Methods for measuring at least one physical characteristic of a component

1. A method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operating the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said smoothing algorithm includes,

fitting a least squares line of said component to at least a portion of said image data generated responsive to said component;

determining a plurality of residual data points responsive to said least squares line; and

sorting said plurality of residual data points.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said smoothing algorithm further includes,

trimming said plurality of residual data points by fitting a residual least squares line to said plurality of residual data points;

determining a second plurality of residual data points responsive to said residual least squares line;

sorting said second plurality of residual data points; and

determining screw thread geometric parameters responsive to said second plurality of residual data points.

3. A method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operating the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said functional size algorithm includes,

determining a pitch diameter of said component, an average flank angle (avg) of said component, a specified pitch (p) of said component, and an error in pitch distance (dp) of said component; and

determining a lead error (L) of a thread profile of said component, wherein said lead error (L) is responsive to said error in pitch distance (dp) of said component and said average flank angle (avg) of said component and is given by at least one of,

L=| axial travel advance per unit rotation |, and L=axial travel advance per unit rotation.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said functional size algorithm further includes,

determining an angle error (A) of a thread profile of said component, wherein said angle error (A) is responsive to said specified pitch distance (p) of said component and said average flank angle (avg) of said component and is given by

A=| 1.5 *p *tan(avg− std )|.

5. A method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operating the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said centering algorithm includes,

determining a centerline value for each of a plurality of locations along said component retained within said retention mount; and

identifying a centerline by projecting a line connecting said centerline value for each of said plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein if said plurality of locations is greater than two, then said centerline may be established by identifying a line of best fit between said centerline value for each of said plurality of locations.

7. A machine-readable computer program code, the program code including instructions for causing a controller to implement a method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operation the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said smoothing algorithm includes,

fitting a least squares line of said component to at least a portion of said image data generated responsive to said component;

determining a plurality of residual data points responsive to said least squares line;

sorting said plurality of residual data points;

trimming said plurality of residual data points by fitting a residual least squares line to said plurality of residual data points;

determining a second plurality of residual data points responsive to said residual least squares line;

sorting said second plurality of residual data points; and

determining screw thread geometric parameters responsive to said second plurality of residual data points.

8. A machine-readable computer program code, the program code including instructions for causing a controller to implement a method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operating the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said functional size algorithm includes,

determining a pitch diameter of said component, an average flank angle (avg) of said component, a specified pitch (p) of said component, and an error in pitch distance (dp) of said component; and at least one of,

determining an angle error (A) of a thread profile of said component, wherein said angle error (A) is responsive to said specified pitch distance (p) of said component and said average flank angle (avg) of said component and is given by

A=| 1.5 *p *tan(avg− std )|, and

determining a lead error (L) of a thread profile of said component,

wherein said lead error (L) is responsive to said error in pitch distance (dp) of said component and said average flank angle (avg) of said component and is given by at least one of,

L=axial travel advance per unit rotation.

9. A machine-readable computer program code, the program code including instructions for causing a controller to implement a method for measuring physical characteristics of a component using an inspection system including a light source, a sensing device, a reflecting device, and a retention mount, at least one of which is movably associated with the inspection system, the method comprising:

associating a component with the inspection system such that said component is disposed within the retention mount;

operating the inspection system to cause the light source to emit a collimated light beam propagating along a source optical path;

reflecting said collimated light beam via the reflecting device to cause a reflected collimated light beam to propagate along a sensor optical path such that the reflected collimated light beam is incident upon the component to produce a component silhouette which is incident upon the sensing device;

generating image data responsive to said component silhouette; and

processing said image data to generate resultant data responsive to at least one of a plurality of physical characteristics of the component, wherein said resultant data is responsive to at least one of a smoothing algorithm, a functional size algorithm and a centering algorithm,

wherein said centering algorithm includes,

determining a centerline value for each of a plurality of locations along said component retained within said retention mount; and

identifying a centerline by projecting a line connecting said centerline value for each of said plurality of locations, wherein if said plurality of locations is greater than two, then said centerline may be established by identifying a line of best fit between said centerline value for each of said plurality of locations.