Sensors that solve the supplier jigsaw

Metrology and inspection specialist, OGP UK speaks to Aerospace Manufacturing about its Vantage multi-sensor machines that enable right-first-time production of complex aerospace components.

The aerospace industry, perhaps more than any other, presents a perfect storm for UK manufacturers. Though global aircraft deliveries have reached a new annual record for the eighth consecutive year, demand continues to grow. The total backlog of orders around the world now stands at an unprecedented level of approximately 14,400, according to a recent report.

In many ways this is positive news, with more than 120,000 people in the UK directly employed in the industry and tens of thousands more occupying roles supported by it. However, designing and building the type of high-precision, safety-critical parts required in such a highly regulated sector is far from a quick or straightforward process, particularly when failure can incur hefty costs.

When the stakes are so high, the importance of achieving reliability and repeatability on busy production lines cannot be overstated – and it’s a challenge that OGP UK knows only too well. For around 75 years, since playing its part in the introduction of the telecentric relay lens principle with Eastman Kodak, OGP has been an international trailblazer in non-contact and multi-sensor measurement.

From optical systems through video inspection to 3D metrology software, its market-leading technologies offer premium quality, capability and accuracy, meaning they have acted as a growth engine for manufacturers in all corners of the globe.

Right tools for the job

The beauty of OGP UK’s multi-sensor metrology solutions is that they house superior optical, laser and tactile sensors, automatically selecting the right tools for any given task in one routine and eliminating the need for multiple traditional measuring systems.

According to OGP UK sales manager Graham Shaw, it’s just one of the reasons the firm has built up such a loyal customer base comprising some of aerospace’s major players, including Rolls-Royce.

He says: “Our golden volume sits within a 500mm cube measurement envelope – that’s where we base our expertise on aerospace components. Aerospace has always been a big industry for us but it’s been on the up for a number of years now.

“For Rolls-Royce a priority area was to replace shadowgraphs, initially in the USA with support provided by our UK office. Multi-sensor metrology took subjectivity and operator influence away from the measurement process.

“By introducing this type of technology to the market, it’s reduced the need for traditional equipment such as co-ordinate measuring machines when inspecting cooling holes and seal slots, for example.

“A lot of top-level companies know the technology is out there, but if we go back ten years very few knew of it. There are still a lot of younger firms today which are yet to discover the benefits and affordability of multi-sensor metrology. At its heart it’s about helping to deliver guaranteed right-first-time products. Users will find out from the real-time collection of data whether there’s any noise in the manufacturing process and can therefore remedy any issues immediately.”

It is this right-first-time guarantee that is so appealing to aerospace component manufacturers like Winbro, a Leicestershire-based OGP UK client which makes machine systems used to create the miniature holes required to cool aero and industrial gas turbine high-pressure nozzle guide vanes.

These holes are critical in allowing internal airflow to prevent overheating during engine operation. Effective cooling improves component efficiency, leading to reduced fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emissions on today’s generation of lightweight, low-noise jet engines.

“Largely thanks to our flagship Vantage machines, we’ve been particularly successful in this arena,” Shaw explains. “Cooling holes are vital for engine efficiency. Whether it’s dealing with coated or uncoated components, seal slots, turbine fir tree root systems or broach works, we’re measuring to ensure they meet the strictest industry standards and specifications.

“The process of edge detection capability gives reproducibility and repeatability and, with our advanced software, a programme will run and do the same ultra-precise job over and over again.”

OGP’s Vantage range of multi-sensor, non-contact quality control systems offer unrivalled metrology performance, working to sub-micron precision even on the most demanding components.

Self-calibrating optics, automatic probe changes and rotary indexers combine to ensure any hidden features can be accessed, meaning one machine can complete every job required of it with unparalleled speed.

Three-way effective software

Powered by ZONE3, an intuitive and comprehensive metrology software package, it offers full 3D CAD-based programming to automatically and effortlessly generate measurement routines. It includes the full range of geometric measurement capabilities alongside advanced features such as automatic path generation, animation-assisted alignment tools, real-time virtual machine kinematics and a graphical sensor builder, as well as a universal construction tool.

“With OGP machines data can be acquired in seconds, utilising large field-of-view optics and impressive bed sizes to measure multiple parts simultaneously and therefore dramatically increasing throughput,” Shaw continues. “All of our systems are robust and designed to operate in the heart of the production environment. We’ve been helping companies to run them on the shopfloor for many years.

“By providing live, accurate, consistent and holistic data, without the need to transport parts around the production environment or to quality control labs, there is no danger of human error.”

From compact benchtop models to large-volume, floor-mounted systems, OGP believes it has an answer for every aerospace metrology challenge – and it’s more than happy to prove it.

“We would say this to anyone supplying aerospace parts: if you have a part that you just can’t inspect adequately via existing methods, then let us show you how we can,” Shaw concludes. “With our multi-sensor technology, businesses can continue to churn out parts safe in the knowledge that live data capture will alert them to any production issues as and when they arise.

“Achieving complete control of the manufacturing process not only leads to reduced scrap, fewer production bottlenecks and less rework, but can boost a firm’s reliability and reputation. It’s often the piece of the manufacturing jigsaw that unlocks a company’s true potential.”

OGP is part of the Carfulan Group which specialises in providing advanced manufacturing technology solutions including multi-sensor inspection equipment, 3D printing, metal/ceramic additive manufacturing and tool pre-setting and measurement, as well as turned-part measurement solutions across five divisions: OGP UK, SYS Systems, Zoller UK, Vicivision UK and XJ3D.

www.ogpuk.com