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… Read more »
Use case: In-process inspection of wind turbine blades Part 1 of a 2-part series In a perfect world, adopting new digital technology would be an exciting milestone for any manufacturer. Digitalization in manufacturing promises huge savings in operational costs and significant improvements in product quality. Take, for example, in-process inspection with LASERVISION-AI, which delivers better… Read more »
Now that artificial intelligence (AI) has reached broad commercial status in consumer and business applications, AI in manufacturing has also begun to take hold. This disruptive technology is likely to dramatically improve manufacturing operations over the next few years. Unfortunately, it is also likely that a “Driven by AI” sticker slapped on the side of… Read more »
How machine vision and artificial intelligence saved an aerospace defense contractor Zero defect manufacturing is a relatively new quality paradigm, but more and more producers of large, complex products – most notably, aircraft and automobiles – are pursuing the goal of zero defects. After the quality escapes of early 2024, which resulted in several aircraft… Read more »
Wind blade manufacturers continue to rely heavily on manual processes, but they are developing technologies to automate various aspects of the wind blade manufacturing process: material handling, ply layup, vacuum infusion, assembly and finishing operations. Their goal is to lower cycle time and production costs, which will help to reduce the levelized cost of energy… Read more »
“Quality escape” was not a familiar term to the general public, or even to many stakeholders in the manufacturing world, until Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun used it to describe the cause of the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 door plug assembly failure in January. A single improperly installed bolt slipped past inspection procedures by the supplier… Read more »
When we ask tradeshow visitors who are not using Aligned Vision equipment about multitasking laser projection, the most common response we get is that their projectors have it, but they don’t use it. In theory, multitasking laser projection sounds like a valuable feature. After all, if you are able to apply one projector to multiple… Read more »
When 3D laser projection first entered the manufacturing realm, laser pioneer and Aligned Vision founder Scott Blake focused specifically on creating “templates of light” for structural aerospace components made from advanced composite materials. The boost to quality and reduction in cycle time were nothing short of revolutionary in this first industrial application of 3D laser… Read more »
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made surprisingly deep inroads into the manufacturing realm over the past half-dozen years. According to management consulting firm McKinsey, only 20 percent of manufacturers reported using AI in 2017, but today that number hovers between 50 and 60 percent. With the tight margins and stiff competition most manufacturers are currently facing,… Read more »
When it comes to improving weld quality and accelerating welding operations, guidance from laser projection systems is a mature, proven technology. In fact, for more than 15 years LASERGUIDE laser projection has been used in harsh shipyard environments to provide efficient, reliable welding support for all Virginia-class submarines. To raise both quality and speed of… Read more »
