Data fusion for process monitoring and NDE

The quality of a final product is assured by a combination of process control measurements during manufacturing and acceptable final inspections. These activities are often performed independently and the information from various measurement method and production steps is rarely shared. For advanced structures, that require a high level of assurance, a data fusion approach using both process data and NDE measurements is proposed to improve interpretation by utilizing all available information in an systematic manner. NDE and process data fusion can occur in many forms, some relatively simple and some very complex. As the complexity and performance requirements of a product increase the need for data fusion can justify the additional cost of implementation. Typically, a data fusion workstation is used. The data fusion workstation accepts information in a variety of formats, providing a platform to interpret the data in combination or simplified presentation modes. The interpretation of data is improved by knowledge obtained from both in-process monitoring and multiple inspection measurements, leading to reduced risk of failure.