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US 11,885,725 B2Granted
Surface analysis tools for process control of laser treatment of composites
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsEileen O. Kutscha, Kay Youngdahl Blohowiak
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Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed methods and systems pertaining to the use of at least one methodology or technique for the purpose of at least one of either: 1) determining that a desired and predetermined level or “degree” of surface treatment of a composite substrate surface has or has not been conducted (e.g., laser treatment of a composite substrate surface); and 2) that a composite substrate surface has been laser treated.
Claims20
A method for determining a treatment level of a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, the method comprising:
- conducting at least one surface analysis on the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, said surface analysis comprising at least one of:
- gloss analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, color analysis, contact angle analysis, surface resistivity, optical interferometry, and optically stimulated electron emission;
- obtaining an actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value from the at least one surface analysis performed on the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- accessing a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value;
- comparing in real time the actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value;
- and
- determining in real time a treatment level of the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface based upon comparing the obtained actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value.
4 more elements
A method for determining a treatment level of a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, the method comprising:
- orienting a laser proximate to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- activating the laser to produce a laser beam;
- directing the laser beam from the laser to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- ablating an amount of material from the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface to form a degree of ablative surface treatment on the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- quantifying the degree of ablative surface treatment of the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface by conducting at least one surface analysis on a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, said at least one surface analysis comprising at least one of:
- gloss analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, color analysis, contact angle analysis, surface resistivity, optical interferometry, and optically stimulated electron emission;
- obtaining an actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value from the at least one surface analysis performed on the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- accessing a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value;
- and
- comparing in real time the actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value;
- and
- determining the adequacy of a treatment level of the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface based upon comparing the obtained actual carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface value to the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value.
9 more elements
A system for determining the level of treatment of a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, the system comprising:
- a laser configured to remove an amount of material from a carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- at least one surface analyzer configured to perform at least one surface analysis comprising at least one of:
- gloss analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, color analysis, contact angle analysis, surface resistivity analysis, optical interferometry analysis, and optically stimulated electron emission analysis;
- a processor in communication with the surface analyzer;
- a memory, said memory comprising a memory value corresponding to an laser-treated carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value, said memory configured to be accessed by the processor;
- software in communication with the processor, said software configured to compare the laser-treated carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface treatment standard value to the signal corresponding to the at least one surface analysis of the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface;
- and
- wherein the system is configured to determine the level of treatment of the carbon-fiber epoxy-based composite material surface.
5 more elements
A system for inspecting a laser-treated carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface, the system comprising:
- at least one surface analyzer, said at least one surface analyzer configured to perform a surface analysis comprising at least one of:
- gloss analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, color analysis, contact angle analysis, surface resistivity analysis, optical interferometry analysis, and optically stimulated electron emission analysis;
- a processor in communication with the surface analyzer;
- a memory, said memory comprising a memory value corresponding to an ideal laser-treated carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface characteristic value, said memory configured to be accessed by the processor;
- and
- software in communication with the processor, said software configured to compare the ideal laser-treated carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface characteristic value to the signal corresponding to the at least one surface analysis of the carbon fiber epoxy-based composite material surface.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.