Collaborative Research: Leveraging Noncontact Dimensional Metrology to Understand Complex Part-to-Part Variation

该奖项的目标是开发一种范例，用于识别和可视化高维、空间密集的光学坐标测量机(OCMM)数据中复杂的零件到零件的变化模式。利用激光和/或视觉系统进行非接触式尺寸测量的OCMM是离散零件制造中最有前途的质量控制测量技术之一。它们会生成大量的轮廓、点云和高分辨率图像数据，这些数据表示参数曲面和非参数曲面的几何特征。这一奖项的重点是零件到零件的变化，与当前OCMM数据分析软件的重点根本不同，后者将几何特征分别匹配到单个零件。为了建立理解变异的范式，将开发一个识别和可视化变异模式的流形学习框架，解决包括同时识别非参数和参数变异模式、处理与流形学习中通常假设的不同的测量噪声结构、转换OCMM数据以减少模式中的非线性程度以及处理在不同过程阶段获得的不同数据类型的挑战。如果成功，本研究结果将为发现和消除制造变异的主要根本原因提供强有力的工具。许多离散零件制造行业在OCMM设备上投入了大量资金，但缺乏知识发现工具来充分利用该技术来了解零件到零件的差异。这项研究将通过创建一种更有效地分析高维、空间密集的OCMM数据的方法来填补一个关键的空白。它将提供更复杂、更迫切需要的差异减少工具，适合制造采用现代OCMM技术的六西格玛计划，这将增加美国制造商的竞争力。它还将使OCMM技术获得更大的投资回报，预计这将增加对硬件/软件系统的需求，并推动该技术的进一步进步。

The objective of this award is to develop a paradigm for identifying and visualizing complex part-to-part variation patterns in high-dimensional, spatially dense optical coordinate measuring machine (OCMM) data. OCMMs for noncontact dimensional metrology using laser and/or vision systems are one of the most promising emerging measurement technologies for quality control in discrete parts manufacturing. They produce large volumes of profile, point cloud, and high resolution image data that represent parametric and nonparametric surface geometry characteristics. The emphasis of this award on part-to-part variation is fundamentally different than the emphasis of current OCMM data analysis software, which fits geometric features separately to individual parts. To create the proposed paradigm for understanding variation, a manifold learning framework for identifying and visualizing the variation patterns will be developed, addressing challenges that include simultaneously identifying nonparametric and parametric variation patterns, handling measurement noise structure that differs from what is typically assumed in manifold learning, transforming OCMM data to reduce the extent of nonlinearity in the patterns, and handling heterogeneous data types obtained at different process stages.If successful, the results of this research will provide a powerful tool to facilitate the discovery and elimination of major root causes of manufacturing variation. Many discrete parts manufacturing industries invest heavily in OCMM equipment but lack knowledge discovery tools for fully utilizing the technology to understand part-to-part variation. This research will fill a critical void by creating a methodology for more effectively analyzing high-dimensional, spatially dense OCMM data. It will provide more sophisticated, badly needed variation reduction tools suitable for manufacturing six-sigma programs that employ modern OCMM technology, which will increase the competitiveness of US manufacturers. It will also allow for a greater return on investment in OCMM technology, which is expected to increase demand for the hardware/software systems and spark further advances in the technology.