Joining processes are widely used in many industrial sectors such as the automotive, aeronautical, oil & gas, etc. to manufacture critical components. Likewise, additive manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly important in industrial production, with new applications emerging from one day to the next. However, process stability plays a crucial role, as slight deviations can generate non-conformities or defects in critical applications.
LORTEK uses (online) monitoring techniques, which permit assessing and diagnosing, and even taking corrective actions to prevent the occurrence of non-conformities. This is done with one single ambition: to improve quality. There are two fields of application where identifying anomalies is extremely important:
- Welded joints of high added value components, where subsequent inspection is too late.
- Additive manufacturing of parts by means of SLM, LMD or WAAM technology for sectors where costly inspection procedures are required (X-rays, for example).
Figure 1.
To this end, LORTEK uses optical technologies, such as the measurement of emissions by photodiodes, thermal imaging, laser-assisted stroboscopic vision systems, acoustic emission sensors, 3D laser triangulators, spectrometry, or interferometer systems. All of these technologies can be integrated into the processes, thus offering a robust solution for complex problems.
All of this has the strong backing of LORTEK's knowledge in joining and additive processes, as well as the modelling of these processes.
This results in the following benefits:
- Increase in robustness of production processes.
- Process control by means of visualization techniques.
- Detection of anomalies and anticipation of possible non-conformities (early detection).
- Monitoring-based process control.
- Quality control.
- Knowledge about the use of the production system and improvement of its efficiency.
- Reduction of need for post-process controls, and reduction of quality-associated costs.