Inspection services: inspection data processing
Project challenges
It became apparent that the subtle differences applied at each of the production sites resulted in three distinct alignment strategies and five distinct probing strategies, and GE Power needed to quantify this level of variation.
Business challenge
Process Innovation
Sector
Aerospace
Technology or capability
Digital Manufacturing
Metrology & NDT
The Challenge
GE Power had concerns that their blade quality was varying depending on which production site they were manufactured at. This problem was highlighted via their customers, even though their internal inspection reports were showing the products were identical.
GE Power asked MTC to determine if there was a variation in the inspection process for each of the different sites and if there was a better inspection strategy that could be applicable to all sites.
It became apparent that the subtle differences applied at each of the production sites resulted in three distinct alignment strategies and five distinct probing strategies, and GE Power needed to quantify this level of variation.
MTC's Solution
- MTC designed a measurement study to identify the different alignment and probing strategies used across the three production sites from historic inspection data.
- 42 key features were identified on the component that needed five measurement results in each alignment at each production site, resulting in 1,890 measurements being processed and extracted.
- By using standardised statistical data the MTC was able to quantify the level of impact of each variation and able to identify the optimum approach for GE Power going forward.
The sheer quantity of data that was being collected on these parts would make it difficult to determine the root cause of any issues, but by processing them in a rigorous and automated method, it was possible to extract the key issues.
Liam Bradley-Smith - Technical Specialist, MTC
The Outcome
MTC determined that some critical features could vary from being within the acceptable limits to requiring scrap just by the subtle difference in alignment approach.
MTC also determined that the different probing strategies was resulting in features being incorrectly sentenced as scrap, when in actual fact they were acceptable product.
MTC determined the optimum alignment and probing strategy which was then embedded into the component CAD model, so that all the production site inspection would be truly identical, as the subjectivity of a drawing was removed.
Benefits to the Client
- GE Power now have confidence that their product is being inspected in the same way across all three production facilities.
- GE Power now no longer needs to waste time programming the inspection of this component as MTC embedded it into the CAD model, saving time and resource.
- Finally, GE Power has reduced their product scrap rate and improved all their quality metrics by having a standardised inspection across their sites.
