Deployment

DEPLOYMENT

Robotics and automation play a key role in how we make useful measurements on real industrial components.

We have worked with our automation partner KUKA for over 12 years to develop custom adaptive control of our measurement systems to enable true IN-PROCESS inspection compatible with the latest developments in Industry 4.0.

FIXED ROBOT ARMS

Industrial robot arms allow flexible positioning of different sensor technologies on complex geometry samples.

Here we see a KUKA KR90 robot used to make ultrasonic phased array measurements on an aerospace wing cover sample.

MOBILE ROBOTICS

Crawler and wheeled robots allow for remote access on larger structures and fixed assets.

COLLABORATIVE ROBOTICS

Collaborative robots are designed to be used in proximity to humans without the guarding required for standard robots.

Here we see a collaborative robot being programmed to inspect a metal additively manufactured part using ultrasonic phased array deployed through a wheelprobe.

UAV PLATFORMS

UAVs (Unmanned aerial vehicles) allow for inspection of fixed assets (wind turbine structures or oil and gas installations) without the need for hazardous human access to structures at height.

The team have developed novel thrust solutions that allow for contact based ultrasound measurements, and circumferential navigation around cylinders and pipe structures.

HYBRID ROBOTICS

Combining a mobile robot base with a collaborative robot provides a unique solution for inspection and manipulation tasks in complex environments.

Here we see a collaborative teaching approach used to program a complex inspection path on a titanium pylon bracket manufactured using metal additive manufacturing. The robot carries a phased array wheelprobe for inspecting the complex geometry component for volumetric defects.

SEARCH is based at The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow

Transduction

Deployment

Interpretation

Asset Inspection
In-process NDE
Manufacturing