SEAMLESS: utilising digital for greater control and efficiency
Project challenges
SEAMLESS was a follow-on project from a previously completed IUK project, FlexiFinish. Building upon the hardware integration and knowledge-base development, SEAMLESS focused on broadening the automated finishing cell to 2 new processes (shape adaptive grinding, laser shock-peening), and creating a digital platform for data handing, manipulation, toolpath generation and handling, and job sentencing.
Business challenge
Process Innovation
Sector
Manufacturing
Defence & Security
Aerospace
Technology or capability
Additive Manufacturing
Digital Ultralow RA (0.03/4) Selective Finishing Including Laser Shock Peening
Key Activities
Key activities on the project involved the sourcing and integration of additional processes, with a predominant focus on laser shock peening. The project also involved upgrade of the cell HMI architecture, to enable integration with cloud-based job-sentencing and data handling software and hardware.
Benefits
By introducing additional digital control and data capture, further traceability can be achieved which adds significant value for industries with more extensive requirements for process validation and certification.
MTC's Role in the Project
The MTC were responsible for further integration of new hardware into the cell, and overseeing the software development for the hardware and digital systems developed by ATI, as well as toolpath handling and transfer from TTLs project outputs.
Other Details
- Project partners: MTC, TTL, EtherNDE, ATS, Meggitt, JRI, Zeeko
- Funding body: IUK