Real time inconsistency detection during composite material manufacturing

A method for detecting inconsistencies in an unconsolidated composite material, the method comprising:

• detecting fiber inconsistencies in sections of the fibers input into a composite material manufacturing system in real time during operation of the composite material manufacturing system;
• detecting material inconsistencies in the unconsolidated composite material in real time as the unconsolidated composite material is being manufactured by the composite material manufacturing system using the fibers;
• determining whether the material inconsistencies are present in a number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies are detected in real time as the unconsolidated composite material is being manufactured by the composite material manufacturing system;
• tracking the fiber inconsistencies in the number of the sections in which the fibers with fiber inconsistencies resulted in the material inconsistencies in the number of the sections in the unconsolidated composite material, wherein tracking the fiber inconsistencies comprises:
• tracking the fiber inconsistencies in the number of the sections in which the fibers with fiber inconsistencies resulted in the material inconsistencies in the number of the sections in the unconsolidated composite material using a Kalman filter;
• and
• performing a number of actions in response to the material inconsistencies being present in the number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies were detected,
• wherein the number of actions is selected from at least one of:
• generate an alert indicating the fiber inconsistencies;
• generate an alert indicating the material inconsistencies;
• predict material inconsistencies prior to the material inconsistencies occurring;
• halt production of the unconsolidated composite material in response to the material inconsistencies being present in a number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies were detected;
• and
• select new fibers for input into the composite material manufacturing system.

A method for detecting inconsistencies in an unconsolidated composite material, the method comprising:

• detecting fiber inconsistencies in sections of the fibers input into a composite material manufacturing system in real time during operation of the composite material manufacturing system;
• detecting material inconsistencies in the unconsolidated composite material in real time as the unconsolidated composite material is being manufactured by the composite material manufacturing system using the fibers;
• determining whether the material inconsistencies are present in a number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies are detected in real time as the unconsolidated composite material is being manufactured by the composite material manufacturing system;
• tracking the fiber inconsistencies in the number of the sections in which the fibers with fiber inconsistencies resulted in the material inconsistencies in the number of the sections in the unconsolidated composite material;
• determining an amount of fiber inconsistencies that affects the material inconsistencies, wherein the amount of fiber inconsistencies that results in the material inconsistencies in the unconsolidated composite material is as follows:
• PFI
• =
• n
• Inconsistency
• Both
• n
• Inconsistency
• Material
• wherein nInconsistencyBoth is a first number of the sections in images that had fiber inconsistencies and material inconsistencies and nInconsistencyMaterial is a second number of the sections in the images that had the material inconsistencies;
• and
• performing a number of actions in response to the material inconsistencies being present in the number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies were detected,
• wherein the number of actions is selected from at least one of:
• generate an alert indicating the fiber inconsistencies;
• generate an alert indicating the material inconsistencies;
• predict material inconsistencies prior to the material inconsistencies occurring;
• halt production of the unconsolidated composite material in response to the material inconsistencies being present in a number of the sections in which the fiber inconsistencies were detected;
• and
• select new fibers for input into the composite material manufacturing system.