Rotary inspection systems installed at major US MRO facility

Jim Palmer, RPI’s sales manager, said: “It’s great news that both the OEM and their approved MRO facilities, are choosing to invest in iMAP which has been independently verified to give significant operational improvements over traditional measurement methods.

“With world-class accuracy, our iMAP machine achieves higher levels of quality while helping our customers save money and resources by significantly reducing inspection times and the need for costly rotor teardowns due to inefficient rotor assembly optimisation.”

RPI’s iMAP is proven to reduce inspection times by 90% and improve gauge repeatability and reproducibility by up to ten times. The technology is used by the MRO facility after the engines are dismantled, to inspect each individual section of the engine for cracks, wear and distortion.

Measurements are taken by AccuScan to check component geometry meets the original and regional board specifications as part of stringent MRO processes.

Once the components have been approved, repaired or replaced, the iMAP is used for engine assembly to ensure alignment and concentricity is correct and balanced as each section is rebuilt.

iMAP’s data acquisition software AccuScan enables measurement of up to 4,000 data points on up to eight surfaces simultaneously per revolution, thereby reducing process times to just two minutes; a significant time saving compared with other available methods.

This significantly improved inspection data is then used by the Rotor Stacking software to solve the mathematical problem of how to best assemble a multi-stage rotor to achieve minimum runout or unbalance of the finished rotor. This technology is absolutely fundamental to ensure the operational quality of the engine entering back into service, for optimal reduction in vibration, greater fuel efficiency and longer service intervals.

Specifically designed to inspect large and heavy components, RPI’s iMAP machines are fully compatible with any shopfloor environment whilst maintaining world class accuracies more commonly seen in a standards laboratory.

Combining a motorised high precision air bearing rotary axis, rigid column unit, anti-vibration granite base and AccuScan multi-channel circular geometry inspection software, IMAP is claimed to be the definitive system for productivity improvement in turbine rotor assembly.

Wyvern Industrial Technology is the official RPI distributor for North America, Canada and Mexico.

www.rpiuk.com

www.wyvernindustrial.com