Automated inspection for foreign objects, cracks, and other surface abnormalities.

Abstract

To provide a method for real-time surface defect detection for additive manufacturing and 3D printing of parts.SOLUTION: A method includes the steps of: emitting, using one or more illumination sources, a first light radiation that illuminates a target area of a part being manufactured with uniform chromatic light such that the target area appears to have a substantially uniform monochromatic color; capturing, using one or more feedback cameras, the current image of a second light radiation that is scattered or reflected by the target area; and analyzing, using at least one of the one or more feedback cameras, the current image of the second light radiation on the basis of previously acquired images so as to determine whether surface defects exist or not.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Claims

1. A method (400) for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3D printing of parts, Directing (402) a first light emission (110) using one or more illumination sources (108A, 108B), wherein the first light emission illuminates the target area (116) of the manufactured part (104) with uniform colored light, so that the target area (116) of the manufactured part (104) has a substantially uniform monochromatic color that matches the background of the target area (116). Using one or more feedback cameras (118), capture a current image of the second light emission (120) scattered or reflected by the target area. Analyzing the current image of the second light emission using at least one of the one or more feedback cameras by comparing the current image with previously acquired images in order to determine whether or not surface defects are present (406), and A method comprising adjusting the first light emission using one or more filters (412) to produce a regulated first light emission that yields the uniform colored light.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising stopping the additive manufacturing process based on the determination that the aforementioned surface defects exist (408).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising continuing the additive manufacturing process (410) based on the determination that no surface defects exist.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising adjusting (414) at least one of the one or more illumination sources for generating the third light emission to homogenize the fourth light emission reflected from the target area.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising displaying data acquired from at least one of the feedback cameras on a display for inspection by a worker (416).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the surface defect is detected based on the analysis of the hue and saturation of the second light emission, and the anomaly is identified.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising analyzing the current image using at least one of the one or more feedback cameras to determine that a predetermined threshold level has been met for at least one characteristic of the second light emission.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first light emission is monochromatic illumination emission.

9. A system for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3D printing of parts, A additive manufacturing chamber (102) equipped with the parts to be manufactured (104), One or more illumination sources (108A, 108B) configured to generate a first light emission (110), One or more filters (112) configured to adjust the first light emission, wherein the adjusted first light emission illuminates the target area (116) of the manufactured part (104) with uniform colored light, such that the target area (116) of the manufactured part (104) has a substantially uniform monochromatic color that matches the background of the target area (116). One or more feedback cameras (118) configured to capture a current image of a second light emission (120) scattered or reflected by the target area, and to identify the presence of surface defects in or near the target area based on the second light emission, and A controller (122) coupled to the one or more illumination light sources and the one or more feedback cameras, the controller being configured to adjust at least one of the one or more illumination light sources for generating a third light emission (124) to equalize the fourth light emission reflected from the target area, based on the one or more feedback cameras, A system in which the first of the one or more feedback cameras is configured to detect the surface defect based on the fourth light emission.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the additive manufacturing chamber is provided with a valve (106) from which a noble gas is introduced.

11. A non-transient computer-readable medium containing instructions, wherein, when executed by a hardware processor (140), the instructions cause the hardware processor to perform an operation for a method for real-time surface inspection for additive manufacturing and 3D printing of parts, the method is Controlling a first light emission using one or more light sources (402), wherein the first light emission is controlled to illuminate the target area of ​​the manufactured part with uniform colored light, such that the target area of ​​the manufactured part has a substantially uniform monochromatic color that matches the background of the target area. Using one or more feedback cameras, capture a current image of the second light emission scattered or reflected by the target area in order to generate a first output (404). Analyzing the current image of the second light emission using at least one of the one or more feedback cameras by comparing the current image with previously acquired images in order to determine whether or not surface defects are present (406), and A non-transient computer-readable medium comprising adjusting the first light emission using one or more filters (412) to produce a regulated first light emission that results in uniform colored light.

12. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising stopping the additive manufacturing based on the determination that the surface defect is present (408).

13. The non-transient computer-readable medium according to claim 11, further comprising continuing the additive manufacturing (410) based on the determination that the surface defects are absent.

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