Quality and Process Control of Nd: YAG - Laser Welding Using fuzzy Pattern Recognition Techniques for Multisensor Systems
Quality monitoring is necessary for a stable manufacturing, especially in the case of laser welding processes. During the project a system was developed which allows the analysis of in process data by fuzzy pattern recognition methods. This resulted in improved prediction of seam irregularities as compared with conventional methods. The work was carried out in the framework of the MAINE cooperative project funded by the Free State of Saxony.
Pulsed laser weld quality monitoring by the statistical analysis of reflected light
This paper describes a technique for monitoring the quality of laser welds by statistical analysis of the reflected light signal from the weld surface. An algorithm is used which analyses the variance of the peak values of the reflected signal as a measure of surface weld dynamics during pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding in the heat conduction mode. Kalman filtering is used to separate a useful signal from the background noise. A good correlation between weld disruption and signal fluctuation has been identified. This technique could be used in tandem with the present practice of simply using the peak values of the reflected (or emitted) light as an indicator of weld quality.
Tethering the Administrative State: The Case Against Chevron Deference for FCC Jurisdictional Claims
Like many other agencies, the Federal Communications Commission has seen significant regulatory growth under President Obama. But unlike health care, financial reform, and other areas, this growth has come without statutory guidance from Congress. The FCC’s assertion of jurisdiction over broadband service is reminiscent of its earlier attempts to regulate cable and to deregulate telephone service, efforts that courts have viewed skeptically in the absence of specific statutory authorization. But this skepticism is in tension with Chevron, which grants agencies substantial deference to interpret ambiguities in the statutes that they administer. This article argues that Chevron deference should not extend to agency jurisdictional claims, such as the FCC’s claim to authority over broadband. For both constitutional and policy reasons, courts should distinguish between agency action that fills a gap in a statutory scheme and action that defines the outer boundary of that scheme. As the Commission’s net neutrality project winds its way through the judicial system, courts should not allow the agency to define the limits of its own authority, and should instead search closely for a grant of authority from Congress.