Advanced Photogrammetry for Flexible, Intelligent Robot Manufacturing (AFFIRM)

**愿景**：英国企业INSPHERE和Createc拥有的技术可以彻底改变安全关键部件制造的先进焊接和检测。AFFIRM采用了INSPHERE的新型和高度创新的IONA系统，用于实时监控和控制机器人，并将其与Createc的原位射线照相焊接检测技术一起推进。这将为英国关键工业部门（如核能、海上能源）的先进自动化安全关键部件制造开发技术。这两家中小企业将得到谢菲尔德大学核先进制造研究中心（UoS, Nuclear AMRC）的支持，通过IONA提供的精确监测，展示安全、准确的机器人工艺，包括使用基于多机器人的射线照相方法进行焊接操作和过程中的焊接检查。机会：到2030年，英国工业机器人市场将达到5亿英镑，到2027年，全球核反应堆市场将达到557.1亿美元。核能在实现净零能源目标（COP26）方面获得了新的动力。最近的英国政策应该开启大规模核能（2021年核能法案），小型模块化反应堆（SMR，劳斯莱斯）和高温先进模块化反应堆（HGTR/AMR，都是2030年的），以及核聚变示范（2040年，UKAEA）。与此密切相关的是核废料管理。在未来的100年里，废物容器的采购成本估计为40亿英镑，估计有744,000立方米的废物可以安全容纳多达2140个，集装箱生产的自动化将降低生产成本，使英国供应链能够满足这一需求。**客户**：我们的主要目标市场是核工业供应链，其次是海上能源。我们将把安全关键型核废料容器的生产作为我们在综合先进制造单元中的初始用例。**更广阔的前景**:AFFIRM与英国在先进材料和制造以及机器人和智能机器方面的创新重点保持一致。为英国安全关键行业采用机器人技术扫清障碍，将降低核退役成本、小型和先进模块化反应堆的推出和出口机会，并满足英国政府的海上能源目标。AFFIRM最终支持核能和海上能源在英国和全球实现净零排放的使命中的作用。**产出**:Smart Grant资金将推进inssphere的IONA和Createc的焊接检测技术的技术准备水平（TRL），用于安全关键型先进制造。这些将在核AMRC的先进制造单元中进行演示。商业化的下一阶段将是一个试点计划，与我们的咨询小组和更广泛的核AMRC成员小组合作，在客户设施中安装示范电池。**路径规划**：机器人焊接已经成为制造业的一种流行技术，因为它提供了各种好处，如提高效率，精度和可重复性。然而，目前的机器人焊接工艺仍然需要人工过程来设计焊接头需要采取的路径。这个过程既耗时又费力，这限制了在复杂的子装配构建中自动焊接的灵活性。英国工程公司Createc旨在通过开发一种智能路径规划系统来简化和自动化这一过程，该系统集成了高分辨率3D成像深度相机和机械臂。提出的智能路径规划系统将通过将高分辨率3D成像深度相机与机械臂集成并使用IONA的高精度定位，生成高精度的工件/零件3D模型。然后，该系统将开发一个集成的焊接路径规划程序，可用于NAMRC焊接机器人技术。这种扫描和路径规划管道将为一系列用例提供灵活的现场焊接规划。提出的智能路径规划系统将在小型模块化反应堆（smr）的制造中发挥作用。smr是由数百个子装配部件组成的复杂构建，所有这些部件目前都是通过长装配线手工处理的。拟议的智能路径规划系统将实现smr等复杂结构的自动焊接，减少对人工的需求，减少与手工焊接相关的时间和成本。总之，Createc提出的智能路径规划系统将通过简化和自动化路径规划过程，彻底改变目前机器人焊接的过程。高分辨率3D成像深度相机与机械臂的集成，将使自动化焊接应用范围广泛，包括smr等复杂结构。这项技术将提高效率、精度和可重复性，同时在最需要的地方释放出大量需求的专业知识。最终，拟议的技术将通过减少对体力劳动的需求和增加可用自动化选项的数量来促进焊接行业的发展。Createc的工作将为英国制造业的发展做出重大贡献，其中自动化将在实现全球市场竞争力方面发挥关键作用。

**Vision**: UK businesses INSPHERE and Createc have technologies that together could revolutionise advanced welding and inspection for safety-critical component manufacture. AFFIRM takes INSPHERE's new and highly innovative IONA system for real-time monitoring and control of robots and advances it alongside Createc's in-situ radiography weld-inspection technology. This will develop technology for advanced automated safety-critical component manufacture in key UK industrial sectors (e.g., nuclear, offshore energy). These two SMEs will be supported by the University of Sheffield's Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (UoS, Nuclear AMRC) to demonstrate safe, accurate robot processes enabled by the accurate monitoring that IONA can offer, covering both welding operations and in-process weld inspection using a multi robot-based radiography approach.**Opportunity**: UK industrial robotics markets could reach £0.5bn by 2030, and Global nuclear reactor markets ~$55.71billion by 2027\. Nuclear has gained renewed traction towards reaching net-zero energy targets (COP26). Recent UK policy should unlock large-scale nuclear (2021 Nuclear Energy Bill), Small Modular Reactors (SMR, Rolls-Royce) and High Gas Temperature Advanced Modular Reactors (HGTR/AMR, both 2030's), and fusion demonstration (2040, UKAEA). Hand in hand with this is nuclear waste management. Waste container procurement cost estimated at £4bn over the next 100years and an estimated 744,000m3 of waste to safely contain up to 2140, automation of container production will reduce production cost and enable UK supply chains to meet this demand.**Customers**: Our primary target market is the nuclear industry supply chain, followed by offshore energy. We will use production of safety-critical nuclear waste containers as our initial use case within the integrated advanced manufacturing cell.**Wider picture**: AFFIRM aligns with UK Innovation priorities in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, and Robotics and Smart Machines. Unlocking barriers to adoption of robotics in safety-critical UK industries will reduce the cost of nuclear decommissioning, the roll out and export opportunities for Small and Advanced Modular Reactors and meet UK Government offshore energy targets. AFFIRM ultimately supports nuclear and offshore energy's role in the UK and Global mission to achieve net zero.**Outputs**: Smart Grant funding will progress the technology readiness levels (TRL) of INSPHERE's IONA and Createc's weld inspection technologies from TRLs3-6 for safety-critical advanced manufacturing. These will be demonstrated in an advanced manufacturing cell at the Nuclear AMRC. The next stage towards commercialisation will be a pilot scheme installing demonstrator cells in customer facilities working with our Advisory Group, and the wider Nuclear AMRC membership group.**Path Planning**: Robotic welding has emerged as a popular technology in the manufacturing industry as it provides various benefits such as increased efficiency, precision, and repeatability. However, the current process for robotic welding still requires a manual process to design the path the welding head needs to take. This process can be time-consuming and laborious, which limits the flexibility of automated welding in complex sub-assembly builds. Createc, a UK-based engineering firm, aims to streamline and automate this process by developing a smart path planning system that integrates a high-resolution 3D imaging depth camera with a robotic arm. The proposed smart path planning system will produce a highly accurate 3D model of the workpiece/pieces by integrating a high-resolution 3D imaging depth camera with a robotic arm and using IONA's high accuracy positioning. The system will then develop an integrated weld path planning routine that can be used by NAMRC welding robotics technology. This scanning and path planning pipeline will enable flexible on-the-spot weld planning for a range of use cases. One such use case where the proposed smart path planning system will be beneficial is in the manufacturing of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). SMRs are complicated builds that consist of hundreds of subassembly pieces, all of which are currently processed manually through long assembly lines. The proposed smart path planning system will enable automated welding for complex builds like SMRs, reducing the need for human labour and decreasing the time and costs associated with manual welding. In conclusion, Createc's proposed smart path planning system will revolutionize the current process of robotic welding by streamlining and automating the path planning process. The use of a high-resolution 3D imaging depth camera integrated with a robotic arm will enable automated welding for a range of use cases, including complex builds like SMRs. This technology will increase efficiency, precision, and repeatability while freeing up much in-demand expertise where it's most needed. Ultimately, the proposed technology will enable the growth of the welding industry by reducing the need for manual labour and increasing the number of automation options available. Createc's work will contribute significantly to the growth of the UK manufacturing industry, where automation will play a crucial role in achieving competitiveness in the global market.