Surface Defect Detection in Additive Manufacturing

Advantages:

• Detects hidden surface and subsurface defects in real-time during additive manufacturing builds
• Enables immediate, in-process corrective actions without interrupting the manufacturing workflow
• Reduces waste and cost through early, accurate defect detection and process monitoring

Summary:

Additive manufacturing enables complex designs, but ensuring consistent quality is a major challenge. Defects often develop due to changes in geometry, material properties, and thermal conditions. Existing inspection methods are either slow or limited, causing undetected flaws, wasted materials, and unreliable parts in high-performance or safety-critical applications.

This invention uses pulsed thermography and infrared imaging to detect both surface and subsurface defects during the printing process. The system allows real-time, non-contact inspection and immediate corrective actions without interrupting production. It supports multiple materials and significantly improves manufacturing efficiency, product reliability, and quality assurance in additive manufacturing environments.

Specular reflections from a surface defect showing hotspots in the IR image

Desired Partnerships:

• License