High-resolution large-field scanning inspection system for extruded ceramic honeycomb structures
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorLeon Robert Zoeller, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-resolution, large-field scanning inspection system for inspecting extruded ceramic honeycomb structures is disclosed. The system allows for inspecting cells at an endface of a cellular ceramic substrate by capturing, along an optical axis, line images of illuminated cells as a line illumination scans over at least a portion of the plurality of cells. The inspection method includes centering the line illumination on the optical axis to make the line illumination normally incident upon the endface. The inspection method also includes forming from the line images a composite image of the cells, and determining from the composite image at least one parameter of at least one cell.
Claims20
An inspection system for inspecting cells of a cellular ceramic substrate having an endface, comprising:
- an illuminator configured to provide normal-incidence line illumination on the endface over a plurality of cells;
- a movable stage that movably supports the ceramic structure so that the line illumination scans over the endface over a scan path;
- an optical imaging system having an axis and configured to form a line image of the illuminated plurality of cells;
- a line-scan image sensor arranged to receive and detect the line image and generate therefrom corresponding line-image signals;
- and
- a controller configured to process the line-image signals to form a composite image of the endface and determine therefrom at least one parameter of at least one cell.
A method of inspecting cells at an endface of a cellular ceramic substrate, comprising:
- capturing along an optical axis line images of illuminated cells as a line illumination scans over at least a portion of the plurality of cells, including centering the line illumination on the optical axis to make the line illumination normally incident upon the endface;
- forming from the line images a composite image of the cells;
- and
- determining from the composite image at least one parameter of at least one cell.
A method of inspecting a honeycomb cellular ceramic substrate having an endface, an array of cells and an outer skin, comprising:
- normally illuminating and digitally imaging at least a portion of the array of cells while moving the cellular ceramic structure to obtain a scanned image of said portion of the array of cells;
- and
- processing the scanned image to determine at least one parameter of at least one cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.