Design and Application of Reconfigurable Inspection Machines

摘要

Rapid, non-contact, in-process inspection of manufactured parts may have an economic impact on many production industries. Two types of reconfigurable machines are described in the paper: the first addresses the needs of automotive industries and the other is for aerospace applications. A new type of Reconfigurable Inspection Machine (RIM) built to measure a mass produced part family of engine cylinder heads, and the Blade Inspection Machine (BIM) built to measure part family of turbine blades. Reconfigurable Machines form a new class of machines that are designed at the outset around a specific part family and allow rapid change in their structure.