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Leonard Buck

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Surface Inspection Technologies for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades – White Paper

By Insights, waveCHECK

Quality control of wind turbine rotor blades is complex and requires consideration of various aspects. Different inspection technologies are available. However, not every inspection technology is equally suitable for all aspects of wind blade quality.

This white paper outlines and explores the possibilities and limitations of different inspection methods:

  • Thermography
  • Shearography
  • Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
  • Expert Inspection
  • Optical Surface Inspection
  • Trends

Towards dent measurement by drone

By Automation, dentCHECK, Insights

« Can you make dentCHECK fly? »

This is a question which our customers and prospects ask on a regular basis. Dent damage is a chronic and recurring problem on aircraft, due to loading operations, hail-storms, bird strikes, etc.. But detecting, measuring and precisely locating such damage is a long and challenging process, which can be risky for inspectors working at height. As an example, on an annual basis, hail strikes affect 25% of the worldwide fleet and requires dozens of hours of inspection. How can the manual process of dent characterization be improved?

Aircraft hit by a hail strike, courtesy of ©The Aviation Herald http://avherald.com/h?article=47a10f14

In this context, a drone seems an obvious solution.

However, embedding dentCHECK on a drone is not an easy thing to do and requires intense development.

So, the question came up – Who can we collaborate with to make dentCHECK flying?

We identified Donecle as our launch partner to realize the vision of a flying dentCHECK. Donecle as the leader of automated aircraft visual inspection has a strong expertise in drone robotics, automation and aircraft maintenance processes.

After initial tests, we accelerated our collaboration under the approval of the DGA, working together with Dassault on Rafale inspections.

Working on next generation of automated drones for aircraft inspections

The solution features Donecle’s automated drone which will scan targeted areas where risks of dents are well known (such as doors, leading edge, HTP, tail…). The acquired 3D scan data will then be sent into our damage reporting tool which will automatically map and measure dents and generate an SRM-compliant report.

Typical use cases include inspection after hail strike or after hard contact during in-flight refueling for military aircraft; dent measurement around doors which are subject to impacts during loading and unloading operations; inspection of dents and depth defects during aircraft manufacturing, and any other dent inspection in areas difficult to access.

This new unique solution will enable much faster inspections, bring better accuracy thanks to the precise location of the dents relative to the aircraft structure, improve safety of workers (no need to climb on upper surfaces and dangerous areas) and contribute to a paperless process.

The question which is on everyone’s lips is of course: when will it be available? We are making good progress and after recent promising lab tests we conducted the first field-tests on aircraft, before larger deployment 2021.

So, stay tuned, we will soon officially announce the availability of this new product!

Learn more about Donecle: https://www.donecle.com/

dent assessment with dentcheck at amc 2019

dentCHECK vs. Traditional Methods: largest dent-mapping study

By Insights

At the 2019 Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), dentCHECK helped participating technicians complete an inspection task 8x faster, delivering higher efficiency when compared to using traditional manual methods. In addition, leading maintenance organizations reported that dentCHECK helps engineers create SRM-compliant digital reports up to 10x faster.

Learn more by reading the article series below.

Case StudydentCHECKEventsInsightsAMC 2022 – dentCHECK vs. Traditional Methods
16. October 2022

AMC 2022 – dentCHECK vs. Traditional Methods

What is the Aerospace Maintenance Competition? The Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) is a 2-day competition held in conjunction with the annual MRO Americas organized by Aviation Week. It is a…
Case StudydentCHECKEventsInsightsSupporting the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals with Technology
19. April 2022

Supporting the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals with Technology

Do years of experience and skill level of aviation professionals affect the time taken to complete an inspection task? The answer lies within the choice of tool used. When using…
Case StudydentCHECKEventsInsightsZero Learning Curve: Map Dents Easier with dentCHECK
11. April 2022

Zero Learning Curve: Map Dents Easier with dentCHECK

New technology for a decades-old problem: dentCHECK's zero learning curve At the 2019 Aerospace Maintenance Competition, more than 150 engineers, technicians, and students discovered the efficiency and accuracy of dentCHECK.…
Case StudydentCHECKInsightsTick-tock, tick-tock. Accelerate Aircraft Inspection, Avoid Delays and Save Money
31. July 2019

Tick-tock, tick-tock. Accelerate Aircraft Inspection, Avoid Delays and Save Money

At the recent 2019 Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC), dentCHECK helped participating technicians complete an inspection task 8x faster, delivering higher efficiency when compared to using traditional manual methods. In addition,…
Case StudydentCHECKInsightsMake better decisions with measurements you can trust
5. July 2019

Make better decisions with measurements you can trust

Passersby couldn’t ignore the significance of data emerging from the recent 2019 Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) #AMCAero.  It is tough to ignore that traditional manual measurements have 18x poorer measurement…
Case StudydentCHECKfastCHECKInsightsHow Did 100 Different Manual Measurements Stack Up?
12. June 2019

How Did 100 Different Manual Measurements Stack Up?

What do you uncover by analyzing hundreds of manual measurements of the same surface? The Truth. 8tree conducted the world’s most comprehensive study of dent-mapping in the aviation sector, at…
Case StudyInsightsAircraft hail-damage: What tools will aircraft maintenance crews use for the job?
29. April 2019

Aircraft hail-damage: What tools will aircraft maintenance crews use for the job?

What does an aviation technician do when their aircraft is pummeled by hail? To contrast traditional methods vs. emerging technology, more than 150 engineers, technicians, and students participated in a…

8tree and Panasonic Avionics Corporation announce partnership

By dentCHECK, Insights, Press

8tree expands service offer and strengthens presence in line maintenance by partnering with Panasonic Avionics

This press release was published on PRWeb.

 

Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) and 8tree today announced a partnership to make available the dentCHECK dent-mapping/reporting service at select Panasonic Technical Services (PTS) regional line stations: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), London Heathrow (LHR) and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD).

This new service offering will allow Panasonic Avionics customers yet another convenient, accurate and efficient way to protect their commercial aircraft investment, avoiding unnecessary cost and time delays. Further, the service will complement PTS’s existing line of best-in-class products and services, continuing its history of being a premier service solution provider.

OEM-approved dentCHECK dent-mapping service.

Now available — dentCHECK dent-mapping/reporting service at select Panasonic Technical Services (PTS) regional line stations: (LAX), (LHR) and (SYD).

“We are excited to embark on this partnership with Panasonic Avionics, driven by a common goal – to deliver accurate and objective dent-mapping reports that lead to quicker turn-around-times for line maintenance operations worldwide”, said Arun Chhabra, CEO of 8tree. “This will be possible by leveraging Panasonic’s strong global line-support footprint, coupled with the proven track-record of 8tree’s dentCHECK tool in aviation maintenance.”

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world’s leading supplier of Inflight Entertainment and Communication (IFEC) systems. The company’s best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling its customers to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.
Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with operations in 80 global locations, it has delivered over 14,300 IFE systems and 2,200 inflight connectivity solutions to the world’s leading airlines.

For additional information, please visit http://www.panasonic.aero

About 8tree
“We make precision 3d measurement as simple as taking a photo”
With this vision in mind, 8tree makes 3D optical surface inspection tools that solve chronic problems for multiple industries – including dent-mapping for aviation. 8tree’s products empower every operator – from mechanics on the floor, to engineers in the lab – with actionable precise measurements, portability and performance. With its patented user-centric product design and instant ‘go/no-go’ answers, 8tree is committed to making precision 3D scanning more broadly accessible – technically and commercially.

For recent news follow 8tree on LinkedIn.

 

8tree’s Research & Development Center in Germany is now ISO9001 certified

By dentCHECK, fastCHECK, Newsroom, Press, waveCHECK

“Every crisis presents an opportunity. Although the aviation sector – one of 8tree’s core markets – was adversely impacted by the COVID-19, our intention was to emerge stronger coming out of the crisis. The ISO9001 certification sends a clear message to our customers and stakeholders saying ‘8tree is still here – stronger than ever,’” says Erik Klaas, 8tree’s CTO.

8tree performs R&D, product design and manufacturing in Constance, Germany. ISO9001 certification for this site took effect on March 19th 2021.

“Alongside the adoption of 8tree’s products by major OEMs, airlines and MROs like Airbus, Delta, SIAEC and Lufthansa Technik, the independent ISO9001 certification marks another significant milestone for us. The certification emphasizes that 8tree’s products are developed and manufactured under highest quality standards,” says Arun Chhabra, 8tree’s CEO.

Original Press Release
German Version

LinkedIn Publication

Erik Klaas, CTO, 8tree and Pia Böttcher, VP Operations, 8tree with the ISO9001 certificate.

Erik Klaas, CTO, 8tree and Pia Böttcher, VP Operations, 8tree with the ISO9001 certificate.