3D Surface Scanning for Machining Position Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes, such as laser drilling, face challenges in accurately positioning machining tools relative to the actual part surface due to differences between the nominal and actual surfaces, leading to variations in hole location, angle, and diameter, which can affect the performance and longevity of parts like gas turbine components.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that captures the actual 3D surface of a part using a scanner, performs a 3D comparison with the nominal surface, and adjusts the location and orientation of machining elements to match the actual surface, ensuring precise alignment and orientation of features like holes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If laser drilling is performed using only a nominal computer model of the part, then the machining process is simple and fast, but the hole location, angle, and diameter vary from the desired specifications due to differences between the nominal and actual surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by capturing the actual 3D surface of the part before machining operations begin. This pre-measurement allows the system to determine the deviations between the actual and nominal surfaces in advance, enabling compensation to be applied to the machining parameters before the actual drilling occurs, thereby ensuring accurate hole location without adding complexity to the machining process itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the captured actual surface data to continuously adjust and compensate machining parameters. The system compares the measured actual surface with the nominal computer model, generates compensation values based on the deviations, and applies these corrections to the machining process, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures manufacturing precision
2Manufacturing precision
If the nominal surface is used for positioning, then the machining setup is straightforward, but the actual part surface variations cause holes to be drilled at different locations and angles than desired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating a digital 3D replica of the actual part surface through scanning or measurement. This digital copy is then used for comparison with the nominal computer model, allowing the system to identify surface variations and compensate for them without requiring physical measurement devices to be present during machining, thereby maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the overall process
3Manufacturing precision
If actual surface measurement and compensation is implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the process time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming the physical surface measurement data into digital compensation parameters that can be directly applied to the machining process. The system changes the state of the surface information from physical measurements to computational data, enabling rapid processing and application of compensation values without significant time loss, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while minimizing process time
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of making a part, including capturing an actual tridimensional surface of each part to obtain a corresponding digitized actual surface, performing a tridimensional comparison between the digitized actual surface of each part and a nominal tridimensional surface, generating an actual location and orientation of an operation to be performed based on the tridimensional comparison, and performing the operation on the part based on the generated actual location and orientation of the element.