Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4803639?dq=6,712,702
Timestamp: 2015-10-04 07:57:37
Document Index: 137932316

Matched Legal Cases: ['art. 2', 'art.\n4', 'art. 6', 'art. 7', 'art.\n11', 'art.\n13', 'arts 8']

Patent US4803639 - X-ray inspection system - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn 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...http://www.google.com/patents/US4803639?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4803639 - X-ray inspection systemAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4803639 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 06/832,511Publication dateFeb 7, 1989Filing dateFeb 25, 1986Priority dateFeb 25, 1986Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP0234537A2, EP0234537A3Publication number06832511, 832511, US 4803639 A, US 4803639A, US-A-4803639, US4803639 A, US4803639AInventorsDouglas S. Steele, Larry C. Howington, James W. Schuler, Joseph J. Sostarich, Charles R. Wojciechowski, Theodore W. Sippel, Joseph M. Portaz, Ralph G. Isaacs, Henry J. Scudder, III, Thomas G. Kincaid, Kristina H. V. Hedengren, Rudolph A. A. Koegl, John P. Keaveney, Joseph Czechowski, III, John R. Brehm, James M. Brown, Jr., David W. Oliver, George E. Williams, Richard D. MillerOriginal AssigneeGeneral Electric CompanyExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (4), Referenced by (78), Classifications (12), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetX-ray inspection system
US 4803639 AAbstract
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.
1. A computer based system for nondestructive measuring and testing of a manufactured part by X-ray analysis comprising:means for transporting a part from a load station to an inspection station; an X-ray source positioned for generating a high intensity X-ray radiation beam through a predetermined area within said inspection station; an X-ray detector for converting received X-ray radiation into electrical signals representative thereof; means for directing the X-ray radiation beam toward said detector; means in said inspection station for positioning the part in the X-ray radiation path between the X-ray source and X-ray detector; means for moving the part linearly in a plane substantially normal to an axis of said X-ray beam so that a predetermined area of the part is scanned by the X-ray radiation beam for generating electrical signals representative of a first planar image of the part; means for analyzing said first planar image for identifying specific areas of the part having probable flaws; means for positioning the part within the X-ray beam such that each of said specific areas is sequentially exposed to the beam; means for rotating the part within the X-ray beam about an axis normal to the beam at each of said specific areas for generating images of the part along a plane coincidental with each of said specific areas and normal to said axis of rotation for generating electrical signals representative of a second planar image perpendicular to said first planar iamge; means for converting said electrical signals to digital data representative thereof; means for converting said digital data to pixel image data; means for generating said first and said second planar images of the part from the pixel image data, and means for analyzing said first and second planar images for identifying flaws in the part. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said transport means comprises means for sequentially transporting each of a plurality of parts from the load station to the inspection station and from the inspectiopn station to the load staion, the system further including computer means responsive to each part arriving at the load station from the inspection station for indicating a disposition of the part selected from the categories of passed, failed and re-inspect, said computer means inhibiting operation of said transport means until passed and failed parts have been removed therefrom, said computer means being operative to return the part designated for re-inspect to the inspection station.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the computer means includes means for automatically identifying a first inspection of a part and for causing the inspection station to generate the first planar image of the part, the computer means automatically identifying a second inspection of a part for causing the inspection station to generate the second planar image of the part.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein said positioning means includes gripper means for holding the part, said gripper means having an extension flange oriented parallel to said axis about which the part is rotated, the system further including:means for rotating said gripper means such that said flange is alternately positioned adjacent opposite edges of said detector; and means for determining the position of said flange with respect to adjacent ones of said detection elements and for shifting the position of said detector such that said adjacent ones of said detection elements are equally spaced from a center of said detector whereby said axis about which the part is rotated is centered with respect to said detector. 5. A method for computerized measuring and testing of a part, comprising the steps of:providing a directed beam of X-ray radiation; positioning a part in the X-ray radiation beam; moving the part in a plane perpendicular to said X-ray beam such that a predetermined area of the part is exposed to the X-ray beam radiation; measuring the radiation passing through the predetermined area of the part; converting the measured radiation to digital data; transmitting said digital data to a computer processing unit; converting in the computer processing unit the digital data to pixel iamge data; generating a first planar image of the part from the pixel image data, said first image representing an image of the part perpendicular to the X-ray radiation beam; analyzing the first image for identifying probable flaws in the part; positioning the part in the X-ray beam such that each of the probable flaws is aligned with the beam; rotating the part about an axis normal to the X-ray beam for generating a tomographic image of the part in a plane of the beam for each of the probable flaws; and analyzing the tomographic image for identifying flaws in the part. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of analyzing the first image further comprises the steps of:storing in memory data defining desired dimensional characteristics of a part; determining actual dimensional characteristics of the part from the first image; and correlating data representative of actual dimensional characteristics of the part with the stored data; comparing the actual dimensional data to the desired dimensional data for determining acceptability of the part. 7. A method of computerized measuring and testing of a part, comprising the steps of:providing a source of a directed beam of X-ray radiation; providing a linear array detector having a plurality of radiation detecting elements for receiving X-ray radiation; positioning a part in the x-ray radiation beam between the source and the detector such that some of the radiation received by predetermined elements of the detector is not intercepted by the part; and normalizing data generated by the detector in response to radiation passing through the part by adjusting the data as a function of intensity of the X-ray radiation beam as determined by radiation received by the predetermined elements of the detector. 8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:positioning a sensitometric device having a predetermined graduated density of X-ray attenuation characteristics between the source and the detector; collecting data from the detector representative of the radiation intensity received by the detector from each of a plurality of positions on said sensitometric device for establishing at table of data representative of X-ray beam hardness; storing said beam hardness data in a computer memory; and adjusting the data from X-ray radiation passing through the part in accordance with the stored beam hardness data. 9. A computer based system for non-destructive measuring and testing of a manufactured part by X-ray analysis comprising:a loading station for loading a part into a part holding mechanism, said mechanism being adapted to hold the part in a predetermined orientation; conveyor means for transporting the part from the loading station to an inspection station; an X-ray source for generating a high intensity X-ray radiation beam; a linear array X-ray detector for converting received X-ray radiation into electrical signals representative thereof; means in said inspection station for grasping said part holding mechanism and for positioning the part in an X-ray radiation path between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector; means coupled to said grasping means for effecting relative motion between the part and said X-ray radiation beam; and means for converting said electrical signals to data suitable for two dimensional representation such that the part can be measured and defects recognized from the representation. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said X-ray source includes means for collimating said radiation beam into a fan shape in a horizontal plane, the beam being wider than the part, and wherein said motion effecting means comprises means for moving the part vertically through said beam for obtaining data for contructing a first planar image of the part.
11. The system of claim 10 and further including:video means for displaying said first planar image; means for identifying locations in said first image corresponding to selected areas of potential failure of the part; means for comparing characteristics of the part at said identified locations to previously obtained desired characteristics; means for identifying characteristics having values outside a predetermined range of values of said desired characteristics; and means for automatically directing tomographic X-ray examination of said identified characteristics. 12. The system of claim 11 and further including means for analyzing tomographic images of the part, said analyzing means comparing said tomographic images to stored data representative of desired characteristics of the part.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein said linear X-ray detector comprises a plurality of closely spaced detection elements arranged in a linear array, said detector having a width such that at least some detection elements receive radiation which has not passed through the part, said converting means including means for measuring the X-ray radiation levels received by the at least some detection elements and for normalizing the data obtained from others of the detection elements in accordance with the measured radiation levels.
14. The system of claim 13 and further including means for energizing the X-ray source without a part in the inspection station and for obtaining data from said detector during such energizing, and wherein said converting means comprises means for averaging the data obtained from all the detection elements to generate an average compensation value and dividing the average value into the data obtained from each detecting element for compensating for detection element gain differences,
15. In a computer based system for non-destructive measuring and testing of manufactured parts, having an X-ray source for providing a directed beam of X-ray radiation, a linear array X-ray detector for converting received X-ray radiation into electrical signals thereof, the method comprising the steps of:a. loading a part in a gripper such that only a base poriton of said part is held by opposing jaws of the gripper; b. transporting the gripper with the part on a transporter into a part receiving station; c. acquiring the gripper with a manipulator, the manipulator automatically centering and aligning the gripper along a projected central axis of the manipulator; and d. operating the manipulator for positioning the part in a predetermined orientation in a path of X-ray radiation from the X-ray source. 16. In a computer based system for nondestructive measuring and testing of manufactured parts, an X-ray source for providing a directed beam of X-ray radiation, a linear array X-ray detector for converting received X-ray radiation into electrical signals representative thereof, the method comprising the steps of:providing control signals for positioning a part in each of a plurality of predetermined positions adjacent an X-ray source; energizing the X-ray source for generating radiation in coordination with said positioning means for effecting exposure of said part to X-ray radiation at each of said predetermined positions; generating signals responsive to each of said plurality of predetermined positions for effecting sampling of said X-ray radiation beam detected by the detector; and changing a sequence of inspection operations in response to data from a computer wherein the sequence of operations includes at least one of the steps of: (1) moving the part in a linear pattern through the X-ray beam; and (2) rotating the part in the X-ray beam while maintaining the part at a selected linear position. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of providing control signals further comprises the substeps of:providing control signals for effecting operation of a part manipulator to move the part into position for exposure to the X-ray beam; and receiving data indicating positioning of a part in the predetermined positions. 18. A method for computerized measuring and testing of a manufactured part, comprising the steps of:providing a beam of X-ray radiation; positioning a part in the X-ray radiation beam; moving the part linearly within said X-ray beam so that a predetermined area of the part is exposed to the X-ray beam radiation; measuring the intensity of radiation passing through the part; converting the measured intensity to an image of the part; identifying areas deserving of detailed analysis from the image of the part; positioning the part such that an area deserving of detailed analysis is located in the X-ray radiation beam; rotating the part about an axis normal to the plane of the X-ray beam so as to form an image of the part along a plane passing through each area deserving of detailed analysis; measuring the radiation passing through the area; converting the measured radiation to visual data; transmitting said digital data to a computer processing unit; converting in the computer processing unit the digital data to pixel image data; and generating a planar image of the area deserving analysis from the pixel image data. Description
This application contains a microfiche appendix having 81 sheets of microfiche
This invention generally relates to X-ray inspection of manufactured parts, and more particularly, to an automated digital X-ray inspection system for evaluating aircraft engine gas turbine blades.
B. Discussion turbine engines has led to the development of turbine blades containing complex interior passages and openings to the blade surface for blade cooling. The performance and life of the blades is dependent upon the manufacture of these interior structures within specifications. A high penalty exists for blade failure because of machinery damage, incompletion of mission, and hazard to personnel. For these reasons 100 percent inspection of turbine blades is important to the public and a highly automated digital X-ray inspection station system has long been desired.
The problem of turbine blade inspection by X-ray has both special requirements and general requirements shared by many other applications, including nondestructive evaluation methods not using X-rays. The ability to handle many small parts rapidly in a factory production environment is a necessity. The ability to rapidly acquire and normalize X-ray images, to resolve small structures, to automatically interpret X-ray images and make decisions and to provide a convenient factory interface are very desirabl.e. A problem with production type nondestructive evaluation systems is in situations where a set of fixed criteria are applied to the nondestructive evaluation decisions by human observers. Where observations are to be made on many parts, nondestructive evaluation systems using human observers have a problem with observers who may tire or miss something. Another problem with nondestructive evaluation of turbine blades is the numerous recognitions of flaws that may occur in particular blades. Some of the representative flaws found in turbine blades are inclusions, gas porosity where fine holes or- pores within the metal are formed due to trapped gas, cold joint where an area of cold and hot metals flow together, but incomplete fusion takes place and hot tear where a fracture formed in the metal during solidification hinders contraction. A flaw may have microscopic voids left in the cast metals as a result of solidification shrinkage. Some other typical flaws are discontinuity in walls, skid marks, scarfing, undercoating, overdrills, dwell, form material, drilling restarts, laser spatter, incorrect spacing between holes, bad fusion welds, brazed gap and voids, brazed flow, brazed fill, improper or lack of penetration of holes into -the blade cavity, redrilling of original holes with air in true position, merged holes, quantity of holes, holes out of position, bad hole diameters and enlarged hole entrances due to washout from electrolyte flow. As is readily apparent, a need for automatically inspecting turbine blades is paramount.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to manually or automatically detect flaws in a single turbine blade and make a disposition as to the acceptability based on a quality inspection plan.
It is yet another object of this invention to identify the location of flaws in a single turbine blade.
It is another object of this invention to automatically position the turbine blade at an inspection site for performing digital fluoroscopy and computed tomography inspection.
It is another object of this invention to automatically make accept and reject decisions on turbine blades.
It is another object of this invention to acquire data for computed tomography inspections at least a maximum rate of 60 views per second.
It is yet a further object of this invention to acquire data for digital fluoroscopy inspections at a maximum rate of 60 views per second.
It is another object of this invention to display computerized tomography and digital fluoroscopy images for an operator in real time.
It is still another object of this invention to initiate analysis of a turbine blade X-ray data during the data acquisition time of the next blade to be inspected.
It is another object of this invention to provide the capability to convey inspection information that may be used for subsequent statistical analysis and feedback for quality control and repair.
It is another object of this invention to archive digital fluoroscopy or computed tomography images for future reference.
An X-ray inspection system is comprised of an X-ray machine and an X-ray image system. The X-ray machine includes devices for manipulating parts, generating X-rays, detecting X-rays, and controlling the flow of parts through the X-ray machine. The X-ray image system includes computer hardware and software for acquiring X-ray data, image generation, archiving, displaying, performing computations, and controlling the X-ray machine. The system is a production type automatic inspection module capable of detecting internal flaws in jet engine turbine blades.
The X-ray inspection system manually or automatically performs X-ray computed tomography (CT) and digital fluoroscopy (DF) inspections on gas turbine engine blades. The system automatically positions single turbine blades to perform required CT and DF inspections, acquiring data for these inspections at a rate of at least 60 views per second, and identifying the location of rejectable flaws in the blades. It initiates the analysis of blade X-ray data for making accept/reject decisions during the data acquisition time of the next blade to be inspected. Thus, the system is capable of automatically detecting flaws in a real time environment. The system provides a reservoir of inspection information of the blades for subsequent statistical analyses and feedback for quality control and repair.
The X-ray inspection system operates in either a manual or automatic mode. The manual mode allows the operator to make a blade image,display the image, and repeat if necessary. The automatic mode performs automatic flaw detection, flaw analysis and blade disposition.
The blade inspection method proceeds as follows: for a group of similar blades, the operator enters in the computer console information required to select an inspection plan from the computer system. The first blade is then removed from an input box and a blade serial number entered in the computer console. The operator then manually inserts the blade into a conveyor gripper positioned at a load station. After the blade is positioned, the operator depresses the start buttons on the conveyor when ready. This operation is repeated for all the blades in the input box until it is empty. The conveyor advances the blades between load, inspection, and unload stations.
The blade and gripper are then automatically advanced to a part inspection station. Blade grippers have variable holding configurations for accommodating a variety of blades to be inspected, and are made of material of lower X-ray absorptivity compared to the blade material. A part manipulator controls the blade and gripper when positioned at a part inspection station. The part manipulator has two axes of movement: at least a vertical translation along the blade's dovetail axis and a rotation about the blade's dovetail axis. These motions orient the blade dovetail axis perpendicular to the axis of the X-ray beam and have sufficient range to inspect the wnole blade. When a blade reaches the inspection station of the conveyor it is automatically removed from the conveyor by the manipulator and scanned in either the DF or CT mode or both, according to a predefined inspection plan. In manual operation the operator evaluates the DF image for determining whether a CT image is necessary.
The manipulation of the blades is specified by a scan plan which is part of the inspection plan for each representative part. Scan plans consist of vertical translations along the blade dovetail axis and rotations about the blade dovetail axis, for performing DF and CT inspections (respectively). The computer system decodes this information and provides the manipulator with appropriate control and synchronization signals.
After the scan is complete, the blade is returned to the conveyor. As the blades are advanced by the conveyor they are moved to an unload station. The operator removes each part from the unload station before loading the next part and dispositions the unloaded parts as indicated by the disposition lights. The disposition of the blade is either accept, provisional accept, or dispo. When all the parts in the box are inspected it may be necessary to reinspect a blade. The operator then cycles the reinspect blades through the inspection process. A dispo classification requires the blade to be further evaluated.
Blades dispositioned accept, provisional accept, dispo, or reinspect are manually removed at the unload station. A record of flaw analysis is provided for all inspected blades. The record contains a part identification number and flaw analysis which identifies each rejectable flaw and its location.
The software for the system consists of programs which direct the X-ray inspection system in near real time and those which provide an environment for image processing and inspection plan generation. The near real time system consists of an executive software which starts tasks, monitors tasks, checks error conditions, initializes the system and interfaces to the operator. There are four major subprocesses which are spun off as independent processes under supervision of the executive system. These are data acquisition, image display on the high resolution monitor, automatic image processing and automatic archiving processing. In manual operation while data is being acquired for one blade, data acquired previously for another blade is displayed to an operator for decision. In automatic operation, automatic flaw analysis is performed, while data is being acquired for the next blade. Thus, good use is made of overhead time such as loading indexing, mechanical positioning, and inspecting via parallel processes running in the X-ray image system.
FIG. 1 illustrates the basic components of the X-ray inspection system.
FIG. 2 is an engine turbine blade.
FIG. 3A-B shows a schematic diagram of the conveyor system and lead shielded chamber.
FIG. 4 illustrates the electromechanical apparatus of the X-ray machine.
FIG. 5 is a method for aligning the detector to the X-ray source.
FIG. 6 is a gripper with an extension flange used for determining the center detector of the linear array detector.
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the part manipulator.
FIG. 8 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of data transfer between the computer system, industrial controller and the programmable controller.
FIG. 9A-C show the gripper assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of the X-ray image system configuration.
FIG. 11A-D shows a detailed schematic of the digital acquisition system conversion.
FIG. 12 illustrate the four major subprocesses of the software.
FIG. 13 is a physical diagram of the conveyor system.
FIG. 14 is a computer model of the conveyor.
FIG. 15 is a digital fluoroscopy image.
FIG. 16 is a computed tomography image.
FIG. 17 illustrates a basic flow diagram of the executive software of the present invention.
FIG. 18 shows a detailed flow diagram of the inspect command.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram of the automatic flaw analysis.
FIG. 20 is a flow diagram of the archive subprocess.
FIG. 21 shows a diagram of digital fluoroscopy scanning motion.
FIG. 22 is a timing diagram for a digital fluoroscopy scan.
FIG. 23 shows the part envelope and the position of the reference detectors of the linear array detector.
FIG. 24 is the wedge shaped test piece for generating beam hardening data.
FIG. 25 shows the scanning motion for computed tomography.
FIG. 26 shows the geometry for a computed tomography scan.
FIG. 27A-D shows a method for computing the center detector position of the linear array detector.
FIG. 28 illustrate a flow diagram for operating the X-ray inspection system.
FIG. 29 shows loading a part into a gripper on the conveyor.
FIG. 30A-B illustrate a flow diagram for processing a part through the X-ray inspection system.
FIG. 31 is a 2-2T test object for calibrating the part images.
FIG. 32 shows the operator console.
FIG. 33 shows a bar coded operation sheet for a TF34 blade.
5. X-RAY SOURCE
6. X-RAY DETECTOR
A. Linear Array Detector
B. Method of Aligning the Detector
7. PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLER
8. PART MANIPULATOR
11. GRIPPER
12. COMPUTER SYSTEM HARDWARE
13. DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM
14. COMPUTER SYSTEM SOFTWARE
B. Part Information Block
C. Inspection Plan
D. Executive Software
E. Flaw Analysis Subprocess
F. Image Archive Subprocess
15. OPERATION AND METHOD OF DF SCANNING
16. OPERATION AND METHOD OF CT SCANNING
E. Erase Text
F. Erase Graph
G. Manual Measure
H. Auto Measure
J. Locate
K. Scroll Up and Scroll Down
18. 2-2T IMAGE QUALITY CHECK
19. BAR CODE READER
FIG. 1 illustrates the basic components of the X-ray inspection system 2. The X-ray inspection system 2 includes an X-ray machine 4 and an X-ray image system 6. The X-ray machine 4 comprises an X-ray source 12, an X-ray detector 14, a part manipulator 16, programmable controller 20, an industrial controller 21, a six-axis movable platform 30 and a conveyor belt system 22. The X-ray image system 6 includes a data acquisition system 24, an image generation system 26, a computer system 28, an operator console 19, an operator display 18, a keyboard 601, a display procesor 23 a high resolution display 32, and a bar code reader 34.
Parts 8, such as aircraft engine blades, are carried into the X-ray machine 4 by conveyor belt system 22. While the present invention is described hereinafter with particular reference to blades, it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that it is contemplated that the apparatus and methods in accordance with the present invention may be used to inspect numerous other manufactured parts. These include but are not limited to various parts of turbine engines, such as compressor or turbine blades, vanes, nozzles, thermocouples, etc. FIG. 2 illustrates a typical engine blade. Referring back to FIG. 1, an operator loads a blade 8 into a gripper 38 which is held to the conveyor 22 by a pallet 40 supported on the conveyor 22 system by rollers 42.
The operator informs the X-ray inspection system 2 of the part number of the blade and the type of inspection required. The operator simultaneously presses the start buttons 41 and 43. The conveyor 22 advances the blade 8 as shown in the direction of the arrow through 18 stations or positions to an inspection station 44. The inspection station 44 is inside a lead shielded chamber (shown cut away in FIG. 2). The numerically controlled part manipulator 16 removes the gripper 38 with the blade 8 from the conveyor 22 and positions it in an appropriate path of a directed X-ray beam 36 between the X-ray source 12 and X-ray detector 14.
The X-ray image system 6, following an inspection blade plan, produces a digital fluoroscopy image or a computed tomography image. For digital fluoroscopy images, hereinafter referred to as DF images, the blade 8 is held at a constant angular position and moved by the part manipulator 16 vertically through the X-ray beam. For computed tomography images, hereinafter referred to as CT images, the blade 8 is held at a constant vertical position and rotated by the part manipulator 16 up to 360 degrees. Every 60th of a second the intensity of the transmitted X-rays is collected from 636 horizontal detector elements of the X-ray detector 14 by the data acquisition system 24. The collected data are fed from the data acquisition system 24 to the image generating system 26, where it is normalized for changes in X-ray tube output, channel gain, and sensitivity variations. The data is then corrected for beam hardening. In the case of a DF image in which the blade 8 is scanned vertically, the data is stored on the computer system 28. In the case of CT images, in which the part is rotated, further processing by convolution and back projection for obtaining the CT image is done in the image generator 26. The CT image is then transferred to the computer system 28 for display and storage. After all DF images and CT images are collected by the computer system 28 the part manipulator 16 returns the blade 8 part to the conveyor 36. The conveyor 22 advances, and a blade 8 eventually emerges from the X-ray chamber to the first of three unload stations 46, 48 and 50. The computer system 28 analyzes the DF or CT image for identifying the location of rejectable flaws in the blade. In manual mode, the operator determines the flaw location and measures the flaws. The operator then determines the disposition of the part or if further analysis, such as a CT image is required, an automatic flaw analysis process determines whether the blade is acceptable, rejectable, or requires further inspection. A flaw report is generated and lights on the unload station are activated for notifying the operator of the blade disposition.
The X-ray image system 6 controls part flow, computer task coordination, operator validation and logging, X-ray warmup and logging, blade imaging, data acquisition, flaw detection, quality control plan execution, part image archiving, part flow analysis, and part report generation. In automatic mode, the X-ray image system 6 performs automatic image analysis in real time. The image data for a blade is obtained in real time while the blade is being manipulated.
FIG. 3A-B show a schematic diagram of the conveyor 22 and the lead shielded chamber. The X-ray inspection system processes blades in a sequential fashion, dictated by their physical position on part conveyor 22. The throughput of the X-ray image system is limited by the scan time of the blade and the processing time of the blade. The blade scan time is a functi