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A system and method for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface (e.g., outer ply) of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine. A gantry moves over the composite part along a predetermined length thereof. A thermal excitation source fixe

A system and method for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface (e.g., outer ply) of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine. A gantry moves over the composite part along a predetermined length thereof. A thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry directs infrared radiation across the width of the surface of the composite part. A infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the thermal excitation source scans the surface as the gantry moves to detect and output scan information thereof. A controller is coupled to the thermal excitation source and to the infrared camera. The controller processes the sequence of infrared images to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface.

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1. A system for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine, the composite part having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, comprising: the composite layup machine configured to form

1. A system for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine, the composite part having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, comprising: the composite layup machine configured to form the composite part;a gantry positioned over the composite layup machine and configured to move over the composite part in a first direction along the predetermined length thereof;a first thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least a first portion of the width of the surface of the composite part;a first infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the first thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the first portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface; anda controller coupled to the first thermal excitation source and to the first infrared camera, the controller configured to process the scan information from the first infrared camera to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first thermal excitation source is configured to direct infrared radiation across the entire width of the surface of the composite part; and wherein the first infrared camera is configured to scan the entire width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least a second portion of the width of the surface of the composite part;a second infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the second thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the second portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface; andwherein the controller is coupled to the second excitation source and to the second infrared camera and is configured to process the scan information from the first and second infrared cameras to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the width of the surface of the composite part and the second portion of the width of the composite part are the entire width of the composite part. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first thermal excitation source and the first infrared camera are fixed to the gantry via a mechanism for moving laterally along the gantry. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first thermal excitation source and the first infrared camera are fixed to the gantry via a pivot mechanism. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gantry comprises a parallel member positioned above the composite part being formed in a direction orthogonal to the direction of motion of the gantry. 8. The system of claim 7, where the composite part being formed is flat or nearly flat. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the composite part is a skin for an aircraft wing. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the gantry comprises an angled member positioned above the composite part being formed in a direction orthogonal to the direction of motion of the gantry. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the composite part being formed has a central flat portion and left and right outer portions angled to the central flat portion, wherein the first portion is the central flat portion, and further comprising: a second thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least a second portion of the width of the surface of the composite part, the second portion corresponding to the left outer portion;a second infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the second thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the second portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface;a third thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least a third portion of the width of the surface of the composite part, the third portion corresponding to the right outer portion;a third infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the second thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the third portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface; andwherein the controller is coupled to the second excitation source, the second infrared camera, the third excitation source and the third infrared camera and is configured to process the scan information from the first, second and third infrared cameras to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the angled member has an apex at a central portion thereof, a right end and a left end, wherein the first excitation source and first infrared camera are mounted at the apex, the second excitation source and second infrared camera are mounted at the left end, and the third excitation source and third infrared camera are mounted at the right end. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the composite part being formed is a spar for an aircraft wing. 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the left and right outer portions are orthogonal to the central flat portion. 15. A system for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine, the composite part having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, comprising: a gantry configured to move over the composite part in a first direction along the predetermined length thereof;a first thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least a first portion of the width of the surface of the composite part;a first infrared camera fixed to the gantry a predetermined distance away from the first thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the first portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface; anda controller coupled to the first thermal excitation source and to the first infrared camera, the controller configured to process the scan information from the first infrared camera to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface;wherein the gantry comprises an angled member positioned above the composite part being formed in a direction orthogonal to the direction of motion of the gantry;wherein the composite part being formed has a central flat portion and left and right outer portions angled to the central flat portion along the width thereof, wherein the first portion is the central flat portion, wherein the angled member has an apex at a central portion thereof, a right end and a left end, wherein the first excitation source and first infrared camera are mounted at the apex, and further comprising:a first infrared mirror mounted at the right end of the angled member;a second infrared mirror mounted at the left end of the angled member; andwherein the first infrared camera has a field of view wider than the central flat portion, the first infrared mirror mounted to direct a first outer portion of the field of view of the first infrared camera at the right output portion of the composite part and the second infrared mirror mounted to direct a second outer portion of the field of view of the first infrared camera at the left output portion of the composite part. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the composite part being formed is a spar for an aircraft wing. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first infrared mirror and second infrared mirror are each convex. 18. A system for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under an outer ply of a composite part being formed by a composite layup machine, the composite part having a predetermined length and a predetermined width, the composite part having a central flat portion and left and right outer portions angled to the central flat portion along the width thereof, comprising: the composite layup machine configured to form the composite part;a gantry positioned over the composite layup machine and configured to move over the composite part in a first direction along the predetermined length of the composite part, the gantry having an angled shape with an apex at a central portion thereof, a right end and a left end;a first thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry at the apex thereof and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least the central flat portion of the composite part;a first infrared camera fixed to the gantry at the apex thereof a predetermined distance away from the first thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the central flat portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface;a second thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry at the left end thereof and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least the left outer portion of the width of the surface of the composite part;a second infrared camera fixed to the gantry at the right end thereof a predetermined distance away from the second thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the left outer portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface;a third thermal excitation source fixed to the gantry at the right end thereof and configured to direct infrared radiation across at least the right outer portion of the width of the surface of the composite part;a third infrared camera fixed to the gantry at the right end thereof a predetermined distance away from the second thermal excitation source and configured to scan at least the right outer portion of the width of the surface as the gantry moves over the surface to detect and output scan information of the scanned surface; andwherein the controller is coupled to the first thermal excitation source, the first infrared camera, the second excitation source, the second infrared camera, the third excitation source and the third infrared camera and is configured to process the scan information from the first, second and third infrared cameras to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface. 19. A method for the detection of foreign object debris materials or defects on and/or under a surface of a workpiece, comprising the steps of: moving a gantry having an infrared excitation source and infrared camera mounted in a central portion thereon over a workpiece being formed by a composite layup machine in a first direction along a length thereof, the infrared camera mounted a predetermined distance away from the thermal excitation source;directing an infrared radiation beam from the infrared excitation source over the surface of the workpiece as the gantry moves over the workpiece;scanning the surface of the workpiece with the infrared camera to detect and output scan information of the surface of the workpiece as the gantry moves over the workpiece; andprocessing the scan information from the infrared camera to identify a foreign object debris material or defect located on and/or under the surface of the workpiece. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the infrared camera is a radiometric camera, further comprising the step of: processing the scan information from the infrared camera to provide temperature information for an upper layer of the workpiece and a subsurface of the workpiece.