A Semi-Automatic Thickness Inspection Technique for Marine Propellers

摘要

This paper describes the design and development of a Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper System tornmeasure the thickness of an outboard marine engine propeller blade. Several commonly used methods forrnmeasuring the thickness of a propeller blade are reviewed in this paper. These include the Props Scan and 3DrnVision System. However, the operating practices and availability of different facilities in industry necessitate arnmore cost-effective approach. An alternative method using a Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper System isrntherefore proposed. Details of the design criteria, principles of operation as well as the testing and verification ofrnthe system are presented. The paper concludes that the Semi-Automatic Precision Caliper System is a low costrnand effective method for measuring the thickness of a propeller blade.