Metrology bridges the gap

Handheld precision metrology specialist, Third Dimension has been chosen to deliver its measurement solutions into Airbus' facilities. Mike Richardson gauges the impact non-contact measurement is having on the aerospace sector.

With a track record of supplying metrology equipment and services to some of the largest names in the aerospace sector, Third Dimension says it has the capability to help manufacturers realise the benefits of non-contact measurement.

Having worked with Airbus since 2002, Third Dimension has developed a close working partnership by securing an A350 XWB contract to supply its GapGun measurement systems to Airbus' facilities throughout Europe.
Third Dimension's GapGun focuses on smaller features, such as gaps, steps, sizes of radii and angles – aspects that would traditionally be measured using hand tools like vernier calipers, feeler gauges or customised go/no go gap gauges.

“There are a number of key non-contact measurement benefits that customers can appreciate,” begins Third Dimension's chief business development officer, John Kane. “The first is that non-contact measurement is dramatically faster than manual measurement. Typically, some of the more complex measurements users make can take minutes or even hours to collect, whereas GapGun performs them in a matter of seconds. The user simply pulls the trigger and a measurement is automatically stored. The labour-saving element is dramatic, and in most cases it's ten times faster than a manual technique, which is a compelling reason on its own.

“Another benefit is that it also dramatically reduces the influence of the operator on the measurements, so results become more consistent. Imagine using a vernier caliper and how much pressure you can manually put on it. There is always the possibility that if you try and re-measure a feature, you'll eventually get the answer you want. GapGun's technology follows a set of rules that apply to whoever is using the equipment, which means the results are going to be less influenced by the operator when using a manual technique.

“A final benefit is that the user can measure complex areas that would have previously been impossible to measure and where only visual checks have been possible because the technology hadn't existed to measure and quantify it. Using an electronic software-driven measurement system provides a fully-traceable audit trail of what the user has measured. You can then see how this will have implications for things like maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.”

I ask Kane about the kinds of demands placed on Third Dimension by the aerospace sector for this kind of measurement solution, and how it has responded to some of the more technically demanding projects.

“The biggest driver over the last few years concerns the surface conditions for measurement,” he replies. “One of the biggest challenges for an optical measurement system is that because it's basically bouncing light off the surface of the part and measuring it, the amount of light that gets returned by different surfaces is going to vary. For example, carbon fibre is very dark, so very little light gets returned, whereas the internal components of an aero engine have been highly polished and as such, are very shiny. These are just two extreme examples of the differences in the amount of light that gets returned, so we've spent a lot of time researching and developing our sensor technology so that it can intelligently see, understand and adjust dynamically as the operator measures. GapGun knows what kind of component is being measured and adapts itself to see the surface correctly.

“It's becoming more relevant to the aerospace sector because of the increasing focus of using carbon fibre for major components and how to reliably manufacture it. This in turn, forces us to address how we make our non-contact systems flexible enough to achieve this, and is largely based on how powerful the software is in being able to react to different conditions and report back geometric data. The aerospace industry seems to be looking more and more to other sectors to learn more about how it can increase the levels of automation within its manufacturing processes and increase throughput because of the sheer quantity of orders taking place within the sector.”

Winning the Airbus A350 contract must have been a major coup for the company, so how did GapGun come to be chosen for this aircraft programme and what are the challenges of working with a major OEM aircraft builder?
“We've worked with Airbus for some time and have completed a number of successful projects with them on both the A380 and A400M programmes,” says Kane. “This is a significantly bigger project because metrology is playing a key role on the A350. Certainly, having had previous experience of working with Airbus gave us a much better understanding of what makes them tick. Historically, we've always worked closely with the aerospace sector and we're keen to work on the development side as well as ensure our products are heading in a direction that remains useful to them.

“It's early days for the A350 project and there is an awful lot of work ahead, plus there will be some new applications along the way. We've done a great deal more integration work on this project than we have done previously and this is starting to come to fruition. We're very much looking forward to the level of integration we anticipate with this, because one of the most satisfying things in making this sort of equipment is seeing the positive effect this measurement data can have on projects like this and how beneficial it can be. We know we've done something that is really helping Airbus.”

Kane concludes by pointing to some developments he foresees taking place for non-contact measurement in the future. Although OEMs and tier 1s use non-contact technology extensively, he sees it eventually migrating further down the supply chain to control more aspects of it, and which will be vital in achieving much more seamless product quality control. Another big area he sees is an increasing focus on automation.

“If the product inspection operation can be automated and moved further down the value stream then the inherent usefulness of the data acquired will be increased,” he concludes. “If a user can establish a geometric condition early in the production process and report this information back to the manufacturing process then it can automatically compensate for it. Theoretically, you can get to a point where any product that rolls off the production line is completely within tolerance.

“This is a massive undertaking in the longer term, but I guess it is the ‘dream scenario' for any manufacturer. The kinds of steps we're taking are in ensuring we can provide instant geometric feedback to manufacturing systems so that they can intelligently respond to it. Ultimately, this is really where this kind of technology is heading.”

www.third.com

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