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US 11,141,814 B2Granted
Thermographic inspection for tape layup machines
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsTyler Holmes, Amanda Hansen, Steven K. Brady
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for thermal inspection of tape layup. One embodiment is a method for performing inspection of a tape layup. The method comprises laying up tape onto a surface of a laminate, applying heat to tack the tape to the surface, and generating thermographic images of the tape as applied to the surface.
Claims22
A method of detecting out of tolerance inconsistencies during a tape laying process, the method comprising:
- heating a surface of a laminate on which a tape will be applied;
- acquiring an IR image of the surface via an IR camera disposed upstream of a compaction roller of a head of a tape layup machine that applies the tape to the surface, while the tape layup machine places the tape, to scan the surface;
- analyzing the IR image by determining sizes of features depicted in the image, to distinguish out of tolerance features from features that are within tolerance;
- and
- in the circumstance that an out of tolerance feature is depicted in the IR image, determining, during layup of the tape onto the surface, that the out of tolerance feature is depicted in the IR image, based on the size of the out of tolerance feature.
2 more elements
A method of inspecting a composite surface comprising:
- creating temperature differentials on a surface that has been heated;
- detecting the temperature differentials on the surface via an IR camera disposed upstream of a compaction roller of a head of a tape layup machine that applies tape to the surface, while the tape layup machine places the tape, to scan the surface;
- analyzing the IR image by determining sizes of features depicted in the image, to distinguish out of tolerance features from features that are within tolerance;
- and
- in the circumstance that an out of tolerance feature is depicted in the IR image, determining, during layup of the tape onto the surface, that the out of tolerance feature is present based upon the temperature differentials and based on sizes of the features.
2 more elements
A method of creating a composite structure comprising:
- inspecting a surface on which a laminate is to be laid, with IR imaging, via an IR camera disposed upstream of a compaction roller of a head of a tape layup machine;
- reviewing the IR imaging for out of tolerance conditions, based on sizes of features in the IR imaging;
- and
- stopping tape layup prior to reaching an out of tolerance condition.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- laying up lanes of tape at a laminate;
- operating an IR camera disposed upstream of a compaction roller of a head of a tape layup machine to thermally image the lanes of tape;
- reviewing thermal images to identify ends of the lanes of tape, based on sizes of features in the thermal images;
- and
- determining whether an end of a lane of tape is out of tolerance;
- and
- in the circumstance that the end of the lane of tape is out of tolerance, reporting the out of tolerance end of the lane of tape for dispositioning.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.