Structured Light Inspection Technology Powers Cold Spray Advances in Defense Sector
Phase3D has successfully developed and deployed Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray, an innovative inspection system that enhances quality control in cold spray additive manufacturing. Backed by $1.25 million in funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), this cutting-edge technology marks a major leap forward in real-time, in-situ inspection, improving precision and reliability for military and aerospace applications.
Advancing Cold Spray Quality Assurance
Cold spray additive manufacturing is an essential method for repair and production across defense and aerospace sectors. However, ensuring consistent quality has remained a challenge. Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection Cold Spray product addresses key industry pain points using structured light technology to provide real-time deposit inspection. The solution delivers:
Real-Time Defect Detection: Identifies and quantifies surface defects such as cratering, cracking, and pitting during the cold spray process, ensuring superior deposition quality.
Surface Flatness Measurement: Assesses spray deposit surfaces to verify repair quality and adherence to required specifications.
Process Optimization: Enables technicians to inspect and dynamically adjust the cold spray process, reducing material waste and increasing efficiency.
Successful Deployment at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray was tested and validated in an operational setting at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and Ellsworth Air Force Base, confirming its effectiveness in enhancing quality control for military and aerospace applications.
“The successful completion of this project underscores the importance of real-time inspection in additive manufacturing,” said Niall O’Dowd, Founder and CEO of Phase3D. “The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured light inspection is a game-changer for cold spray applications. This technology not only ensures higher-quality repairs but also delivers significant cost and time savings for the Air Force.”
Key Milestones & Results
This project was conducted under the STTR Phase II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract, achieving several key milestones.
Phase3D designed, prototyped, programmed, tested, and deployed the Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray product at UDRI and Ellsworth Air Force Base. The hardware, attached to a robotic arm, capturing millions of measurement points related to layer thickness, roughness, and shape in real-time. The Fringe Operator software inspection suite was used to identify spray defects and records part-centric quality data.
Validation and Benchmarking for Quality Go/No-go Gages
Phase3D worked closely with Air Force engineers at Ellsworth Air Force Base to establish data-driven quality thresholds. Phase3D’s end users and customers provided examples of both ‘good quality’ and ‘bad quality’ cold spray deposits, created using helium and nitrogen carrier gases.
Using Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray real-time data, Phase3D was able to clearly characterize the samples. This data was then used to develop a quality threshold procedure, incorporating a go/no-go gage for evaluating surface and shape characteristics.
Future Applications & Industry Expansion
Following the success of this project,Phase3D is expanding the applications of structured light inspection across additive manufacturing and industrial repair sectors. The company is actively collaborating with the Department of Defense and private industry partners to further enhance cold spray repair capabilities and drive innovation in real-time quality assurance.
For more information: www.additivemonitoring.com
