Computer Vision for Inspection of Internal Composite Structure Developed in High-Throughput Manufacturing Processes

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Discontinuous, long fiber-reinforced polymer (DLFRP) composites have gained importance in the transportation industry due to the weight and economic savings they provide. One of the most attractive attributes of DLFRP composites is their ease of manufacturing manufacturability into geometrically complex three-dimensional parts using high-throughput methods such as compression molding. The quality assurance of the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) in a molded part is critical since the configuration of the reinforcing fibers is significantly changed throughout the production process, and the final FOD translates into the part's mechanical and functional properties. Poor production quality control results in significant operational and financial costs as high as 15-20% of annual sales revenue. The current state-of-the-art shows that conventional imagery-based inspection methods for FOD have a number of limitations and the development of advanced inspection methods is instrumental to unlock the full potential that DLFRP composites have to offer for lightweight applications. As such, this NSERC Discovery research program aims at developing a new, integrated multi-physics, multi-scale simulation modeling and experimental approach for FOD analysis in compression-molded DLFRP composites. The main tangible outcomes of this research program will be: (i) technology for online (real-time) data-driven analysis of thermographic imagery for non-destructive inspection of FOD; (ii) enhancement of the fundamental science necessary for technology development; (iii) training highly qualified personnel (HQP) with competencies in manufacturing, inspection, and numerical simulation-based modeling of advanced fiber reinforced polymer composites. Once established and validated, the proposed integrated framework is expected to be widely used by Canadian companies in the aerospace, automotive, and marine sectors, helping them to ensure the quality and repeatability of the mechanical properties in compression-molded DLFRP composite parts. Replacing metal parts with compression-molded DLFRP composites results in up to 40% weight savings which translates to energy savings, fuel economy and reduced global emissions. Compression molding allows mass production of small-to-medium sized, complex-shaped composite parts with zero waste material - these factors play a significant role in reducing the cost and environmental effects of composite manufacturing.