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US 2019/0265140 A1Published application
High speed vacuum cycling excitation system for optical inspection systems
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMorteza Safai, Xiaoxi Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum system and method for inspecting a workpiece that can include use of the vacuum system, where the vacuum system can include a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, a piston within the housing that oscillates to vary a volume of the vacuum chamber, a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, and a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum system can include high-speed valves that enable vacuum system cycling and thus vacuum pressure cycling at a rapid frequency.
Claims20
An optical inspection system, comprising:
- a vacuum system comprising:
- a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber;
- a piston within the housing, wherein the piston is configured to vary a chamber volume of the vacuum chamber;
- a first valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber;
- a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber;
- and
- a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber,
- wherein the second valve, in an open position, permits a flow of a gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood and, in a closed position, prevents a flow of the gas between the vacuum chamber and the hood through the second valve, without returning a vacuum pressure applied to a surface of a workpiece by the vacuum system to an atmospheric pressure until an inspection of the surface by the optical inspection system, or a portion of the inspection, has been completed;
- and
- a camera system, comprising:
- a camera configured to image a surface of a workpiece proximate to the hood during an inspection of the surface;
- and
- a light source configured to illuminate the surface of the workpiece during the inspection of the surface.
10 more elements
An optical inspection system, comprising:
- a vacuum system comprising:
- a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber;
- a piston within the housing, wherein the piston is configured to vary a chamber volume of the vacuum chamber and to move from a first position in which the chamber volume is a maximum chamber volume to a second position in which the chamber volume is a minimum chamber volume;
- a drive wheel mechanically coupled to the piston, wherein the drive wheel is configured to rotate in a first direction and a second direction that is opposite to the first direction such that the chamber volume can increase, then decrease, then increase without the chamber volume reaching the maximum chamber volume or the minimum chamber volume;
- a first valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the first valve comprises an open position and a closed position;
- a second valve in communication with the vacuum chamber, wherein the second valve comprises an open position and a closed position;
- and
- a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber;
- and
- a camera system, comprising:
- a camera configured to image a surface of a workpiece proximate to the hood during an inspection of the surface;
- and
- a light source configured to illuminate the surface of the workpiece during the inspection of the surface.
10 more elements
A method of inspecting a workpiece, comprising:
- obtaining a first reference image of a surface of the workpiece using a camera while the surface is at atmospheric pressure;
- increasing a vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the atmospheric pressure to a first vacuum pressure using a vacuum system;
- obtaining a first inspection image of the surface of the workpiece using the camera while the surface is at the first vacuum pressure;
- decreasing the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the first vacuum pressure to a second vacuum pressure that is lower than the first vacuum pressure and higher than the atmospheric pressure without decreasing the vacuum pressure to the atmospheric pressure;
- obtaining a second reference image of the surface of the workpiece using the camera while the surface is at the second vacuum pressure;
- increasing the vacuum pressure applied to the surface of the workpiece from the second vacuum pressure to a third vacuum pressure that is higher than the first vacuum pressure without decreasing the vacuum pressure to the atmospheric pressure;
- and
- obtaining a second inspection image of the surface of the workpiece using the camera while the surface is at the third vacuum pressure.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.