By combining the flexibility of an industry-proven optical gage and the
easy-to-use FANUC collaborative robot, a new automated measurement
system
dramatically improves aircraft part inspection throughput and
reliability.
Safety is of utmost importance in aerospace manufacturing requiring the
inspection of intricate and complex aircraft components. Traditionally, this
process has been manually executed, but FANUC ASI 4D Technology in
conjunction with OptiPro
developed an automated system that transforms the
slow and subjective manual inspection process into a rapid, repeatable,
non-contact measurement of features and defects on precision machine parts.
The automation solution, which won FANUC’s 2023 Innovative System of the
Year Award, pairs a CRX
10iA/L collaborative robot with an optical
gage
providing a reliable and flexible automated inspection process that improves
part quality, reduces waste and boosts throughput.
Manual Inspection and Measurement Challenges
For many decades, inspection processes in the aerospace and automotive
industries have relied on the human eye and/or the aid of an optical
comparator. This manual process can be time consuming, taking hours to
inspect and measure parts. Moreover, parts with inaccessible areas require
the creation of a replica to be accurately measured. Stylus-based
measurement systems have drawbacks as well, such as their inability to be
used on large parts, variable and unreliable measurements as well as the
potential to damage or scratch parts inspected.
Inspection Gages Offer Improved Measurement
Portable, 3D optical gages provide non-contact, 3D measurement of features
and defects from 2.0µm to 9mm in height. In the last decade, the 4D InSpec
and 4D InSpec XL gages have been widely used to align, focus and measure
parts in less than one second, hundreds of times faster than manual
inspection. Because the gages acquire 3D data, the system corrects for any
measurement tilt or alignment error, providing far more repeatable results
than other methods.
The gages readily measure features such as edge break, radii and chamfers as
well as defects such as bumps, dings, nicks and pits, even in hidden and
difficult-to-reach locations. By accurately assessing features and defects,
the 4D InSpec provides much more precise part disposition than visual
inspection.
The Benefits of Cobot Automation in Aviation Inspection
Developed in conjunction with leading aerospace and aviation engine
manufacturers, the 4Di InSpec automated metrology system (AMS) combines a 4D
InSpec sensor and custom metrology automation software developed by OptiPro
with a FANUC collaborative robot to dramatically improve throughput.
Applications perfect for this type of inspection include production,
repair/rework and field measurement.
Because the measurements taken are so much more accurate and reliable than
other methods, the automation cell has resulted in dramatic reductions in
scrap and rework and has led up to a 40 percent improvement in yield.
For a complex part with more than 50 measurement callouts, the 4Di InSpec
AMS can reduce measurement cycle time to less than 10 minutes from upwards
of 12 hours using manual inspection. One user reported that 44 edge break
and chamfer measurements were completed in under two minutes with the 4Di
InSpec AMS—a process that had required more than 44 hours to complete
manually using replication.
For larger components, an automated rotary table can be incorporated for
easier handling and access to a greater number of features. Smaller
components can be mounted directly to the collaborative robot and moved
about a stationary 4D InSpec sensor. Because the 4D InSpec sensor is immune
to vibration, quick measurements can be taken with little time between robot
movements. This is critical for use in a production line, allowing the robot
to move the sensor in concert with the manufacturing line without
interrupting continuous production.
Because the 4Di InSpec AMS accurately captures complex feature dimensions
rapidly, the system enables more precise parts to be accurately assessed,
reducing inspection times and freeing up employees from hours of
time-consuming manual inspections. These combined benefits of the automated
measurement system using a FANUC CRX cobot has offered a return on
investment of approximately two months.
Considering recent aviation safety events, aerospace manufacturers will be
under more scrutiny to prove their parts are in compliance and of the best
quality. This in turn will make the 4Di InSpec AMS and similar types of
inspection automation vital for the aviation industry’s manufacturing and
repair processes.