Valid8 Turbine Inspection

Erodex开发了一种完全创新的机器，解决了涡轮叶片、喷嘴导叶和叶片制造中固有的关键测量问题。该项目的目标是通过为当前的检测痛点提供自动化、极其精确和可重复的科学解决方案，提高航空航天和工业燃气轮机行业的产品安全性，同时通过降低目前使用的手动方法相关的当前TAKT时间来提高效率。许多涡轮机部件制造商都遇到了检查瓶颈，并且在人工检查活动和此类活动的分包中可能会产生巨大的成本。这项Erodex发明被命名为Valid8。Valid8使用机器人、远程中心、光纤、视觉和自动化技术来检查冷却孔的几何形状，目前使用手动针规完成。每个组件可以有400个冷却孔，这使得针测是一种非常劳动密集型和科学限制的方法。这种方法也存在人为错误的风险，由于注意力不集中而导致错误，并错过了冷却孔。Valid8使用机器人、激光和视觉技术来检查密封槽的几何形状和位置，平均TAKT时间缩短到传统三坐标测量机测量方法的25%。涂层检查传统上是破坏性的，因此必须对飞机上组装的部件进行目视检查。这也是一个非常主观的方法，它是开放的变量，如检查员的诚信，信念，理解和培训水平。Valid8使用恒定的完整性光源和视觉技术来评估涡轮机部件的涂层状况，突出显示涂层较轻的区域、划痕、芯片、污染和工艺飞溅等问题。我们的解决方案提供了一个非常可重复和自动化的检查，消除了过程中的主观性，减少了检查时间。Valid8还包括一个自动解决后壁碰撞的解决方案，当电极进入核心太远时，涡轮叶片制造商就会遇到这种情况。这是当前典型流程中的另一个手动检查。该项目的最后阶段是Erodex和NPL之间的合作，为这些类型的测量制定一个标准，Erodex和整个行业都可以使用该标准来验证为这些非常独特的组件设计的设备。该项目完成后，Erodex相信涡轮机行业将受益于其工艺和产品的效率提高和产品安全性。

Erodex have developed a completely innovative machine that addresses key measurement problems that are inherent to the manufacture of turbine blades, nozzle guide vanes and segments. The project goals are aimed at improving product safety within the Aerospace and Industrial Gas Turbine industries by offering automated, extremely accurate and repeatable scientific solutions to current inspection pain points, whilst improving efficiency by driving down the current TAKT times associated with manual methods currently used. Many manufacturers of turbine components suffer from inspection bottle necks, and can incur significant costs in manual inspection activities, and sub-contracting of such activities. The Erodex invention has been named Valid8.Valid8 uses robotic, tele-centric, fibre optic, vision and automation technology to check cooling hole geometry, which is currently done using manual pin gauges. Components can have 400 cooling holes each, which makes pin gauging a very labour intensive, and scientifically restricted method. There is also risk of human error associated with this method, with lack of concentration leading to errors, and missed cooling holes.The Valid8 uses robotic, laser and vision technology to check seal slot geometry and position with an average TAKT time reduced to 25% of traditional CMM measurement methods.Coating checks are traditionally destructive, so visual inspection must be carried out on components that will be assembled in aircraft. This is again a very subject method, which is open to variables such as inspector integrity, beliefs, understanding and training levels. Valid8 uses constant integrity light sources and vision technology to assess coating condition of turbines components, highlighting issues such as lightly coated areas, scratches, chips, contamination and process spatter. Our solution offers an extremely repeatable and automated check to remove subjectivity from the process and reduce checking times.Valid8 also includes an automated solution to back wall impingement, experienced by turbine blade manufacturers when an electrode travels too far into a core. This is currently another manual check in a typical process.The final stage of this project is a collaboration between Erodex and the NPL to outline a standard for these types of measurements, that Erodex and the industry as a whole can use for validating equipment designed for these very unique components. On completion of this project Erodex believe that the turbine industry will benefit from increased efficiency and product safety of their processes and products respectively.