Systems and methods for fiber placement inspection during fabrication of fiber-reinforced composite components

An inspection method comprising:

• projecting a light pattern onto an inspection area on a form;
• acquiring a baseline 3D profile of the form by imaging the light pattern on the form, wherein the imaging includes substantially simultaneously acquiring at least two baseline images of the light pattern on the form, and wherein the acquiring the baseline 3D profile includes computing, by digital image correlation, the baseline 3D profile of the form from the baseline images;
• laying an uncured fiber piece onto the form within the inspection area;
• projecting the light pattern onto the uncured fiber piece on the form;
• acquiring a test 3D profile of the uncured fiber piece on the form by imaging the light pattern on the uncured fiber piece on the form, wherein the imaging includes substantially simultaneously acquiring at least two test images of the light pattern on the form, and wherein the acquiring the test 3D profile includes computing, by digital image correlation, the test 3D profile of the form from the test images;
• and
• computing a thickness difference between the test 3D profile and the baseline 3D profile;
• wherein the computing includes comparing the thickness difference to a predetermined threshold that is less than 10 mm.

A system for inspecting an uncured fiber-reinforced composite, the system comprising:

• a light projector configured to project a light pattern onto an inspection area on a form;
• a digital camera configured to image the light pattern on the form;
• and
• a computing system programmed to:
• project the light pattern onto the inspection area on the form with the light projector;
• acquire at least two baseline images of the light pattern on the form, wherein at least one of the two, optionally all of the, baseline images is acquired with the digital camera;
• determine a baseline 3D profile of the form from the baseline images by performing digital image correlation;
• project the light pattern onto the uncured fiber-reinforced composite layered on the form within the inspection area;
• acquire at least two test images of the light pattern on the uncured fiber-reinforced composite layered on the form, wherein at least one of the two, optionally all of the, test images is acquired with the digital camera;
• determine a test 3D profile of the uncured fiber-reinforced composite layered on the form from the test images by performing digital image correlation;
• and
• determine a thickness difference between the test 3D profile and the baseline 3D profile.