Automated laminate inspection method
View Patent ↗An optical scanner scans a piece support of know thickness holding a cross-section of laminate material such as fiber composite laminate, metal laminates, brazed parts, welded parts, sandwiched parts to determine layer thickness and layer properties such as fiber content, matrix content, density, void content, and other desired properties related to quality control for real time feedback to manufacturing and archiving for future reference. The electronic visual image from the scan depicts the number and quality of pixels in each layer. A programmable data processor uses the scan information and reference data to determine the physical properties and of the stacking order and the fiber orientation of a fiber reinforced laminate, and the thickness of each ply of metal and sandwich laminates as well as bonded, welded and brazed joints and for the determination of the thickness of each ply, of the stacking order and fiber orientation of a fiber reinforced laminate. The processor outputs real time data and a connected data storage memory archives the information for future reference.
1. A system for determining characteristics of laminate material, including fiber laminate material, metal laminates, brazed parts, welded parts, sandwich parts to determine layer thickness and layer properties such as fiber content, matrix content, density, void content, and other desired properties related to quality control, the system comprising:
a holder capable of supporting a sample piece of laminate material so that an edge of the sample piece of laminate material reveals a clearly visible view of the laminated layers of the material, the holder having at least one sample piece support surface of known thickness visible adjacent to the edge of the sample piece of laminate material showing the laminated layers of the material;
a visual scanning means capable of viewing the edge of the piece of laminate material and the at least one sample piece support of known thickness and scanning an electronic image of the laminated layers of the material and the sample piece support, the electronic image comprising an array of pixels having different visual characteristics dependent upon the content of each of the layers;
a programmable means for automatically receiving and analyzing the electronic image, the programmable means being capable of differentiating between the different visual characteristics thereby determining the layer configuration, capable of counting the number of pixels in a line across each of the different layers and comparing the number of pixels with the number of pixels in the at least one sample piece support of known thickness thereby determining the thickness of each layer, capable of comparing the scanned information with information input about the desired content and thickness of each layer, and further capable of outputting the comparative information in real time.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the comparative information is output for use in a quality system for manufacturing the laminate material.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual characteristics comprise gray scale values.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual characteristics comprise color values.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the laminate material is formed by fibers bundled together in parallel arrays and combined together in layers with each layer having bundles of fibers stacked at different angles from each adjacent layer, and the visual characteristics vary with the angle of the fibers so that the programmable means is capable of receiving calibrated values of angles associated with the visual characteristics and capable of comparing the visual characteristics with the calibrated values to determine the angle of the fibers in each of the layers, and capable of receiving input information about the desired angles of the fibers in each of the layers and further capable of comparing the visually determined angle with the information input about the desired angle.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the visual scanning means comprises a visual imaging device taken from the list of visual imaging devices including a visual scanner, a digital camera, and a video camera all with or without added magnifying devices.
7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data storage means capable of storing information about the characteristics of the laminate material for archiving the information for future reference.
8. A method for determining characteristics of laminate material, including fiber laminate material, metal laminates, brazed parts, welded parts, sandwich parts to determine layer thickness and layer properties such as fiber content, matrix content, density, void content, and other desired properties related to quality control, the method comprising:
a first step of securing a sample piece of laminate material in a holder capable of supporting the sample piece of laminate material so that an edge of the sample piece of laminate material reveals a clearly visible view of the laminated layers of the material, the holder having at least one sample piece support surface of known thickness visible adjacent to the edge of the sample piece of laminate material showing the laminated layers of the material;
a second step of scanning the edge of the sample piece of laminate material with a visual scanning means capable of viewing the edge of the piece of laminate material and the at least one sample piece support of known thickness and scanning an electronic image of the laminated layers of the material and the sample piece support, the electronic image comprising an array of pixels having different visual characteristics dependent upon the content of each of the layers;
a third step of inputting the electronic visual image into a programmable means for automatically receiving and analyzing the electronic image, and using the programmable means for differentiating between the different visual characteristics thereby determining the layer configuration, counting the number of pixels in a line across each of the different layers and comparing the number of pixels with the number of pixels in the at least one sample piece support of known thickness thereby determining the thickness of each layer, comparing the scanned information with information input about the desired content and thickness of each layer, and outputting the comparative information in real time.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of outputting the comparative information for use in a quality system for manufacturing the laminate material.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein comparing the visual characteristics comprises comparing gray scale values.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein comparing the visual characteristics comprises comparing color values.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein the laminate material is formed by fibers bundled together in parallel arrays and combined together in layers with each layer having bundles of fibers stacked at different angles from each adjacent layer, and the visual characteristics vary with the angle of the fibers so that the method further comprises using the programmable means for receiving calibrated values of angles associated with the visual characteristics and comparing the visual characteristics with the calibrated values to determine the angle of the fibers in each of the layers, and receiving input information about the desired angles of the fibers in each of the layers and comparing the visually determined angle with the information input about the desired angle.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the second step comprises using a visual scanning means comprising a visual imaging device taken from the list of visual imaging devices including a visual scanner, a digital camera, and a video camera all with or without added magnifying devices.
14. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing information about the characteristics of the laminated material in a data storage means capable of storing information for archiving the information for future reference.