Method and system for automated shaped cooling hole measurement

A computer-implemented method for automatically measuring dimensional parameters of a plurality of shaped cooling holes, the method implemented using a computer device coupled to a user interface and a memory device, the method comprising:

• receiving 3-Dimensional (3 D) position data points from each cooling hole, each cooling hole including an approximately axi-symmetric shaped meter portion and a non-cylindrical diffuser portion;
• extracting free boundaries of a tessellated shape representing a surface of a sidewall of the approximately axi-symmetric shaped meter portion and the non-cylindrical diffuser portion;
• determining a free boundary of an axi-symmetric shape using the extracted free boundaries;
• determining an initial cooling hole axis using the determined free boundary of the axi-symmetric shape;
• refining the initial cooling hole axis using an iterative Gaussian filtering of the 3 D position data points;
• eliminating an axis bias from the Gaussian filtering by a secondary outlier elimination;
• and
• outputting a determined cooling hole axis and radius.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

• receive an electronic representation of a workpiece including one or more surface features and subsurface features;
• determine a view plan for performing an inspection of the surface features and subsurface features using the multi-axis imager and based on the received electronic representation of the workpiece, the view plan including a determined route for viewing one or more surface features and subsurface features using said multi-axis imager;
• position the workpiece in accordance with the view plan;
• acquire images of each surface feature and subsurface feature in the view plan at a plurality of view planes;
• generate a 3 Dimensional (3 D) point cloud of each surface feature and subsurface feature using the acquired images, the 3-D point cloud including a plurality of 3-D position data points;
• and
• determine dimensions of the surface features and subsurface features using the generated point cloud.