CORE-DS - Measure with the Speed of Light

Clamp the turbine blade, push a button and start the non-contact measurement. That’s it. – The latest development CORE-DS of WENZEL ScanTec, a subsidiary of WENZEL Group makes it possible: A robust and compact desktop version for the production environment. Contactless and with high dy-namics and integrated software. That is the result of years of experience in the field of optical measurements of turbine blades.

In recent years, the aerospace and energy industry sectors have recorded significant growth rates; this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, albeit with a slight delay due to the economic crisis. One of the main manufacturing objectives is to maintain high quality standards while time cycles for inspection and quality control have to be reduced due to growing production volumes.

Optical non-contact solutions have increasingly gained importance in this sector, as they have often a huge speed advantage compared to current tactile solutions. Many optical measurement techniques require however a matt and therefore optically cooperative surface to allow accurate inspection. Shiny or reflective surfaces are therefore to be prepared with a fine chalk powder; an application, which is seen as an inconvenient but necessary process step. "Many of our customers have expressed the desire to eliminate this working step. We at WENZEL ScanTec have in the recent years incorporated this requirement into the development of our technology and can now offer with our system a significant process optimisation” said Klaus Mühlberger, managing director of WENZEL ScanTec GmbH. The optical measurement of shiny surfaces without the described preliminary step is one of the greatest strength of our blade inspection solution.

The increasing demands on accuracy, speed and flexibility are also covered with CORE-DS. A highly dynamic 5-axis system provides optimal accessibility of the sensor to the component. In addition, the compact solution ensures a simple push button operation to the end user. CORE-DS is designed as a robust desktop version with integrated software. The use in production is assured even under adverse conditions such as contaminants, vibration, temperature fluctuations and changes in lighting conditions.

For the operation, no additional air supply is needed. Therefore, CORE-DS can be used almost anywhere on the production floor. System benefits provide the cus-tomer a fast measurement throughput and an economical quality assurance of blades. "With the new system, we fulfil the desire of customers to optimize their processes," said Mühlberger.

The system is manufactured by the WENZEL Group providing a seamless solution integrating precision mechanics, software and motion controller.