Phase3D develops in-situ Cold Spray inspection following $1.25M US Air Force funding
April 9, 2025
Phase3D, based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, has announced the successful deployment of its Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray system – developed with $1.25 million in funding from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) – for the inspection of Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing.
The technology enables real-time, in-situ inspection to identify and quantify surface defects such as cratering, cracking and pitting during the Cold Spray process, enabling higher deposition quality. Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray also provides surface flatness measurements, allowing users to assess deposit surfaces to verify repair quality and adherence to necessary specifications. These real-time inspections enable the Cold Spray process to be adjusted dynamically, thus improving process efficiency and reducing material waste.
Successful deployment at Ellsworth Air Force Base
To showcase its appropriateness in military and aerospace applications, Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray was tested and validated in an operational setting at the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), Ohio, and Ellsworth Air Force Base, Box Elder, North Dakota.
“The successful completion of this project underscores the importance of real-time inspection in Additive Manufacturing,” said Niall O’Dowd, Founder and CEO of Phase3D. “The deployment at Ellsworth AFB proves that structured light inspection is a game-changer for Cold Spray applications. This technology not only ensures higher-quality repairs but also delivers significant cost and time savings for the Air Force.”
Key milestones & results
The technology was initially developed under the STTR Phase II Proposal F2-16465 – In-Situ Monitoring for Blown Powder Additive Manufacturing contract. Phase3D highlighted the following milestones during its development process.
Milestone 1: Hardware & software development
Phase3D designed, prototyped, programmed, tested, and deployed the Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray product at UDRI and Ellsworth Air Force Base. The hardware attaches to a robotic arm, capturing millions of measurement points related to layer thickness, roughness, and shape in real time.
Milestone 2: Validation and benchmarking for quality go/no-go gauges
Phase3D worked closely with Air Force engineers at Ellsworth Air Force Base to establish data-driven quality thresholds. Phase3D’s end users and customers provided examples of both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ quality Cold Spray deposits, created using helium and nitrogen carrier gases.
Using data obtained through real-time Fringe Inspection: Cold Spray inspection, Phase3D was able to characterise the samples. This data was then used to develop a quality threshold procedure, incorporating a go/no-go gauge for evaluating surface and shape characteristics.
Milestone 3: Blind test study to test go/no-go thresholds
The real-time quality thresholds established in previous testing were implemented to assess the component quality of various service test specimens.
Future applications & industry expansion
Following the success of this project, Phase3D plans to expand the applications of structured light inspection across Additive Manufacturing and industrial repair sectors. The company is said to be actively collaborating with the US Department of Defense and private industry partners to further enhance Cold Spray repair capabilities.
