Development of Advanced Optical Diagnostic and Measurement Systems for Metals Processing Research

Stratonics will develop a suite of non-instrusive advanced optical diagnostics and measurement systems for advanced metal processing technologies; such as stomization, spray forming, and coating. Advanced manufacturing processes are under development in industry, national laboratories, and universities to provide super alloys, aluminum, and composites in the form of billet, sheet, and plate. This development is internationally based with the automative industry in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Sensors suites include laser holography, high speed cameras, thermal pyromters/imagers, and particle analysis systems with spatial and temporal response, dynamic range, accuracy, and signal to noise ratios, which will meet the requirements for development of advanced metal processing technologies. Advanced optical diagnostics and measurement systems are needed to support the development of state of the art metal processing techniques, which can be industrialized at low cost. Transition to industry will be predicted upon improvements in the process efficiency affected by process monitoring and the development of rugged and low cost sensors. This effort will describe how advanced optical diagnostic and measurement systems will be constructed and optimized to support the development of advanced metal processing technologies at NIST, and transitioned to process control monitors in advanced metal processing industries.