Adaptive control of coating thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10969217-B2
Application number	US-201816054736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 4, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An example method that includes receiving a geometry of an uncoated component and a measured coating thickness of a coated test; determining a simulated coating thickness based on the geometry and a first spray law including a plurality of first spray law parameters; determining a difference between the simulated coating thicknesses and the measured coating thickness; iteratively adjusting at least one first spray law parameter to determine a respective subsequent spray law and determining a respective subsequent difference between the measured coating thickness and a subsequent simulated coating thickness based on the geometry and the respective subsequent spray law; selecting a subsequent spray law from the plurality of respective subsequent spray laws based on the respective subsequent differences; and controlling a coating process based on the selected subsequent spray law to compensate for the difference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a geometry of a component in an uncoated state and a measured coating thickness of a test component in a coated state, wherein a test geometry of the test component in an uncoated state is substantially similar to the geometry;
determining, by the computing device, a simulated coating thickness based on the geometry and a first spray law comprising a plurality of first spray law parameters;
determining, by the computing device, a sticking factor based on a difference between the simulated coating thicknesses and the measured coating thickness;
iteratively:
adjusting, by the computing device, at least one first spray law parameter of the plurality of first spray law parameters to determine a respective subsequent spray law comprising a plurality of respective subsequent spray law parameters; and
determining, by the computing device, a respective subsequent difference between the measured coating thickness and a subsequent simulated coating thickness based on the geometry and the respective subsequent spray law;

selecting, by the computing device, a subsequent spray law from the plurality of respective subsequent spray laws based on the respective subsequent differences; and
controlling, by the computing device, a coating process based on the selected subsequent spray law to compensate for the difference.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sticking factor is indicative of an amount of the simulated coating thickness applied to the component when the coating process is controlled using the spray law.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the difference comprises plurality of differences, wherein the sticking factor is based on an interpolation of at least two differences of the plurality of differences.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising, before determining the simulated coating thickness, defining, by the computing device, a plurality of regions of the component and a plurality of test regions of the test component corresponding to the plurality of regions,
wherein determining the simulated coating thickness, determining the difference, iteratively adjusting the at least one first spray law parameter, iteratively determining the respective subsequent difference, selecting the subsequent spray law, and controlling the coating process is performed for each region of the plurality of regions.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the geometry comprises a plurality of locations on a surface of the component, and wherein each respective first region of the plurality of first regions corresponds to a respective location of the plurality of locations.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the subsequent spray law comprises selecting the subsequent spray law from the plurality of respective subsequent spray laws in response to the measured coating thickness and the subsequent simulated coating thickness based on the geometry and the respective subsequent spray law being substantially the same.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the computing device, a subsequent difference for each respective component of a plurality of components;
determining, by the computing device, an average of the plurality of subsequent differences; and
selecting, by the computing device, a subsequent spray law based on the average of the plurality of differences.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a superalloy component, a ceramic component, or a CMC component.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one first spray law parameter of the plurality of first spray law parameters to determine the respective subsequent spray law comprising a plurality of respective subsequent spray law parameters comprises maintaining a number of passes and a coating device velocity between the first spray law and each respective subsequent spray law.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the subsequent spray law from the plurality of respective subsequent spray laws based on the respective subsequent differences comprises reducing a value of an objective function based on a total error of respective subsequent differences between the measured coating thickness and subsequent simulated coating thicknesses based on the geometry of the component and respective subsequent spray laws.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Bourne Keith
• Gold Matthew R
• Zimmerman Benjamin

Classifications

• G01B21/08 Primary

  for measuring thickness · CPC title

• B05B12/004

  comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm (B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00) · CPC title

• B05B16/00

  Spray booths (arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material in spray booths B05B14/40) · CPC title

• C23C4/00

  Coating by spraying the coating material in the molten state, e.g. by flame, plasma or electric discharge (build-up welding B23K, e.g. B23K5/18, B23K9/04) · CPC title

• C23C24/04

  Impact or kinetic deposition of particles · CPC title