# US 9,575,013 B2 · Non-contact method and system for inspecting a manufactured part at an inspection station having a measurement axis > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,575,013 B2 - Document ID: US9575013B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/629,527 - Filed: 2015-02-24 - Published: 2015-07-23 - Granted: 2017-02-21 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-17 - Assignees: GII Acquisition, LLC - Applicants: Gii Acquisition, LLC - Inventors: Michael G. Nygaard; Nathan Andrew-Paul Kujacznski - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9575013B2 ## CPC - H04N 13/254: in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects - B07C 5/342: according to optical properties, e.g. colour {(according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416)} - F42B 35/00: Testing or checking of ammunition {(apparatus for measuring the energy of projectiles G01L5/14)} - G01B 11/2433: {for measuring outlines by shadow casting} - G01N 21/909: {in opaque containers or opaque container parts, e.g. cans, tins, caps, labels} - G01N 21/9515: {Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device (measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24)} - G01N 21/952: Inspecting the exterior surface of cylindrical bodies or wires (G01N21/956 takes precedence) - G01N 2201/02: Mechanical - G01N 2201/0224: Pivoting casing - G01N 2201/0621: Supply - G01N 2201/0638: Refractive parts - G01N 2201/12: Circuits of general importance; Signal processing - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - B07C: POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D33/06, B23Q7/12) - F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A method and system for inspecting a manufactured part at an inspection station are provided. A supported part is rotated about a measurement axis so that the part moves at predetermined angular increments during at least one rotational scan. A backside beam of collimated radiation is directed at and is occluded by the supported part at each of a first plurality of consecutive increments of movement to create a stream of unobstructed portions of the backside beam in rapid succession passing by and not blocked by the supported part. A frontside beam of radiation is directed at and is reflected by the supported part at each of a second plurality of consecutive increments of movement to create a stream of reflected portions of the frontside beam in rapid succession. The streams of reflected and unobstructed portions are detected at the inspection station to obtain electrical signals which are processed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of inspecting a manufactured part at an inspection station having a measurement axis, the method comprising the steps of: supporting a part having opposite ends, a length between the ends, a width and a part axis wherein the part has backside and frontside surfaces when supported; rotating the supported part about the measurement axis so that the part moves at predetermined angular increments during at least one rotational scan; directing a backside beam of collimated radiation at substantially the entire backside surface of the supported part at each of a first plurality of consecutive angular increments of movement, wherein the backside beam is occluded by the supported part at each of the first plurality of consecutive increments of movement to create a stream of unobstructed portions of the backside beam in rapid succession passing by and not blocked by the supported part; directing a frontside beam of radiation at at least a portion of the entire frontside surface of the supported part at each of a second plurality of consecutive angular increments of movement, wherein the frontside beam is reflected by the supported part at each of the second plurality of consecutive increments of movement to create a stream of reflected portions of the frontside beam in rapid succession; detecting the streams of reflected and unobstructed portions at the inspection station to obtain electrical signals; and processing the electrical signals to determine at least one geometric dimension and any visual defects of the part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein substantially the entire backside surface is completely enclosed by a beam profile of the backside beam. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the beam profile is rectangular with a height greater than or equal to the length of the part and a width greater than or equal to the width of the part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the streams of reflected and unobstructed portions are detected at a single image plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising centering and aligning the part axis with the measurement axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising projecting focused lines of radiation at the frontside surface of the supported part during the at least one rotational scan to obtain reflected radiation and sensing the reflected radiation to obtain electrical signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the focused lines of radiation at the frontside surface are strobed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of consecutive angular increments are coincident. ### Claim 9 A system for inspecting a manufactured part at an inspection station having a measurement axis, the system comprising: a fixture to support a part having opposite ends, a length between the ends, a width and a part axis, wherein the part has backside and frontside surfaces when supported; a motor to rotatably drive the fixture about the measurement axis at predetermined angular increments of movement during at least one rotational scan; a back light to direct a backside beam of collimated radiation at substantially the entire backside surface of the supported part at each of a first plurality of consecutive angular increments of movement wherein the backside beam is occluded by the supported part at each of the first plurality of consecutive increments of movement to create a stream of unobstructed portions of the backside beam in rapid succession passing by and not blocked by the supported part; a front light to direct a frontside beam of radiation at at least a portion of the entire frontside surface of the supported part at each of a second plurality of consecutive angular increments of movement wherein the frontside beam is reflected by the supported part at each of the second plurality of consecutive angular increments of movement to create a stream of reflected portions of the frontside beam in rapid succession; a lens and detector assembly to image and detect the streams of reflected and unobstructed portions at the inspection station to obtain electrical signals; and at least one processor to process the electrical signals to determine at least one geometric dimension and any visual defects of the part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein substantially the entire backside surface is completely enclosed by a beam profile of the backside beam. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the beam profile is rectangular with a height greater than or equal to the length of the part and a width greater than or equal to the width of the part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the streams of reflected and unobstructed portions are detected at a single image plane of the lens and detector assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a part centering and aligning subsystem to center and align the part axis with the measurement axis. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a triangulation-based sensor configured to project focused lines of radiation at the frontside surface of the supported part during the at least one rotational scan and to sense corresponding reflected lines of radiation to obtain electrical signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the focused lines of radiation are strobed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the front light includes an array of spaced light sources. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of the light sources is a light emitting diode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the light sources are arranged in a curved arrangement. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.