Slurry coating thickness measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549795-B2
Application number	US-202117238351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2021
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a gauge for slurry coating thickness determination. The gauge includes a body and at least three probes extending from the body. The at least three probes provide a go-no-go indicator including a first demarcation that defines a minimum slurry coating thickness and a second demarcation that defines a maximum slurry coating thickness. A minimum no-go region is defined between the first demarcation and a probe tip, a maximum no-go region is defined between the second demarcation and the body, and a go region is defined between the first demarcation and the second demarcation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gauge for slurry coating thickness determination, the gauge comprising:
a body; and
at least three probes extending from the body, the at least three probes providing a go-no-go indicator comprising a first demarcation that defines a minimum slurry coating thickness and a second demarcation that defines a maximum slurry coating thickness, wherein a minimum no-go region is defined between the first demarcation and a probe tip, a maximum no-go region is defined between the second demarcation and the body, and a go region is defined between the first demarcation and the second demarcation.

2. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the probe tip of each of the at least three probes comprises a rounded profile.

3. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the go region has a different color than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

4. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the go region has a different cross-sectional shape than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

5. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the go region has a different radial dimension than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

6. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the go region has a different surface texture than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

7. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the minimum no-go region, the maximum no-go region, and the go region are distributed between at least two of the at least three probes.

8. The gauge of claim 7 , wherein the at least three probes comprise:
a go-probe having a first height offset with respect to at least one contact-probe configured to contact a solid surface of a component coated by a slurry; and
a maximum-no-go-probe having a second height offset from the first height, wherein a tip of the go-probe comprises the first demarcation and a tip of the maximum-no-go-probe comprises the second demarcation.

9. The gauge of claim 1 , wherein the at least three probes comprise three pin gauges in a tripod distribution on a same surface of the body, and further wherein the at least three probes are rigid and statically coupled to the body.

10. A method for measuring a slurry coating thickness on a component, the method comprising:
positioning at least two probe tips of a gauge comprising three or more probes on a solid surface of the component coated by a slurry, wherein the three or more probes extend from a body of the gauge;
observing the slurry based on a go-no-go indicator after the at least two probe tips make contact with the solid surface of the component, wherein the go-no-go indicator comprises a first demarcation that defines a minimum slurry coating thickness and a second demarcation that defines a maximum slurry coating thickness, wherein a minimum no-go region is defined between the first demarcation and the probe tip, a maximum no-go region is defined between the second demarcation and the body, and a go region is defined between the first demarcation and the second demarcation;
determining that the slurry coating thickness on the component exceeds a maximum thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the maximum no-go region;
determining that the slurry coating thickness on the component is below a minimum thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the minimum no-go region; and
determining that the slurry coating thickness on the component meets a target thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the go region.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the probe tip of each of the at least three probes comprises a rounded profile.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the go region has a different color than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the go region has a different cross-sectional shape than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the go region has a different radial dimension than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the go region has a different surface texture than the minimum no-go region and the maximum no-go region.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least three probes comprise:
a go-probe having a first height offset with respect to at least one contact-probe configured to contact a solid surface of a component coated by a slurry; and
a maximum-no-go-probe having a second height offset from the first height, wherein a tip of the go-probe comprises the first demarcation and a tip of the maximum-no-go-probe comprises the second demarcation.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least three probes comprise three pin gauges in a tripod distribution on a same surface of the body, and further wherein the at least three probes are rigid and statically coupled to the body.

18. A system for slurry coating thickness determination, the system comprising:
a gauge comprising a body and at least three probes extending from the body, the at least three probes providing a go-no-go indicator comprising a first demarcation that defines a minimum slurry coating thickness and a second demarcation that defines a maximum slurry coating thickness, wherein a minimum no-go region is defined between the first demarcation and a probe tip, a maximum no-go region is defined between the second demarcation and the body, and a go region is defined between the first demarcation and the second demarcation;
a camera configured to observe a component; and
a controller coupled to the camera, the controller configured to:
observe a slurry on the component based on the go-no-go indicator after at least two probe tips of the at least three probes make contact with a solid surface of the component coated by the slurry;
determine that the slurry coating thickness on the component exceeds a maximum thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the maximum no-go region;
determine that the slurry coating thickness on the component is below a minimum thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the minimum no-go region; and
determine that the slurry coating thickness on the component meets a target thickness based on detecting the slurry level at the go region.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to position the gauge with respect to the component.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to trigger an alert based on determining the slurry coating thickness using one or more images captured by the camera.

Assignees

• Raytheon Tech Corp

Inventors

• Oo Guolin
• Propheter-Hinckley Tracy A

Classifications

• G01B5/066 Primary

  of coating · CPC title

• G01B11/0616

  of coating · CPC title

• G01B2210/58

  Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit · CPC title