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AEROREPORT | Innovation |

With GelSight, MTU can measure even the tiniest of flaws


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One of a kind: These aircraft remain...

Germany as pioneer: The dream of...

innovation


WITH GELSIGHT, MTU CAN MEASURE EVEN THE TINIEST OF FLAWS

MTU uses the GelSight device to detect and document even small defects,
ultimately accelerating engine assembly.

03.2023 | author: Tobias Weidemann | 5 mins reading time

author:
Tobias Weidemann has been working as a journalist and content consultant for
more than 20 years. He writes about technology and business topics, often with a
focus on business IT, digitalization and future technologies.




The head of the surface-measuring device glides over a component during final
engine assembly. There’s a small scratch; it’s visible to the naked eye but hard
to describe—and especially difficult to evaluate. The experience and gut feeling
of MTU’s seasoned engine experts are a good indication, but these alone are not
enough for a reliable assessment. Is it just a minor flaw, a tool mark on a
component? Or could it impair functionality or cause damage later on? Going
further, does the part need to be replaced? And if so, will this delay the
assembly of the engine, which consists of several thousand components?

To answer these questions, in the past an MTU Aero Engines assembly mechanic
would have had to make an impression of the component and then send it to the
lab for analysis. There, the lab technicians would measure the anomaly and issue
a damage report, which the technical department would use as a basis for making
a decision. This report would also be kept for documentation. Alternatively, the
component would be replaced as a precautionary measure, which was not in the
best interests of costs nor sustainability.

No assembly delays: With GelSight, Julian Mandel and Carmen Pomp found a
measurement method that makes engine assembly considerably more efficient.



Either way, this resulted in a significant assembly delay and required that a
spare part be available for replacement in the first place. In addition, the
engine may have already been on the test stand, so a swap would mean retesting.
“All that often took a good deal of time. And if we were unlucky, the assembly
of a complete engine would have to wait until the measurement results were
available and we had clarity on whether the part could remain installed or not,”
explains Carmen Pomp from MTU in Munich. “Even just keeping the engine on ‘hold’
or making it possible to replace a component was a challenge for our assembly
teams.”

Measurement of surfaces: The mobile, handy measuring device is pressed against
the spot to be examined on the engine. It can also be used to analyze places
that are more difficult to reach.

A round elastomeric gel pad with a diameter of around two centimeters conforms
to its surface topology and thus creates a precise impression of the area being
measured.




NEW DEVICE ACCURATELY MEASURES SURFACE STRUCTURES

This is precisely where the 3D surface analysis device GelSight Mobile™, which
Pomp together with colleagues from different departments helped introduce as an
innovation in PW1100G-JM final assembly, comes to the rescue: the
high-resolution device can measure the topology of structures in combination
with a standard notebook or tablet and the appropriate software. It’s easy to
transport to modules consisting of larger parts and can even be operated outside
the company network in the interests of data protection. In addition, the device
makes it possible to document the degree of deviation from the standard with
just a few clicks. This significantly accelerates decision-making processes and
shortens timeframes.

The device has a wand like the kind used in medical ultrasounds. At the tip is a
round elastomeric gel pad with a diameter of just under two centimeters. When
pressed lightly to the component under inspection, this pad conforms to its
surface topology and thus creates a precise impression of the area being
measured. This works with a variety of materials ranging from reflective to
matte, metal to plastic, and can capture and examine even detailed structures
and textures. Compared to other optical measuring systems, GelSight allows MTU
technicians to cover an area measuring several square centimeters very quickly.

Six LEDs mounted in the wand light up one after the other, producing six
individual images at different exposures and from different perspectives within
just a few seconds.



Six LEDs mounted in the wand light up one after the other, producing six
individual images at different exposures and from different perspectives within
just a few seconds. An algorithm factors out all colors and transparencies as
well as reflections and glare, creating a 3D image of the structure. Distilled
down to its pure form, this view offers significantly better insights than a
conventional microscope. The image can also be rotated, tilted and examined from
all perspectives with a manageable amount of graphic processing power. Data
obtained this way can be standardized for further processing in other software
programs.

If desired, it’s also possible to define a specific target surface level in
order to accurately measure a deviation or dent. “In the case of a scratch, for
instance, the system measures the highest and lowest points in a defined area,”
says Julian Mandel, who was also involved in launching the GelSight system at
MTU. Measurement resolution is in the single-digit micrometer range and varies
between just four (axial) and eight micrometers (lateral). In describing the
order of magnitude, Mandel explains: “This is approximately the thickness of a
human hair, which is perfectly sufficient for our requirements.”


EXTRA CALIBRATION PROCEDURE PUT IN PLACE

One major hurdle to using GelSight was obtaining metrological approval for it
from MTU. To meet the stringent requirements of engine production, the device
had to undergo an extensive certification process in accordance with exacting
international specifications laid down by the production partners. “The deciding
factor was that GelSight reliably produces the same measurement results every
time,” Stefan Necker, expert for geometric measurement technology, says. “In
cooperation with MTU's calibration department, the MTU’s measurement team has
found an adequate solution. A particular challenge for the device manufacturer
was the integration of a calibration procedure—a basic requirement for
measurement systems in the engine world”.

“Through our collaboration with MTU, we have demonstrated that our tactile
sensor technology can be used for aerospace quality assurance and quality
control, helping to automate and standardize and significantly speed up these
processes.”

Youssef Benmokhtar

CEO at GelSight

The young company from Boston was founded within the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) environment and is involved in tactile imaging as well as
tactile sensor technology. The latter involves, for example, determining the
optimal force for a robot to use when gripping or holding a component for
processing.

“To meet the high safety standards in aviation, engine experts have
traditionally had to perform inspections and complex laboratory measurements
that slow down processes and decision making. Using the portable GelSight Mobile
system, the MTU team now has the ability to significantly simplify and speed up
inspection procedures while arriving at the same sound results about the quality
of engine parts,” explains Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO at GelSight. “Through our
collaboration with MTU, we have demonstrated that our tactile sensor technology
can be used for aerospace quality assurance and quality control, helping to
automate and standardize and significantly speed up these processes.”

Step 1: The image of the structure of an unevenness can be easily measured with
the help of the GelSight measuring device. First, the GelPad is pressed onto the
area to be examined. After pressing the trigger, a 3D model is created from the
six perspective photos. The location of the damage to be analyzed can now be
defined on this model.

Step 2: For the correct assessment of the elevation or indentation, a target
surface level is defined against which the area to be assessed is analyzed.


WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS

Since 2019, the GelSight device has been used at the final assembly lines for
the PW1100G-JM engine for the A320neo and the TP400-D6 engine for the A400M.
These will not be the only areas where the engine manufacturer relies on
GelSight technology. As Mandel says, “We’re already getting visits from
colleagues in other departments who want to inspect something quickly.” In
addition, the device is already in use in the MTU Maintenance network: at MTU
Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg and at MTU’s Canadian site in Vancouver, GelSight
provides support in repair and damage assessment.

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