Automated inspection of foreign materials, cracks and other surface anomalies
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMorteza Safai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for real-time surface imperfection detection for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing parts is provided. The method includes directing a first light radiation using one or more illumination sources, wherein the first light radiation illuminates a target area of a part being manufactured in a uniform chromatic light such that the target area appears to have a substantially uniform monochromatic color; capturing a current image of a second light radiation that is scattered or reflected by the target area using one or more feedback cameras; and analyzing the current image of the second light radiation using at least one of the one or more feedback camera with a previously acquired image to determine whether a surface imperfection exists or does not exist.
Claims20
A system for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing parts, the system comprising:
- an additive manufacturing chamber comprising a part to be manufactured;
- one or more illumination sources configured to produce a first light radiation;
- one or more filters that are configured to condition the first light radiation, wherein the first light radiation that is conditioned illuminates a target area of the part being manufactured in a uniform chromatic light such that the target area appears to have a substantially uniform monochromatic color that matches a background area of the target area of the part being manufactured;
- one or more feedback cameras configured to capture a current image of a second light radiation that is scattered or reflected by the target area and determine a presence of a surface imperfection at or near the target area based on the second light radiation;
- and
- a controller coupled to the one or more illumination sources and the one or more feedback cameras and configured to adjust at least one of the one or more illumination sources to produce a third light radiation to homogenize a fourth light radiation reflected from the target area based on the one or more feedback cameras.
A system for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing parts, the system comprising:
- an additive manufacturing chamber comprising a part to be manufactured;
- one or more illumination sources configured to illuminate a target area of a part being manufactured in a uniform chromatic light such that the target area appears to have a substantially uniform monochromatic color that matches a background area of the target area of the part being manufactured;
- one or more feedback cameras configured to capture a current image of light radiation that is scattered or reflected by the target area;
- and
- an analyzer configured to compare the current image with a previously acquired image to determine whether a surface imperfection exists or does not exist.
A system for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3-D printing parts, the system comprising:
- an additive manufacturing chamber comprising a part to be manufactured;
- an illumination source configured to illuminate a target area of a part being manufactured in a uniform chromatic light such that the target area appears to have a uniform monochromatic color that matches a background area of the target area of the part being manufactured;
- a camera configured to capture a current image of light radiation that is scattered or reflected by the target area;
- and
- an analyzer configured to compare the current image with a previously acquired image to determine whether a surface imperfection exists or does not exist.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.