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US 10,337,969 B2Granted
High speed vacuum cycling excitation system for optical inspection systems
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMorteza Safai, Xiaoxi Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum system and method for inspecting a workpiece that can include use of the vacuum system, where the vacuum system can include a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, a piston within the housing that oscillates to vary a volume of the vacuum chamber, a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, and a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum system can include high-speed valves that enable vacuum system cycling and thus vacuum pressure cycling at a rapid frequency.
Claims22
A vacuum system for inspecting a workpiece, the vacuum system comprising:
- a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber;
- a piston within the housing, wherein the piston is configured to oscillate, thereby varying a chamber volume of the vacuum chamber;
- a first valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the first valve comprises a first or open position that permits an intake of a gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the first valve, and a second closed position that prevents an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the first valve;
- a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the second valve comprises an open position that permits an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the second valve, and a closed position that prevents an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the second valve;
- and
- a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber, wherein the second valve, in the open position, permits a flow of the gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood and, in the closed position, prevents a flow of the gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood through the second valve,
- wherein the piston, the first valve, and the second valve are cooperatively configured to:
- increase a vacuum pressure applied to a surface of the workpiece from an atmospheric pressure to a first vacuum pressure;
- then
- decrease the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to a second vacuum pressure that is lower than the first vacuum pressure;
- then
- increase the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to a third vacuum pressure that is higher than the first vacuum pressure without returning the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to the atmospheric pressure until the inspecting, or a portion of the inspecting, has been completed.
9 more elements
A shearography system for inspecting a workpiece, comprising:
- a vacuum system comprising:
- a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber;
- a piston within the housing, wherein the piston is configured to oscillate, thereby varying a chamber volume of the vacuum chamber;
- a first valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the first valve comprises a first or open position that permits an intake of a gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the first valve, and a second closed position that prevents an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the first valve;
- a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the second valve comprises an open position that permits an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the second valve, and a closed position that prevents an intake of the gas into the vacuum chamber and an exhaust of the gas out of the vacuum chamber through the second valve;
- and
- a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber, wherein the second solenoid pneumatic valve, in the open position, permits a flow of the gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood and, in the closed position, prevents the flow of the gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood through the second valve;
- a laser configured to activate and deactivate during inspecting of the workpiece wherein, during the activation, the laser emits a laser beam which illuminates the workpiece;
- a camera configured to image the workpiece during inspecting of the workpiece;
- and
- a controller configured to coordinate operation of the vacuum system, the laser, and the camera during inspecting of the workpiece,
- wherein the piston, the first valve, and the second valve are cooperatively configured to:
- increase a vacuum pressure applied to a surface of the workpiece from an atmospheric pressure to a first vacuum pressure;
- then
- decrease the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to a second vacuum pressure that is lower than the first vacuum pressure;
- then
- increase the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to a third vacuum pressure that is higher than the first vacuum pressure without returning the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece to the atmospheric pressure until the inspecting, or a portion of the inspecting, has been completed.
14 more elements
A method for inspecting a workpiece, comprising:
- obtaining a first image of a surface of the workpiece at atmospheric pressure;
- increasing a vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the atmospheric pressure to a first vacuum pressure using a vacuum system;
- obtaining a second image of the surface of the workpiece at the first vacuum pressure;
- decreasing the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the first vacuum pressure to a second vacuum pressure that is lower than the first vacuum pressure and higher than the atmospheric pressure without decreasing the vacuum pressure to the atmospheric pressure;
- obtaining a third image of the surface of the workpiece at the second vacuum pressure;
- and
- increasing the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the second vacuum pressure to a third vacuum pressure that is higher than the first vacuum pressure without decreasing the vacuum pressure to the atmospheric pressure.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.