General Electric Company

Thomas Watkins Lloyd

Kevin George Harding

Joseph Benjamin Ross

Seetharamaiah Mannava

Joseph Leagrand Mundy

Sulekh C Jain

Ernest B Cooper, Jr

Jogender Singh

Denis Lacroix

Serge B Couture

Leroy A Bates

A method for optical part shape measurement of a bare metal part to determine acceptability of the manufactured part. A variable level light source illuminates the part which is mounted on positioning equipment that allows the part to be moved from one position to another. Localized variations in light level are first determined and are compared with a reflectivity model of the part to determine optimization of the setup. Light level and viewing orientation of the part are adjusted to optimize the quality of test data obtained. Data quality is reviewed to ascertain a confidence factor for each location on the part's surface. Using both the reflectivity model and quality test results, data acquired for specified areas of the part is either accepted or rejected. Light level and part orientation are changed based upon how a reflectivity map of the part changes with each adjustment. New and acceptable data are now acquired for those areas of the part where data was previously discarded. This new acceptable data is combined with the previously acceptable data to obtain a complete set of data upon which acceptability of the part is determined.

Method of measuring a part with a wide range of surface reflectivities

A method for filtering undesired light reflections in a structured light measurement system during the inspection of shiny metal prismatic objects having uncoated prismatic surfaces, such as turbine blades, using polarized light.

Method and device for reduction in noise in images from shiny parts

A hot forged article of a preselected profile is produced by heating a forging blank to elevated temperature and forging the blank at the elevated temperature between closed dies, to produce a forging of about the preselected profile of the final forging, but having flashing thereon. The flashing is removed by cooling the forging having flashing thereon to ambient temperature, and trimming the flashing from the forging by passing a trimming laser beam of sufficient power density to cut through the flashing along the preselected final profile of the forging. The forging may be post treated by passing a post treating excimer laser along the portion of the forging immediately adjacent the preselected profile, after the trimming laser has passed. The post treatment removes the heat affected zone, depending upon the energy level of the excimer laser.

Laser trimming of forgings

Growing community of inventors

Shrewsbury, VT, United States of America

Thomas Watkins Lloyd