Research progress of laser triangulation on-machine measurement technology for complex surface: A review

Complex surface plays a vital role in the aeronautical industries for its preferable mechanical properties. However, machining such complexity is challenging without post-process inspection. Compensation derived from measurement is essential to ensure final form accuracy. The process efficiency can be improved significantly with real-time on-machine measurement. The laser triangulation technology is an excellent fit for such applications, because of its micrometric accuracy with a large measuring range and non-contact nature. In this paper, the recent research progress of laser triangulation on-machine measurement (LTOMM) has been reviewed. The measuring technique, error compensation, path optimization, and application of LTOMM are reviewed. More specifically, the possible errors in laser triangulation are reviewed and comprehensively analyzed based on the recent research published. The measurement path planning and optimization strategies are surveyed. An application is presented to illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of LTOMM in propeller or turbine blade fabrication. Finally, the challenges, development trends and perspectives of laser triangulation on-machine measurement are discussed.