Automated Thermoplastic Veil Melt Ratio Characterization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual and labor-intensive inspection of dry carbon fiber material for consistent thermoplastic veil melting in composite fabrication increases costs, particularly in large-scale applications like aircraft components, where thousands of feet of material are used.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus utilizing feature detection processes, specifically machine learning and convolutional neural networks, to characterize the melting of thermoplastic veils by comparing melted and unmelted filaments based on brightness, color, and curvature, enabling automated image analysis and determination of melting ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection of dry carbon fiber material is performed to ensure consistent thermoplastic veil melting, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates and loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an automated optical imaging system that captures images of the dry carbon fiber material. The system uses digital image processing and analysis algorithms to automatically detect and measure thermoplastic veil melting characteristics, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy (image) of the physical dry carbon fiber material for inspection purposes. By capturing images and analyzing them computationally, the system enables multiple simultaneous inspections without requiring physical handling or slowing down the fabrication process, thus improving both productivity and measurement precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual inspection of dry carbon fiber material is performed to ensure consistent thermoplastic veil melting, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous automated inspection that can operate without interruption during the fabrication process. The imaging system continuously captures images and the computational algorithms continuously analyze them, ensuring constant monitoring of thermoplastic veil melting consistency without stopping or slowing down production, thereby eliminating time loss while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs inspection of thermoplastic veil melting characteristics before the material is used in fabrication. By detecting and measuring melt ratios in advance using automated imaging and analysis, the system identifies inconsistencies early, allowing for corrective actions before production begins, thus ensuring manufacturing precision without time loss during the fabrication process itself.
3Productivity
If automated image analysis using neural networks is implemented to characterize thermoplastic veil melting, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal computational platform that can handle multiple inspection tasks and analyze various types of fiber materials using the same neural network architecture. The system is designed to be adaptable and reusable across different applications, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices and thereby managing complexity while maintaining high productivity through automated analysis.
4Measurement precision
If manual inspection processes are used to detect melted and unmelted filaments, then measurement precision is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service automated system where the imaging and analysis processes perform inspection tasks without human intervention. The neural network algorithms automatically detect, classify, and measure melted and unmelted filaments, eliminating the need for operators to manually examine each sample. This maintains measurement precision through consistent automated analysis while dramatically improving ease of operation by removing manual labor requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems (100) and methods are provided for characterizing a ply of fiber (152) having a thermoplastic veil (160). One method includes acquiring (202) an image of a fiber material comprising strands (150) of fiber (152) and further comprising a veil (160) of thermoplastic filaments (162), subdividing (204) the image into slices, determining (206) an amount of melted filaments depicted within each of the slices, and determining (208) an amount of unmelted filaments depicted within each of the slices.