Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Ltd
Problem
Inspection rates for metrology and non-destructive testing (NDT) operations are very dependent on the specific part and geometry.
This is an issue because increased production leads to the need for higher rates of productivity.
Over the next ten years Spirit AeroSystems could see productivity double but in order to meet this market demand process times across the entire operation will need to be reduced – including inspection.
What we did
Tackling this challenge required a broad range of expertise, ranging from software and mathematics, through to metrology and automation. Over the course of the project, the AFRC and its partners worked in collaboration with Spirit to:
- Develop an initial demonstrator, followed by a full-size, flexible, automated inspection facility, comprising three high-accuracy KUKA Quantec series robots
- Integrate software to allow simultaneous robot control, metrology, and non-destructive testing, along with clear feedback to the operator
- Reduce cycle time and cost by developing an efficient and intuitive user interface.
Result
The results are potentially transformative for manufacturing inspection:
- Metrology at a rate of 15m2 per hour
- NDT at a rate of 40m2 per hour
- 60% reduction in inspection times
Continuing to work together throughout 2017, the team is looking at the development of the commercial application of the technology.