System and method for improved visual detection of protective coatings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260860-B2
Application number	US-201715633986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 25, 2012
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for providing an improved protective coating for a substrate that may be inspected using the unaided eye or other apparatus under available light. The protective coating is mixed with an additive including flakes or particles that, when applied to the substrate as part of the protective coating, allow the user to empirically determine if the surface has received an adequate protective coat. The determination of whether or not any defects exist may include comparing the observed appearance of the specialty pigment particles with a comparative standard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for inspecting a protective coating on a substrate, the method comprising:
applying a mixture to a substrate, the mixture comprising a predetermined amount of a protective coating formulation and a predetermined amount of pigment particles, wherein the protective coating formulation is provided in a liquid form and the pigment particles are provided in a particulate form;
observing the appearance of the pigment particles in the protective coating; and
determining the presence of any defects in the protective coating by comparing the appearance of the pigment particles with patterns of a comparative standard image prepared under control conditions to detect a portion of the coating that falls outside a predetermined range of thicknesses, wherein the comparative standard image depicts a number of particles per square inch.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a metallic surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a composite surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is the surface of an aircraft component.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is applied to the substrate using a spraying device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein observing the appearance of the pigment particles includes capturing one or more digital images of the protective coating.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein observing the appearance of the pigment particles comprises illuminating the substrate with light from a light source.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light source includes one or more of the following: a natural light source, a flashlight, and an ultraviolet light source.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the presence of any defects in the protective coating comprises comparing the appearance of the pigment particles in the protective coating with a comparative standard.

10. A method comprising:
selecting a ratio of pigment particles to a volume of precursor of a protective coating;
adding an amount of the pigment particles to the volume of precursor to form a mixture, the amount corresponding to the ratio;
applying the mixture to a substrate to form the protective coating;
observing a pattern of light reflected by the pigment particles; and
comparing the pattern of light with patterns of a comparative standard image prepared under control conditions to detect a portion of the protective coating that falls outside a predetermined range of thicknesses, wherein the comparative standard image depicts a number of particles per square inch.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the substrate is the surface of an aircraft component.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mixture is applied to the substrate using a spraying device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein observing the pattern of light reflected by the pigment particles includes capturing one or more digital images of the protective coating.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein observing the pattern of light reflected by the pigment particles comprises illuminating the substrate with light from a light source.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the light source includes one or more of the following: a natural light source, a flashlight, and an ultraviolet light source.

16. A method comprising:
preparing a comparative standard image of a first pattern of light produced by pigment particles suspended within a precursor of a protective coating, wherein the comparative standard image depicts a number of pigment particles per square inch;
observing a second pattern of light corresponding to a protective coating; and
comparing the first pattern of light with the second pattern of light to detect a portion of the protective coating that falls outside a predetermined range of thicknesses.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein observing the second pattern of light includes capturing one or more digital images of the protective coating.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein observing the second pattern of light comprises illuminating the substrate with light from a light source.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
preparing a plurality of comparative standard images of the first pattern of light; and
comparing the second pattern of light with the plurality of comparative standard images to detect the portion of the protective coating that falls outside a predetermined range of thickness.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein comparing the first pattern of light with the second pattern of light includes determining whether the second pattern of light indicates more or fewer than a number of pigment particles within a given area indicated by the first pattern of light.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ponomarev Sergey G

Classifications

• G01N2021/8427

  Coatings · CPC title

• G01B11/0658 Primary

  with measurement of emissivity or reradiation · CPC title

• Y10T428/31678

  Of metal · CPC title

• G01B11/0625 Primary

  with measurement of absorption or reflection · CPC title

• C23C26/00

  Coating not provided for in groups C23C2/00 - C23C24/00 · CPC title