Component surface distortion evaluation apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A generic component evaluation system which assumes all evaluated component surfaces have arbitrary distortions, comprised ofa three dimensional graphics workstation comprising a display, a processor and manual data entry means, said processor connected to receive component surface design data,a metrology cell coupled to said workstation, comprisingmultiaxis movable positioner means for holding and positioning the component,a structured light probe mounted on said positioner means for directing a structured light pattern to impinge on the component surface,means for reconstructing discontinuities in said structured light pattern within a view of impingement on the component surface,image acquisition means mounted on said positioner means for viewing impingement of said structured light pattern on the component surface and for obtaining three dimensional surface position data relating thereto wherein all three dimensions are variable substantially throughout one view of impingement of said structured light pattern,Fourier transform profilometry means for receiving said three dimensional surface position data and for identifying points on the component surface within said one view in three dimensions, andmeans for determining the relative positions in space of the component surface and a surface represented by the component surface design data.
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Abstract
A system is disclosed which operates to collect high resolution three-dimensional surface mesh data from mechanical components which are used for component evaluation. The system includes a multidimensionally movable fixture mount for holding the mechanical components. A structured light pattern emitting projector is provided together with an image sensing camera for detecting impingement of the light pattern on the mechanical component and for generating the surface data. A set of software tools analyzes the data to provide numerical or quantitative component analysis and further presents the data in display form to allow intuitive or qualitative analysis for product and process improvement.
157 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A generic component evaluation system which assumes all evaluated component surfaces have arbitrary distortions, comprised of
a three dimensional graphics workstation comprising a display, a processor and manual data entry means, said processor connected to receive component surface design data, a metrology cell coupled to said workstation, comprising multiaxis movable positioner means for holding and positioning the component, a structured light probe mounted on said positioner means for directing a structured light pattern to impinge on the component surface, means for reconstructing discontinuities in said structured light pattern within a view of impingement on the component surface, image acquisition means mounted on said positioner means for viewing impingement of said structured light pattern on the component surface and for obtaining three dimensional surface position data relating thereto wherein all three dimensions are variable substantially throughout one view of impingement of said structured light pattern, Fourier transform profilometry means for receiving said three dimensional surface position data and for identifying points on the component surface within said one view in three dimensions, and means for determining the relative positions in space of the component surface and a surface represented by the component surface design data.
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9. A mechanical component three dimensional surface mapping system receiving three dimensional design data for the mechanical component, comprised of
multiaxis positioner means movable in at least three dimensions, a mechanical component holding means mounted on said multiaxis positioner means, a structured light probe mounted on said multiaxis positioner means directing a structured light pattern toward said holding means, means for reconstructing discontinuities in said structured light pattern caused by mechanical component surface discontinuities, image acquisition means mounted on said multiaxis positioner means for viewing a field of impingement of said light pattern on the surface of the mechanical component and for providing variable three dimensional data relating to the component surface map therefrom, and computer means coupled to said multiaxis positioner means and said image acquisition means for employing Fourier transform profilometry to identify surface points within said field of impingement in three dimensions and for comparing said surface points with the three dimensional design data to determine the position in space of the component surface relative thereto.
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17. A generic component evaluation system for a component surface subject to fabrication process induced surface distortions, wherein the system is connected to receive CAD data descriptive of the evaluated component surface and separable into CAD model mesh elements, comprising
planning means connected to said surface mapping means including view selection means for selecting a number of views of the component to be observed, package plan means for selecting predetermined portions of and predetermined CAD models for each view, and packager means for converting between component frame of reference and surface mapping means frame of reference and for storing and ordering location data for CAD model mesh elements in each of said views, surface mapping means for obtaining at least one view of the component surface and for providing component three dimensional surface measurement data variable in all three dimensions from said at least one view, evaluation data reduction means for receiving and reducing said component three dimensional surface measurement data from a plurality of evaluated components, and three dimensional surface measurement data analysis means for receiving said reduced data and for providing analytical data indicative of product and process improvement to reduce the surface distortions.
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24. A generic method of three dimensional mapping of a surface on a mechanical part wherein the surface is subject to arbitrary location within design data described limits, comprising the steps of
planning a series of views of portions of the part surface using the design data, processing the design data to identify sets of selected design model surface mesh elements corresponding to each view and to identify each element'"'"'s limits in two dimensions, orienting the mechanical part in an approximately known position, projecting a structured light pattern toward the part surface in each view to obtain variable three dimensional part surface measurement data for a plurality of surface points in each view, acquiring an image of the light pattern impinging on the part surface in each view, reconstructing discontinuities in the acquired image of the structured light pattern within each view, processing the acquired images using Fourier transform profilometry techniques to obtain variable three dimensional part surface measurements for each view, correcting the three dimensional part surface measurements to best fit the selected design model surface mesh elements, processing the corrected three dimensional part surface measurement data comparatively with the design model surface mesh elements to identify correspondence between the plurality of surface points and design model mesh elements, and calculating the distance between each measured surface point and the corresponding design model mesh element, whereby part skin depth is determined relative to the selected design model.
Specification