Automated optical metrology computer aided inspection station and method of operation

A method for full and complete dimensional inspection of precision manufactured parts comprising the steps of:

• constructing a relocatable cabinet having a controlled environment to prevent thermal expansion from external heat, humidity and eliminate measurement error from varying environmental light sources wherein having a part placement area having a optical metrology scanner positioned above a part presenter positioner capable of multi-axis presentation of a part, said cabinet including a controller having a fast bus speed computer with parallel-processing, hyper-threading, multiple processors, CPU and GPU and data storage, said controller operating said optical metrology scanner for digitization of the surface of the part for dimensional analysis, inspection and report operation;
• positioning a part in need of inspection in said part presenter positioner;
• positioning the part with a multi-axis presentation provided by manipulating the part within a field of view of said optical metrology scanner through multi-axis controlled motion;
• stabilize any vibration of the part from motion;
• scan and capture an individual 3D scan;
• reposition the part to present another part surface to the scanner and repeat the reposition until an adequate number of 3D scans are captured;
• merge all of the individual 3D scans trim away non-part surfaces from the 3D scans;
• convert combined “point clouds” into a polygonized-mesh Stereo Lithography Scan.STL file, among other file formats;
• pass the Scan.STL file to an Inspection automation routine for dimensional comparison of said 3D scan file where geometric conformance/deviation is determined and displayed;
• provide a dimensional inspection report for traceability, trackability, and trendability of the inspected parts,
• whereby said optical camera/scanner digitizes desired surfaces of a part positioned on said part presenter positioned to produce a 3D scan file wherein scans are merged together using positional information to make a final consolidated 3D scan file, said digital scan file is compared to an original CAD model of the part to permit geometric analysis and perform a fully automated analysis, inspection and reporting operation on the part to be inspected.