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This paper presents the design of a hydraulic motor driven spindle for the processing of metals and composite materials at high rotational speeds. Existing technologies applicable to spindles and spindle holders under severe operating conditions were reviewed. A conceptual design of the hydraulic spindle system was developed. A strong indication of distinct increase in spindle life and gains in cutting power at higher rotational speeds when compared to the conventional electric motor driven spindles underscored the need for the new spindle system.

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The development of a 3-D computer-based telerobotic manipulator system simulator suitable for studying and implementing different modes of robotic control operations and end-effector systems, is described in this paper. Three types of manipulator control operations, namely, rate-control, position-control and data-driven control in both the joint space and Cartesian space formulations, were implemented. The endeffector systems that were also implemented included the interchangeable end-effector systems. The computerbased simulator is designed in 3-D workspace volume, with high speed color graphic display and capable of zooming in or out for close-up or distance views of the worksite from any desired orientation. This makes the simulator particularly suitable for training operators, especially of undersea remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems. The development of the simulator represents an interim step toward the goal of developing an intelligent remote manipulation system, which is currently underway at Florida Atlantic University and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.

A temperature monitor that can record brazing temperatures inside an autobrazer for process control and qualification was developed. The monitor was made of a heat exchanger coil instrumented with multiple thermocouples at statistically selected return bend joints that had a high or low probability of leaking. The brazing temperatures recorded at the selected return bends were compared with control temperature profiles for high-quality brazed joints. The results clearly accentuated the disparities in the heating rates, the cooling rates and the peak bonding temperatures between the non-leaking joints and the leaking joints. The autobrazer process parameters were then correlated with a number of leaks and leak locations to determine how to configure the autobrazer and control the process variables to ensure similar brazing conditions at all joints. By so doing, the repeatability of the brazing process and the production of high-quality joints was guaranteed.