PhD Studentship in Remote Robotic Laser Inspection of Welds and 3D Metal Printed Components

今天，NDE和高价值制造面临的大多数挑战源于越来越多地使用先进材料和先进工艺，这些材料和工艺将性能极限推向了极限。检测技术面临极端操作环境（高温/放射性环境）、限制进入的地方（例如发动机或人体内部）、复杂几何形状的部件、远程部署以及高价值制造（例如增材制造）的过程监控。由于所有这些原因，我们需要的是远程超声波检测：一种非接触式、无耦合器、占地面积小、重量最小的技术，可以通过内窥镜进行检测。激光超声（LU）解决了这些挑战，激光诱导相控阵（LIPAs）通过成功解决通常与LU相关的低信噪比（SNR），特别是对于非破坏性区域，提供了比传统LU技术更好的超声成像。博士学位的目标是实现基于LIPAs的自动化远程超声成像，该成像将使用机器人在真实和具有挑战性的过程中进行部署，例如焊接和3D金属打印环境和组件。待开发的技术将影响英国工业产品的生命周期成本，提高英国制造业的成功，特别是那些依赖于安全关键应用的制造业，如航空航天。因此，这项研究的结果将确保更安全的运输，减少自然资源的使用，并使整个社会受益。机器人提供的激光超声检测提供了一个巨大的机会来检查组件，因为他们正在建造，最终导致自动化的在线过程监控。该项目旨在研究以下领域最新发展的结合潜力：1)自动化和机器人技术，2)先进相控阵激光超声，3)复杂熔焊和大型3D金属打印。具体来说，该项目将首次研究和开发一种激光部署检测系统，该系统使用6自由度（D.O.F.）机械手进行真正的3D表面和体映射。还将开发全光学获取的超声波数据的自动解释，提供有关缺陷的位置、大小和类型的信息。这种解释将是自适应的和实时的，形成一个反馈循环的数据采集过程。基于光学的技术，可以通过柔性光纤传输，也最适合于限制进入的地方，比如对发动机或人体的现场检查。该项目直接适用于增材制造、空间、航空航天、核、国防甚至人类健康等工业领域。机器人交付无损检测是Strathclyde是国际先驱的领域，使用基于传感器的方法。LU将集成到现有的机器人中，以满足提高检测速度的要求，并利用机器人系统的灵活轨迹规划来实现LIPAs在没有物理约束的合成阵列上的潜力。该方法首先应用于曲面结构的检测，然后应用于焊接和增材制造的在线过程监测。总之，提出的研究计划具有高度的新颖性。特别是，远程机器人激光检测的想法和自动化决策过程的发展预计会产生很高的学术和工业影响。博士研究的核心目标将是：-在工业样品上展示LIPAs。-开发合成LIPAs的自动化决策过程。-在工业中遇到的各种检验案例中演示该技术的潜力。-在实际生产环境中研究在线检测系统的部署。

The majority of challenges for NDE and high value manufacturing today stem from the increased use of advanced materials and advanced processes that push the performance limits to extremes. Inspection techniques are faced with extreme operating environments (high temperature/radioactive environments), places of restricted access (e.g. the inside of engines or the human body), components of complex geometries, remote deployment, and in-process monitoring of high-value manufacturing (e.g. additive manufacturing). For all these reasons, what is needed is remote ultrasonic inspection: a technique that is non-contact, couplant free, has small footprint and minimal weight and can be delivered through an endoscope. Laser ultrasonics (LU) address these challenges and Laser Induced Phased Arrays (LIPAs) provide superior ultrasonic imaging than conventional LU techniques by successfully addressing the poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) usually associated with LU, especially for the non destructive regime.The aim of the PhD is to enable automated, remote ultrasonic imaging, based on LIPAs, which will be deployed using robots on real and challenging processes -such as welding and 3D metal printing- environments and components.The techniques to be developed will influence life-cycle costs of UK industrial products, enhancing the success of UK manufacturing, especially those depending on safety critical applications, such as aerospace. As a result, the results from this study will ensure safer transport, reduced usage of natural resources and benefit society as a whole.Robotically delivered Laser Ultrasonic inspection offers a monumental opportunity to inspect components as they are being built, ultimately leading to automated on-line process monitoring. This project seeks to investigate the potential for combining state-of-the-art developments in 1) Automation and Robotics, 2) Advanced Phased Array Laser Ultrasonics and 3) Complex Fusion Welding and large-scale 3D metal printing. Specifically, this project will investigate and develop a system for laser-deployed inspection using a 6 Degree of Freedom (D.O.F.) manipulator for true 3D surface and volume mapping, for the first time. Automated interpretation of all-optically acquired, ultrasonic data, providing information on the location, size and type of defects, will also be developed. This interpretation will be adaptive and real-time, forming a feedback loop to the data acquisition process.Optical-based techniques, which can be delivered through flexible optical fibres, are also best suited for places of restricted access, such as in situ inspection of engines, or the human body. This project is directly applicable to industrial sectors such as additive manufacturing, space, aerospace, nuclear, defence and even human health.Robotic delivery of NDT inspection is an area where Strathclyde are international pioneers, using transducer based methods. LU will be integrated to the existing robots, addressing the requirements for increased inspection speeds and taking advantage of the flexible trajectory planning of the robotic system to realise LIPAs potential on synthesising arrays without physical constraints. The benefits are firstly expected in the inspection of curved structures and then for on-line process monitoring of welding and additive manufacturing.In summary, there is a high degree of novelty in the proposed research plan. In particular, high academic and industrial impact is expected from the idea of remote robotic laser inspection and the development of automated decision making process. The core objectives of the PhD study will be:-Demonstration of LIPAs on industrial samples.-Development of automated decision making process for the synthesis of LIPAs.-Demonstration of the potential of the technique in a variety of inspection cases encountered in industry.-Investigate on-line deployment of the inspection system within a realistic manufacturing environment.