Pumping up productivity

PINPOINT MEASUREMENT: Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence helps other companies manufacture to more exacting standards, thanks to efforts by engineers like Paul Racine, left, and Scott Carlson. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
PINPOINT MEASUREMENT: Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence helps other companies manufacture to more exacting standards, thanks to efforts by engineers like Paul Racine, left, and Scott Carlson. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

MANUFACTURING

Major jet engine manufacturers are facing two giant tasks: significantly increasing production to meet the growing demand for commercial airplanes, while also producing aircraft technologies that are cleaner, quieter and more efficient.

“They have to introduce a whole host of new models and engines, which puts a lot of stress on production capabilities,” said Michael Mariani, director of strategic business development at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in North Kingstown.

And that’s where Hexagon comes in.

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The company develops technologies and services to help industrial manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive, power generation and other sectors use data to become more productive. One of its latest offerings is the Global Advantage High Throughput & Accuracy platform. The technology allows technicians to quickly and easily measure jet-engine compressor blades, a key part of the production process.

Without the Global Advantage HTA platform, shop floor technicians typically measure compressor blades by hand, taking about four to eight minutes, Mariani said. The Hexagon platform uses lasers to allow for measurement, taking one-half to one-fourth the amount of time as traditional measurement techniques. When you’re producing millions of compressor blades, that’s a lot of time saved.

“It’s a noncontact sensor – it allows you to acquire data from the blade without touching it,” Mariani said. “Our focus is always on helping our customers be more productive, so this is right in line with that objective, because it reduces measurement time.”

Because technicians do not have to physically touch the blades to measure them, the platform also eliminates the need for secondary coating and cleaning.

Hexagon also trains manufacturers on how to integrate the technology into their operations.

“We also provide measurement routines so they can deploy it right into their production needs almost immediately,” Mariani said.

Mariani said that some major engine manufacturers are already using the Global Advantage HTA platform.

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, formerly Hexagon Metrology, is part of Hexagon, a global information technology provider. •

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