SBIR Phase I: Development of a Probe for Inspection of Transmission Valve Ports

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在开发一种非接触式光学探头，用于自动检测自动变速器阀体和泵盖的圆柱形阀口。在第一阶段，将建造一个探头，并建立一个试验台，以表征探头对不同表面光洁度的响应，以及探头相对于阀门端口的对中和对准误差。探头将使用激光扫描变速阀端口的表面，并将通过分析安装在探头中的探测器的返回信号来确定表面光洁度是否合格。目前，这些阀门端口是由人工检查员目测检查的。并不是所有的阀门端口都被检查，被检查的部件中的缺陷可能会被遗漏。正在开发的探头将识别有缺陷的部件，以便将它们从生产线上移除。如果这项技术成功商业化，将提高自动变速器制造的效率并降低成本。这将为公众带来更便宜、更高质量的汽车。这项技术将用产生可记录数据的自动、客观的全面检查取代无效的、随机的、主观的检查过程，这些数据可以被挖掘出来，以加强对制造过程的理解。在运营车辆中，有缺陷的变速器燃油效率较低，因此更高质量的变速器也可以提高燃油经济性。该技术也可应用于其他精密加工零件的小圆柱孔检测。这项技术的成功商业化将创造出一种拥有全球市场的新产品。这将创造高薪的高科技工作岗位，从而加强美国经济。

The Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project is directed towards developing a non contact optical probe for automated inspection of cylindrical valve ports of automatic transmission valve bodies and pump covers. In Phase I a probe will be built and a test stand will be set up to characterize the response of the probe to different surface finishes and to centering and alignment errors of the probe with respect to the valve port. The probe will scan the surface of a transmission valve port using a laser beam and will determine whether the surface finish is acceptable or defective by analyzing the return signal to a detector mounted in the probe. At the present time these valve ports are visually inspected by human inspectors. Not all valve ports are inspected and defects in parts that are inspected may be missed. The probe being developed will identify defective components so they can be removed from the production stream.If this technology is successfully commercialized it would increase efficiency and reduce costs in the manufacture of automatic transmissions. This would result in less expensive, higher quality vehicles for the public. The technology would replace an ineffective, random, subjective inspection process with an automated, objective total inspection that produces recordable data, which could be mined to enhance understanding of the manufacturing process. Defective transmissions in operating vehicles are less fuel efficient, so higher quality transmissions could also improve fuel economy. The technique could be applied to inspection of small cylindrical holes in other precision manufactured components. Successful commercialization of this technology would create a new product with a worldwide market. This would generate high-paying high-technology jobs that would strengthen the American economy.