Patent ID: 7889907

Claim:
A system for inspecting composite tape laid onto a substrate by a tape lamination machine, the system comprising: an imaging assembly attached to and substantially below a rear portion of a delivery head of the tape lamination machine, and moving with the delivery head, and configured to obtain an image of a full width of the laid tape beneath the imaging assembly in real time after the tape is laid, the image obtained using a field of view oriented parallel to a direction in which the lamination machine moves across the substrate when laying the tape; a pair of generally opposed light sources that are supported to move with the delivery head so as to illuminate the full width of the laid tape in real time after the tape is laid, the pair of generally opposed light sources further being configured to direct light generally transversely relative to the field of view of the imaging assembly, onto the area of the laid tape to provide an ambient light for illuminating the area of the laid tape to assist the imaging assembly in obtaining the image; and a processor configured to inspect the image to detect a foreign object on the area of the laid tape.