Optimization of Sensor Optics for Industrial Thermal Spray Sensors

摘要

For a decade now, industrial sensors have been commerciallyavailable to both academia and industry. In general, thesesensors measure individual and/or bulk properties of thepowders being sprayed. Experience has shown that normally,researchers will tend to favor sensors with high spatialresolution like the DPV 2000, because of the fundamentalinformation they give about the plume structure. Suchinformation is vital for proper gun design and spray parameteroptimization. However, for process monitoring applicationstypically performed with a sensor like the AccuraSpray, it isoften more convenient to measure global properties over awider volume inside the plume. In this case, there is always atradeoff to be made between spatial resolution andfundamental process understanding. This paper illustrates thispoint by comparing two optical configurations, one with highspatial resolution and another one with medium resolution.This latter configuration makes use of a cylindrical lens toexpand the sensor field of view in a direction perpendicular tothe spray direction. Results clearly show that with minoroptical modifications such sensors can be tailored to preciseindustrial requirements.