Automated welding program for full body-in-white finite element assembly

• US 6,510,357 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Shetty, Subhas V, Rao, Sudheendra Vasudeva, Naik, Ram
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp, Chad
• Application Number:
  US09/513,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 700/95, 700/96, 700/108, 700/114, 700/117, 700/118, 700/163, 700/166, 700/182, 700/195, 700/212, 219/86.23, 219/86.7, 219/87, 901/42
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32359 Modeling, simulating assembly operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45018 Car, auto, vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45135 Welding

Abstract

An automated computer modeling system generates a welded finite element model of a vehicle body. The modeling system includes a projection module for projecting predefined weld locations onto a finite element mesh representing surface data for the vehicle body such that a modified finite element mesh is generated. A welding module automatically generates assigned weld elements for the modified finite element mesh by determining the nearest node on each part with respect to the predefined weld locations and welding the parts together. The assigned weld elements and the modified finite element mesh therefore define the welded finite element model of the vehicle body. An executable file is used to perform projection functions as well as welding functions. The projection module incorporates a finite element processor to generate the modified FE mesh. The weld data and the surface data from the FE mesh are organized in a manner that allows the predefined weld locations to be linked with the node locations for each part. Automation of the projection and welding processes results in substantial cost savings due to reduced man-hours.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for generating a welded finite element model of a vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving weld data for the vehicle body from a weld input source;

automatically projecting the weld data onto a finite element mesh with an executable control file, the finite element mesh representing surface data for the vehicle body such that a modified finite element mesh is generated; and

automatically welding the modified finite element based on the weld data such that a welded finite element model is generated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the weld data includes predefined weld locations for a plurality of parts assemblies, the method further including the steps of:

identifying the predefined weld locations;

determining a nearest node on each part to be connected with respect to the predefined weld locations; and

defining assigned weld elements based on the nearest node locations.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of:

traversing an element list, the element list including node locations for the parts; and

comparing the node locations to the predefined weld locations.

4. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of:

selecting an independent node location from the nearest node locations for each parts assembly; and

defining the independent node locations as the assigned weld elements.

5. The method of claim 2 further including the step of traversing a weld list, the weld list including the predefined weld locations.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface data includes node locations for parts within the vehicle, the method further including the steps of:

generating a weld list, the weld list including the predefined weld locations;

generating an element list, the element list including the node locations for the parts; and

linking the weld list and the element list together.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of generating an electronic error file containing error data, the error data based on inconsistencies between the weld data and the modified finite element mesh.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the error data defines missing parts in the modified finite element mesh.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the error data further defines dummy node locations for the missing parts.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the error data defines weld locations falls outside a predefined weld tolerance.

11. An automated method for generating an assigned weld element for an assembly of parts in a computer model of a full vehicle body, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a predefined weld location for the assembly with an executable control file;

determining nearest nodes on the parts to be welded with respect to the predefined weld location with the executable control file, each part having a nearest node and each nearest node having a nearest node location; and

defining one of the nearest node locations as the assigned weld element with the executable file.

12. An automated computer modeling system for generating a welded finite element model of a vehicle body, the modeling system comprising:

a projection module for projecting weld data onto a finite element mesh representing surface data for the vehicle body such that a modified finite element mesh is generated;

a welding module for automatically generating assigned weld elements for the modified finite element mesh;

said assigned weld elements and the modified finite element mesh defining the welded finite element model of the vehicle body.

13. The modeling system of claim 12 further includes an error module for collecting error data from the welding module.

14. The modeling system of claim 13 wherein the error data defines missing parts in the modified finite element mesh.

15. The modeling system of claim 14 wherein the error data further defines dummy node locations for the missing parts.

16. The modeling system of claim 13 wherein the error data defines weld locations falls outside a predefined weld tolerance.

17. The modeling system of claim 12 wherein the weld data includes predefined weld locations for a plurality of parts assemblies, the welding module including:

a weld location selector for identifying the predefined weld locations;

a nearest node module for determining a plurality of nearest nodes with respect to the predefined weld locations; and

a weld assignment module for defining the assigned weld elements, where the assigned elements connect the nearest node locations.

18. The modeling system of claim 17 wherein the weld assignment module generates error data.

19. The modeling system of claim 17 wherein the welding module further includes a data linking module for generating a weld list and an element list, the weld list including the predefined weld locations and the element list including node locations for the parts, the data linking module linking the weld list and the element list together.

20. The modeling system of claim 12 wherein the weld data includes predefined weld locations for a plurality of parts assemblies, the projection module including:

a data sorting module for generating a processor input file containing the predefined weld locations organized by part;

a command file generator for generating a command file, the command file projecting the predefined weld locations onto the finite element mesh based on the processor input file in response to an execution request; and

a finite element processor for generating the execution request.