding speed of 5 m/min. However, the effect of the gas flow is not yet clarified for full penetration welding at welding speeds above 8 m/min. By using a precisely adjustable shielding gas supply, the effect of a local gas flow of argon was characterized by welding stainless steel AISI304 (1.4301/X5CrNi18-10). The influence of the gas flow on the melt pool dynamics and spatter formation was recorded by means of high-speed videography and subsequently analyzed by image processing. Schlieren videography was used to visualize the forming flow flied. By the use of the gas, a change in melt pool dynamics and gas flow conditions was observed, correlating to a reduction in loss of mass up to 70%. Based on the investigations, a model of the acting effect mechanism was given

Program for sound generation based on image color spectrum with using the recurrent neural network

This work is devoted to development and approbation of the program for sound generation based on image color spectrum with using the recurrent neural network. The work contains a description of the transition between color and music characteristics, the rationale for choosing and the description of a recurrent neural network. The choices of the neural network implementation technology as well as the results of the experiment are described

Modeling the wetting behavior of grinding wheels

Helical flute grinding is an important process step in the manufacturing of cylindrical cemented carbide tools where the use of cooling lubricants is a defining factor determining process performance. Finding optimal parameters and cooling conditions for the efficient use of lubricant is essential in reducing energy consumption and in controlling properties of the boundary zone like residual stresses. Any mathematical model describing the interactions between grinding wheel, lubricant and workpiece during the process has to account for the complex microstructure of the wheel; however, this renders the identification of parameters like slip or heat exchange coefficients numerically prohibitively expensive. In this paper, results from grinding oil droplet experiments are compared with simulation results for the wetting behavior of grinding wheels. More specifically, finite element simulations of the thin-film equation are used to identify slip parameters for different grinding wheel specifications (grain size, bonding structure, wetting status). Our results show that both the bonding and the grain size have an influence on the wetting behavior. The slip parameters that we identified account for the fluid-microstructure interactions and will be used to effectively model those interactions in more complex 3D fluid-dynamic simulations via the Beavers-Joseph condition