GPU Ray Tracing for the Analysis of Light Deflection in Inhomogeneous Refractive Index Fields of Hot Tailored Forming...

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Optical Metrology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Hybrid bulk metal parts are crucial for modern engineering but exhibit complex shrinkage due to thermal expansion differences.
• Hot-forming processes induce significant temperature gradients, causing air density fluctuations and an inhomogeneous refractive index field (IRIF).
• IRIF adversely affects optical geometry reconstruction accuracy by deflecting light during in situ quality monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To predict the magnitude and orientation of refractive index fluctuations during hot-forming.
• To assess the impact of IRIF on optical measurement accuracy using a ray tracing simulation.
• To optimize measurement strategies for enhanced quality control in hybrid part production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized existing simulation data for inhomogeneous refractive index fields (IRIF).
• Employed a GPU-accelerated ray tracing framework to simulate light deflection.
• Analyzed simulation results to determine optimal measurement positions and quantify uncertainties.

Main Results:

• Quantified the impact of IRIF on optical measurements during hot-forming.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of simulation-based approaches in predicting refractive index variations.
• Identified optimized measurement positions to mitigate light deflection effects.

Conclusions:

• Simulation of IRIF is crucial for understanding and compensating for optical measurement errors in hot-forming.
• The developed method enables reduced and quantified uncertainties in surface reconstruction.
• This approach significantly improves the reliability of in situ quality control for hybrid bulk metal parts.