An aerospace manufacturer uses laser tracking technology to measure parts that are too hot to be measured through other means.

Wyman Gordon uses the NaviScan3D in an industrial setting where thermal extremes and particulate contamination are guaranteed. Source: Metronor


Wyman Gordon (Houston) supplies forgings to both military and commercial aerospace manufacturers. The company’s need to generate critical high-accuracy measurement data in a hostile forging environment presented unique challenges. The requirements included an ability to measure large components up to 23 feet, measure hot dies and a need for both discreet point probing and high-density point cloud acquisition. All of which takes place in a setting where thermal extremes and particulate contamination are guaranteed. In addition, there was a frequent need to reverse-engineer patterns and tooling that may be up to 50 years old.

Wyman Gordon decided to invest in a measuring solution consisting of a structured light scanner navigated by a Metronor (Nesbru, Norway) DUO electro-optical, large-volume coordinate measurement system-the NaviScan3D. The NaviScan3D is portable, allowing the operator to take the measurement system to the workpiece on the shop floor. The system can probe deep into hidden areas, and generates high-accuracy scans of large surfaces quickly. This is particularly important in the die shop where worn dies are repaired in a process that entails heating, welding and machining.

Because of the high temperatures involved, a scanning solution that requires targets was simply not viable. A laser line scanner also was out of the question, because prolonged exposure to the intense heat would damage both the line scanner and the operator. The solution overcame these obstacles because the standoff distance of the NaviScan3D is large enough to position the scanner away from the effects of the hot die.

In the die repair process, dies are heated to around 450 F before welding to minimize distortion. Traditionally, the die must cool before the process of machining welded material can begin. However, several days can be lost if the machining process reveals that inadequate material was added during weld-up. The die must then be reheated, and the process repeated. The NaviScan3D system is used to scan the dies while still hot. The scan data is then compared to a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the die, and areas that still need material are identified through a color-coded map. These areas are then welded while the die is still hot, saving significant time.
    Metronor
    (206) 344-3800
    www.metronor.com


Benefits

  • Because Wyman Gordon uses the NaviScan3D to measure dies while still hot, if rework is necessary time is not wasted on reheating the die.

  • To handle Wyman Gordon’s hostile environment, the NaviScan3D is capable of a standoff distance large enough to prevent damage from occurring to the scanner or operator.

  • The system can probe deep into hidden areas, and generates high-accuracy scans of large surfaces very quickly.