Rotating-substrate system that images applied brazing material
A production system that supports and rotates elongate substrates between two bearings while applying brazing material, illuminating the applied material, and imaging it for feedback. Typical users would be job shops and precision-parts manufacturers that braze cylindrical or tubular parts and require in-line visual monitoring or control of brazed deposits.
(57) What the patent covered
This write-up was generated by AI from the patent's text and may contain mistakes, so check it against the original patent before relying on it.
The main independent claim covered a system that: (1) rotatably supports a substrate by a first and second rotatable bearing whose axes are parallel to the substrate axis, (2) uses a drive wheel positioned between those bearings to rotate the substrate, (3) includes an applicator that delivers brazing material to the substrate surface, and (4) includes a source of illumination and an imager to visualize the illuminated brazing material.
Distinguishing feature: Combining a between-bearing drive-wheel rotation arrangement for elongate substrates with an illumination and imager specifically to visualize the applied brazing material for feedback.
Novelty 3/5. Rotation of workpieces on bearings and in-line imaging were known separately; the patent combined those elements into a feedback-capable brazing application for elongated parts.
Manufacturing
Fixtures: machined bearing housings and drive-wheel assembly; applicator: syringe, dispensing valve, or nozzle for brazing paste or wire feeder; illumination: mounted LED array; imaging: industrial camera with lens; assembly: bolt-up metal subassemblies, wiring harnessing, and calibration; likely hand or semi-automated final assembly.
Materials: Steel or aluminum bearings and drive wheel, brass or silver-based brazing paste/wire/flux, LED illumination module, industrial camera (CMOS) with optics.
Manufacturability 4/5. Several machined metal parts and an off-the-shelf drive wheel, bearings, dispenser, LEDs and camera with hand or bench integration; moderate assembly and alignment required.
Market demand
Comparable products are on sale; this exact design was not found. Established industrial vendors offering inline brazing inspection or automated brazing support; both listings describe vision/automation elements related to brazing processes and inline quality checks.
- Braze Ring Inspection Machine · CDS Manufacturing
- INSTABRAZE Brazing System · Unitrol Electronics, Inc.
Demand check by web search, week of Oct 12, 2026. Listings change frequently.
Buyers: Machine shops and precision-parts manufacturers that braze cylindrical or tubular components.
Sourcing
No factory listings were found on the major supplier marketplaces. Production would likely require custom tooling or a direct approach to a manufacturer. No listings found on Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources, or DHgate that match a turnkey rotating-substrate brazing station with integrated imaging/camera feedback. Closest items found are general brazing automation or inline inspection systems (not a single production line that rotates elongate substrates while applying brazing material and imaging in-line). Custom OEM/private-label solutions may exist but require direct supplier inquiries.
Supplier prices are from public listings found by web search, quoted before customization, shipping and duties. Use them to decide whether to request a quotation.
Before manufacturing
No related continuation or divisional patents in force were found. Design patents, trademarks and unrelated patents may still cover the product.
Claims focus on a specific geometry (two parallel bearings, drive wheel between them, illumination and imager); market has existing dispensing and vision modules so consider component sourcing and integration challenges rather than claim clearance; patent has lapsed so no freedom-to-operate legal advice is provided.
About 1.5% of lapsed patents are later revived by their owners. This page is a research lead, not legal advice. Obtain a freedom-to-operate opinion before manufacturing.