General Electric Company

Ralph Gerald Isaacs

Francis Howard Little

Joseph Benjamin Ross

Andrew Joseph Galish

Kevin George Harding

Guiju Song

Thomas William Birdwell

Jianming Zheng

Ching-Yeu Wei

Douglas Albagli

Gil Abramovich

Sung Su Han

Ming Jia

Joseph Manuel Portaz

Gerorge Edward Possin

Yuri Alexeyevich Plotnikov

Kristina H Hedengren

Ui Won Suh

Changting Wang

Douglas S Steele

William Stewart McKnight

David W Oliver

Charles Robert Wojciechowski

Rudolph A Koegl

Joseph Czechowski, Iii

George Edward Williams

John Charles Janning

John Robert Brehm

Henry J Scudder, Iii

Joseph J Sostarich

John P Keaveney

Yu Ning

Yongqing Li

Theodore W Sippel

Thomas G Kincaid

James Robert Reinhardt

James W Schuler

Larry C Howington

James M Brown, Jr

Richard D Miller

An inspection system is provided. The inspection system comprises a light source, a grating, a phase shifting unit, an imager, and a processor. The light source is configured to generate light. The grating is in a path of the generated light and is configured to produce a grating image after the light passes through the grating. The phase shifting unit is configured to form and reflect a plurality of phase shifted patterns of the grating image onto an object surface to form a plurality of projected phase shifting patterns. The imager is configured to obtain image data of the projected phase shifted patterns. The processor is configured to reconstruct the object surface from the image data. An inspection method and a phase shifting projector are also presented.

Inspection system and method with multi-image phase shift analysis

A method for inspecting a feature of a part is provided. The method includes obtaining a profile corresponding to the feature using a sensor and projecting the profile onto a compensation plane normal to the feature for generating an updated profile. The method also includes using the updated profile for reducing a measurement error caused by an orientation of the sensor. An inspection system is also provided. The inspection system includes a sensor configured to capture a fringe image of a feature on a part. The inspection system further includes a processor configured to process the fringe image to obtain an initial profile of the feature and to project the initial profile onto a compensation plane normal to the feature.

Inspection system and methods with autocompensation for edge break gauging orientation

A method of assembling an eddy current array probe to facilitate nondestructive testing of a sample is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of differential side mount coils at least partially within a flexible material. The method also includes coupling the flexible material within a tip portion of the eddy current array probe, such that the flexible material has a contour that substantially conforms to a portion of a surface of the sample to be tested.

Surface flaw detection system to facilitate nondestructive inspection of a component and methods of assembling the same

A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program code are provided for characterizing an edge break, e.g., part features and/or geometric discontinuities that could give rise to edge sharpness, as may be encountered in a chamfer, bevel, fillet and other part features. The methodology enables to accurately and consistently determine in a manufacturing setting, for example, any applicable geometric parameter for characterizing the edge break.

Computer-implemented techniques and system for characterizing geometric parameters of an edge break in a machined part

A non-contact measurement system employing a non-contact optical sensor and an edge detection sensor with a positioning system for moving the sensors over the surface and edges of a part (A) held in a predetermined, fixed position. The part is aligned in a co-ordinate system for obtaining accurate measurements of the part's surface (S) and edges (E). For parts smaller than the optical sensor's field of view, the part is rotated about an axis so both sides of the part are viewed by the sensor. If required, the part can also be shifted linearly along a horizontal axis (X) parallel to the sensor. For parts larger in size than the sensor's field of view, the part is moved along a vertical axis (Y) in predetermined segments so all of the part is exposed to viewing by the sensor.

Non-contact measurement system for large airfoils

An X-ray inspection system is provided having an X-ray source and first and second collimators. The first and second collimators are arranged in relation to the source and the target such that the portion of the target actually illuminated by The X-ray beam is substantially equal to the size of a selected inspection zone.

X-ray inspection apparatus and method

A detector (20) for high voltage x-rays includes a plurality of sensor elements (22) with each sensor element being aligned along a respective focal axis (25) with respect to a high voltage x-ray source (24). A fiber optic scintillator (34) is optically coupled to each of said sensor elements and is disposed to receive incident x-ray radiation passing from the object to be imaged. Optical fibers of the scintillator are positioned such that their optical axes are perpendicular to incident x-rays. Each sensor element has a length along the focal axis sufficiently long for the fibers to absorb substantially all incident x-rays. Each sensor element comprises an array of amorphous silicon photosensors disposed to detect light generated by the scintillator.

High voltage x-ray and conventional radiography imaging apparatus and

A method of computed tomographic inspection which uses a Euclidian reference ply model having a corresponding Non-Euclidian ply model which includes reference model plies to extract intensity data from Euclidian slice data (typically having a pixel format) derived from multiple slice X-ray scans using an X-ray scanning system such as the CT system. The multiple slice data is analyzed to determine intensity values for points corresponding to a subject ply of a corresponding reference model ply. The reference model may be a predetermined model such as a mathematically described CAD model file or based on such a CAD model. A preferred method of the present invention includes a transformation of the CAD model data to register the CAD model data to multiple slice data of a standardized object to generate the reference model. Intensity values preferably gray scale pixel values are assigned to points on the reference ply model from the slice data and displayed as a Non-Euclidian image on a monitor.

Computed tomography inspection of composite ply structure

A method for inspecting a component having dimensions larger than a fan beam angle of an x-ray inspection system includes the steps of: providing an x-ray beam having a selected fan angle in a source focal point; positioning a portion of the component substantially completely within the x-ray beam; rotating the component 360 degrees around a component inspection rotational axis; collecting the attenuated x-ray beam that passes through the component during rotation; generating a multiplicity of electrical signals responsive to the collected x-ray beam; incrementally moving the component inspection rotational axis about the x-ray source focal point to position another portion of the component within the x-ray beam; and repeating the steps of rotating the part 360 degrees about a component inspection rotational axis and incrementally moving the part inspection rotational axis about the x-ray source focal point until the entire component has passed through the fan beam.

Rotate/rotate method and apparatus for computed tomography x-ray

An X-ray inspection system for manually or automatically performing digital fluoroscopy inspections and/or computed tomography inspections by X-ray examination of manufactured parts incorporates a computer system which automatically analyzes the inspected parts for flaws. The system includes apparatus for automatically positioning the parts in an X-ray machine for obtaining fluoroscopy and tomography views of the part and for acquiring data from the inspections at production rates. The system automatically identifies the location of rejectable flaws in the parts during the fluoroscopy scanning and subsequently identifies those locations for obtaining tomography scans, if the identified flaw location is questionable. The system can automatically reject parts containing flaws identified during the fluoroscopy inspections. This system operates in a real-time environment by providing analysis of one part while a subsequent part is being subjected to X-ray examination. The data obtained during each examination is archived and stored for tracking the part in further manufacturing processes.

X-ray inspection system

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Ralph Gerald Isaacs