Self-contained, modular sensor array for in-situ monitoring and data fusion in manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025383650-A1
Application number	US-202519237535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2025
Priority date	Jun 13, 2024
Publication date	Dec 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments of in-situ geometric monitoring for manufacturing processes are described. In one example embodiment, a manufacturing workcell includes a plurality of in-situ sensors individually configured to capture discrete geometric signature data indicative of at least one layer of a printing part positioned in the manufacturing workcell during a manufacturing process. The manufacturing workcell further includes a computing device coupled to the plurality of in-situ sensors. The computing device includes a memory device to store computer-readable instructions thereon. The computing device further includes at least one processing device configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to perform an in-situ evaluation of geometric error of the printing part at the manufacturing workcell during the manufacturing process based at least in part on the discrete geometric signature data.

First claim

Therefore, at least the following is claimed:

1 . A manufacturing workcell, comprising:
a plurality of in-situ sensors individually configured to capture discrete geometric signature data indicative of at least one layer of a printing part positioned in the manufacturing workcell during a manufacturing process; and a computing device coupled to the plurality of in-situ sensors, the computing device comprising: a memory device to store computer-readable instructions thereon; and at least one processing device configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to perform an in-situ evaluation of geometric error of the printing part at the manufacturing workcell during the manufacturing process based at least in part on the discrete geometric signature data.

2 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the in-situ evaluation of geometric error of the printing part, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
perform a geometric comparison of the at least one layer of the printing part against an as-designed model corresponding to the printing part during the manufacturing process.

3 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the in-situ evaluation of geometric error of the printing part, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
perform a geometric comparison of the at least one layer of the printing part against an as-designed model corresponding to the printing part based on an adaptively sampled distance function during the manufacturing process.

4 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of in-situ sensors comprises individual in-situ stereo structured light scanning systems coupled to and arranged about the manufacturing workcell.

5 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to operate individual in-situ sensors among the plurality of in-situ sensors to separately capture the discrete geometrical signature data; and the discrete geometrical signature data comprises at least one of three-dimensional scan data, thermal data, visual data, acoustic data, or image data indicative of the at least one layer of the printing part during the manufacturing process.

6 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
perform a data fusion process to obtain comprehensive geometric signature data indicative of the at least one layer of the printing part based at least in part on the discrete geometric signature data captured by individual in-situ sensors among the plurality of in-situ sensors.

7 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
perform a global registration process to determine a homogenous transformation between reference frames of individual in-situ sensors among the plurality of in-situ sensors and a reference frame of a machine coordinate system corresponding to at least one of the manufacturing workcell or a manufacturing system in which the manufacturing process is performed.

8 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 7 , wherein, to perform the global registration process, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
operate each of the individual in-situ sensors to separately capture three-dimensional scans of a physical three-dimensional marker aligned to the machine coordinate system.

9 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 8 , wherein, to perform the global registration process, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
obtain respective point clouds generated in the reference frames of the individual in-situ sensors for the three-dimensional scans of the physical three-dimensional marker aligned to the machine coordinate system.

10 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 9 , wherein, to perform the global registration process, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
transform the reference frames of the individual in-situ sensors to the reference frame of the machine coordinate system by fitting the respective point clouds to a ground truth marker point cloud aligned with the machine coordinate system, the ground truth marker point cloud being generated based at least in part on an as-designed model corresponding to the printing part and the physical three-dimensional marker.

11 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 10 , wherein, to perform the global registration process, the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
implement a random sample consensus process for global registration of the respective point clouds to the ground truth marker point cloud aligned with the machine coordinate system; and implement a point-to-plane iterative-closest-point process for final registration of the respective point clouds to the ground truth marker point cloud aligned with the machine coordinate system.

12 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
modify at least one of the printing part or the manufacturing process based at least in part on one or more of the comprehensive geometric signature data or the geometric error.

13 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
provide at least one of the comprehensive geometric signature data or the geometric error to a second computing device to modify at least one of the printing part or the manufacturing process based at least in part on one or more of the comprehensive geometric signature data or the geometric error.

14 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
format at least one of the discrete geometric signature data, the comprehensive geometric signature data, the geometric error, or an as-designed model corresponding to the printing part for visual rendering in at least one of an augmented reality environment or a virtual reality environment.

15 . The manufacturing workcell of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured through execution of the computer-readable instructions to:
render visualizations of at least one of the discrete geometric signature data, the comprehensive geometric signature data, the geometric error, or an as-designed model corresponding to the printing part in at least one of an augmented reality environment or a virtual reality environment.

16 . A method of in-situ geometric monitoring for a manufacturing process, the method comprising:
operating, by at least one processor, a plurality of in-situ sensors within a manufacturing workcell to capture discrete geometric signature data indicative of at least one layer of a printing part positioned in the manufacturing workcell during the manufacturing process; and perf

Assignees

• Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc

Inventors

• Williams Christopher
• Kosmal Tadeusz
• Pratt Sam

Classifications

• G05B19/4183

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• G05B19/4184 Primary

  characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system · CPC title