EDITOR’S CHOICE
GAME CHANGER
OGP UK
REAL-TIME QUALITY CONTROL CAPABILITIES
INDISPENSABLE FOR AEROSPACE COMPONENT
SPECIALIST
An aerospace manufacturer says its
partnership with multi-sensor metrology
expert OGP UK has been a ‘game-changer’
for delivering right-first-time parts in a highly
regulated industry.
Winbro Group, a world leader in the
design and production of machines and
technologies based on non-conventional
processes, specialises in producing the
miniature cooling holes and forms in
components used in the most demanding
part of aero and industrial gas turbines.
These holes are critical in allowing internal
airflow to prevent overheating during engine
operation and, because effective cooling
improves component efficiency, this leads
to reduced fuel consumption and nitrogen
oxide emissions on today’s generation of
lightweight, low-noise jet engines.
The Leicestershire-based firm teamed up with
OGP UK eight years ago and now uses three
of its SmartScope systems – a CNC 300 and
two Vantage 450s.
Winbro Chief Technology Officer Andy
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PECM Issue 38
first part will go into the inspection lab and
in less than 10 minutes feedback is given
straight to the operator to be able to control
the process.
“We already get a much more quality
inspection report real time, such that we are
no more than one part away from an issue.”
Lawson says the solutions are key to being
able to guarantee quality for customers.
He said: “As Winbro’s advanced machining
division has gained more and more parts,
in both aerospace and industrial gas
turbines, we’ve gone back to OGP UK for
turnkey solutions. We’ve bought additional
programming and help for parts that we
weren’t necessarily familiar with, and OGP has
been very responsive in that area.
“Ultimately it’s about the speed of inspection
versus production. We’re able to take parts
straight off the machine and then, while the
second part is being machined or drilled, the
OGP UK’s market-leading multi-sensor
technologies house superior optical, laser
and tactile sensors, automatically selecting
the right tools for any given task in one
routine and eliminating the need for multiple
traditional measuring systems.
Collecting detailed data and gauging the
characteristics of even the most demanding
components and features, and doing so faster
and more reliably than anything else around,
come as standard.
Working with more accurate and real-time
statistics, from a single reference point, has
proved revolutionary for tighter control
of production processes, as issues can be
identified and remedied immediately.