There are described herein methods and system for generating an inspection image of an object from radiographic imaging. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of digital images of the object positioned between a radiation source and a photon beam detector, the digital images taken at different object-detector distances or source-detector distances to create unique grain diffraction patterns in each one of the digital images, and forming the inspection image from image features common to the digital images at a common scale and removing the unique grain diffraction patterns.

Techniques for facilitating testing analytics of imaging systems and methods using molds are provided. In one example, a system includes a mold temperature controller configured to apply a thermal signature to a mold of a target. The system further includes a focal plane array configured to capture an infrared image of the mold. The system further includes an image analytics device configured to determine thermal analytics associated with the mold based on the infrared image. Related devices and methods are also provided.

One variation of a method for monitoring manufacture of assembly units includes: receiving selection of a target location hypothesized by a user to contain an origin of a defect in assembly units of an assembly type; accessing a feature map linking non-visual manufacturing features to physical locations within the assembly type; for each assembly unit, accessing an inspection image of the assembly unit recorded by an optical inspection station during production of the assembly unit, projecting the target location onto the inspection image, detecting visual features proximal the target location within the inspection image, and aggregating non-visual manufacturing features associated with locations proximal the target location and representing manufacturing inputs into the assembly unit based on the feature map; and calculating correlations between visual and non-visual manufacturing features associated with locations proximal the target location and the defect for the set of assembly units.

A method for quantitatively measuring internal defects in an as-cast steel product includes optically scanning at least a portion of a surface of the steel product with a scanning device to create a digital image thereof, analyzing the digital image to calculate a quantitative value for an amount of internal defects therein, and normalizing the quantitative value to a rating according to a standardized scale.

A method for the non-destructive testing of the volume of a test object, during the course of which a volume raw image of the test object is recorded by a suitable non-destructive imaging testing method. Then, those regions of the volume raw image are identified that are not to be attributed to the test object material. It is checked whether an identified region is completely embedded in regions that are to be associated with the test object material. If necessary, such a region is assimilated to those regions that are to be associated with the test object material, forming a filled volume raw image. Finally, a difference is generated between the volume raw image and the filled volume raw image, forming a first flaw image.

An inspection device includes: a first light source configured to emit light through a diffusion plate; a second light source configured to emit light through a focusing optical component; and a camera configured to take an image of a resin molded substrate irradiated with the light from the first light source and the second light source.

A computing system may include an access engine and a defect detection engine. The access engine may be configured to access a slice contour of a given layer of a 3-dimensional (3D) object designed for manufacture through an additive manufacturing process and obtain hatch tracking for the slice contour, the hatch tracking representative of an energy path to melt metal powder for constructing the given layer through the additive manufacturing process. The defect detection engine may be configured to construct, from the slice contour, an as-built image for the given layer by rendering the hatch tracking in the slice contour; construct, from the slice contour, an idealized image for the given layer; and identify defects in the given layer via image analysis between the as-built image and the idealized image.

A manufacturing method of single crystal is provided with a melting process for dissolving raw material in a crucible and a pulling-up process of a single crystal from a melt by the Czochralski method. The pulling-up process includes detecting an edge line of a fusion ring, determining an approximated curve of the edge line by approximating the edge line of the fusion ring by an even function, eliminating constituent pixels of the fusion ring from the image of the fusion ring as noise, the constituent pixels being positioned on the side of the melt relative to the approximated curve and the constituent pixels of the fusion ring and a deviation between the constituent pixels and the approximated curve being a predetermined number of pixels, and calculating the center position of the single crystal from the edge line of the fusion ring from which the noise has been eliminated.

One variation of a method for monitoring manufacture of assembly units includes: receiving selection of a target location hypothesized by a user to contain an origin of a defect in assembly units of an assembly type; accessing a feature map linking non-visual manufacturing features to physical locations within the assembly type; for each assembly unit, accessing an inspection image of the assembly unit recorded by an optical inspection station during production of the assembly unit, projecting the target location onto the inspection image, detecting visual features proximal the target location within the inspection image, and aggregating non-visual manufacturing features associated with locations proximal the target location and representing manufacturing inputs into the assembly unit based on the feature map; and calculating correlations between visual and non-visual manufacturing features associated with locations proximal the target location and the defect for the set of assembly units.

Systems and methods are provided for thermal inspection of tape layup. One embodiment is a method for performing inspection of a tape layup. The method comprises laying up tape onto a surface of a laminate, applying heat to tack the tape to the surface, and generating thermographic images of the tape as applied to the surface.