Control apparatus
US4358471A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 1981 |
| Grant date | Nov 9, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 26, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/26
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Although the method and apparatus of the present invention can be utilized to apply either a uniform or a nonuniform covering of material over many different workpieces, the apparatus (20) is advantageously utilized to apply a thermal barrier covering (64) to an airfoil (22) which is used in a turbine engine. The airfoil is held by a gripper assembly (86) while a spray gun (24) is effective to apply the covering over the airfoil. When a portion of the covering has been applied, a sensor (28) is utilized to detect the thickness of the covering. A control apparatus (32) compares the thickness of the covering of material which has been applied with the desired thickness and is subsequently effective to regulate the operation of the spray gun to adaptively apply a covering of a desired thickness with an accuracy of at least plus or minus 0.0015 inches (1.5 mils) despite unanticipated process variations.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.