This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable a critical tool for fast, high-performance measurement for precision parts manufacturing. High-precision parts are typically checked during manufacturing using fixed gauges based on 20-to-30-year-old technology costing several million dollars a year in maintenance and can take 2-3 hours using contact methods, out of a total of 20-24 hours of machine time. Improved measurements of parts in process will lead to better manufacturing practices and higher-quality parts. The proposed capability would reduce the time required for this step by a factor of 8 to 10, making in-process measurement more economically viable as well as improving machine utilization in a plant by as much as 20 percent, potentially driving savings of over $100 million per year industry-wide. The intellectual merit of this project is the development of new techniques needed to create a long-range, high-precision laser triangulation gauge usable on a wide range of surfaces. Traditional laser triangulation gauges have changed little in the past 40 years, providing a reliable but limited point or profile measurement used widely in manufacturing today. Current laser gauge range-to-resolution is around 2000 to 1, achieving perhaps 4000 to 1 in special circumstances. A range-to-resolution capability of 50,000 to 1 would greatly expand the application potential of such gauges. The proposed project reimagines the basic mechanisms in triangulation gauges to separate the measurement process from the noise inherent in laser-based systems. Rather than imaging a laser spot from the part surface, the method will use a direct angular measurement of the light. This objective will be realized by adapting phase measurement methods not used in triangulation gauges today. The anticipated result will be a gauge with micron-level resolution over distance ranges of 300 millimeters and over variations in surface finish and texture. This capability will fill a critical void in measurement tool capability for manufacturing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
