Curvature Estimation for Metrology of Non-Rigid Parts

At the end of the manufacturing process, engineers need to know if a manufactured part fits its computer-aided design (CAD) model and how is the amplitude of inherent variation of manufacturing process. Non-rigid parts, at free state condition, may have a significant different form than their CAD model due to gravity loads; residual stresses induced distortion and/or assembly load. Today, a complicated and expensive specialized fixture is needed to conform these parts. To tackle the above challenges, we present in this paper a new approach for metrology of fixtureless non-rigid parts. This approach combines the curvature properties of manufactured parts with the extreme value statistic test as identification method to distinguish profile deviation due to the manufacturing process from part’s deformation due to the flexibility of the part and to determine whether the tolerance fits the CAD model or no. This approach is tested on simulated typical industrial sheet metal giving satisfying results in terms of percentage of errors in defect area and in peak profile deviation estimated.