Measurement/Control System for On-Machine Inspection and Tool Path Correction

Current practice for machining ceramic radomes used in millimeter wave missiles relies on 20-year-old technology. The result of these antiquated processes is that the yield of machined radomes is unacceptably low and the time required to machine the parts is exceedingly long. These result because of the need for in-process part inspections that require the part to be removed from the machine tool, inspected in an inspection machine located remotely from the machine tool, and then realigned on the machine tool. This process is time-consuming and the difficulty in realigning the part in the machining fixture is such that many parts are scrapped before they are finished. Even parts that complete all of the machining steps are not guaranteed to achieve the proper dimensional tolerances. To overcome these difficulties, Creare proposes to develop a Measurement and Control System for On-Machine Inspection and Tool Path Correction for the fabrication of ceramic radomes. Our innovation combines on-machine inspection capabilities with tool path control and calibration to ensure highly accurate machining of complex ceramic part geometries and greatly improved speed of machining ceramic matrix composite radomes.