9871946 Madanshetty Non-Contact Diagnostics in Manufacturing: A New Precision Measurement Laboratory The project will establish a new precision measurement research laboratory for the development of a variety of non-contact sensing technologies for application in manufacturing environments. Since 1995, an interdisciplinary group of faculty members and graduate students from several departments was formed at Kansas State University (KSU). The common interest of this cohesive group is to share research results, research equipment, and laboratory experiences in the areas of non-contact sensors, instrumentation, data acquisition, precision positioning, and digital signal processing. This activity enjoys a great support from the university, state agencies and private industry. In addition to university and private sector support, the Manufacturing Learning Center (MLC) within the university s Advance Manufacturing Institute(AMI) provides a unique opportunity for conveying research results to the private sector. Based on past experience, one expects that the anticipated new research results will greatly benefit the small to medium-sized progressive manufacturers in Kansas as well as the nation. Four critical areas of research in Non-Contact Precision Measurement (NCPM) have been identified: laser sensors, acoustic emission, computer vision, and radiation sensors. These research areas encompass the majority of non-contact diagnostic technologies frequently applied in manufacturing environments. Examples of real-life applications include gear profile inspection; high precision surface structure diagnosis; non-contact evaluation of nodularity in casting irons; and non- contact printed circuit board plating thickness inspection.
