Use case: In-process inspection of wind turbine blade
Part 2 of a 2-part series
Introduction:
In part 1 of this post, we described the difficulties manufacturers face as they weigh the risks and benefits of going digital. We also talked about getting a clearer picture of digitalization risks compared to the risks of sticking with the status quo. Now let’s dive into two more potential roadblocks to adopting a new digital technology:
- Whether the digital system will work effectively on your specific application.
- What it will take to get the system up and running.
Once again, we will use in-process inspection of wind blades as our test case.
Minimizing application risks
If a digital system looks like a winner at first glance, the next question is, “Will it be a winner for me?” Just because the system works well in another industry, or even in another part of your own industry’s supply chain, doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best option for you.
For example, to get design data to your shop floor, a program like Fibersim or 3DEXPERIENCE is a valuable tool for composites manufacturers. But welders don’t need all that functionality or the expense of such a system. To meet their needs, we’re building the functionality into our software to easily create laser projection files directly from CAD files.
To see whether a digital system is right for you, you will first want to explore the similarities and differences between your application and the applications already using the system successfully.
Case study: LASERVISION-AI for wind blade inspection
- Current use: LASERVISION-AI is already inspecting large composite aerospace structures for fiber orientation, material/edge location, and absence of foreign object debris (FOD).
- Wind blade needs: Wind blade manufacturers inspect these same attributes, but they require inspections within a 15m by 15m field of view (FOV) from 15 meters away, compared to the 5m by 5m FOV from 5 meters away needed for aerospace.
Aligned Vision has always worked closely with customers to seize opportunities through innovation. For wind blade manufacturers, we partnered with an academic institution and modified LASERVISION-AI to meet these unique needs.
- Result: Demonstration of multi-gigapixel resolution and progress from prototype to beta testing.
- Innovation: New AI analysis algorithms for inspecting additional attributes like wrinkles and core gaps.
This is our approach with any new customer. We minimize digitalization risks by (1) applying our current capabilities to meet that customer’s needs and (2) innovating to expand our capabilities and meet additional customer-specific requirements.
Minimizing implementation risks
When manufacturers ask what it will take to get a new digital system up and running, oftentimes their underlying concern is that installation and implementation will mean a long and/or costly production stoppage. They may also worry that the promised improvements to cycle time or product quality won’t happen right away. And the digitalization risk of upfront system costs may also be a sticking point.
Why LASERVISION-AI beats low-cost alternatives
In an effort to minimize the upfront financial risk of a new digital system, some companies make the mistake of starting with a low-cost – but insufficient – alternative. Since this approach works with other kinds of investments – buying a less expensive computer with less-than-optimal computing power, for example – it’s understandable why it may seem like a good plan.
Problems arise, however, when the low-cost alternative fails to meet basic requirements. LASERVISION-AI ownership requires a larger investment than pan-tilt-zoom camera systems (PTZs), but images captured by PTZs do not offer the minimum level of resolution required for wind blade inspection. (As one AI expert put it, “If you don’t have enough pixels, AI can’t learn.”)
How to minimize implementation risk: Development or lease contracts
Instead of risking ownership of a digital system that may or may not meet their needs, our wind blade manufacturing partner entered a development contract with Aligned Vision. Another intermediate step before investing in system ownership is a lease agreement, which Aligned Vision has implemented successfully with numerous customers over the years.
Key features of LASERVISION-AI implementation
For a development or lease contract to work, system implementation must not entail major disruption or an initial drop in your shop floor’s performance. Several aspects of LASERVISION-AI implementation prevent such issues from arising:
- Because our system does not interfere with production operations, it begins to capture inspection images in the background while your current SOP continues.
- We also generate inspection images using manufacturing artifacts with and without manufacturing defects. Images are captured offline at your manufacturing facility or off-site at Aligned Vision’s laboratory.
- AI (yours, ours or a third party’s) generates analysis algorithms using these background and artifact images – a process that typically requires only 24-48 hours.
- When LASERVISION-AI goes live and begins inspecting production works-in-progress, the existing inspection protocol continues.
- Only after LASERVISION-AI demonstrates improved inspection performance, the existing protocol is suspended so that your shop floor minimizes inspection time to boost production throughput.
Conclusion: Minimizing digitalization risks
We hope we’ve persuaded you that adopting new digital technologies does not have to be a risky proposition. Whether you are considering automatic inspection, laser guidance, mobile electronic work instructions or another transformative digitalization project, you can minimize risks and disruptions while maximizing the benefits to your manufacturing operations and bottom line.
Call to Action:
Don’t let the fear of digitalization risks hold you back. Discover how LASERVISION-AI can deliver faster, more reliable inspections while cutting operational costs.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and get the full picture on how you can reduce downtime, improve quality, and stay ahead of the competition!