GE Aerospace's OC Robotics has announced it is taking orders for an "advanced blade inspection tool", or BIT,
The BIT is "an on-wing kit that uses artificial intelligence technology to provide MRO [maintenance, repair, overhaul] shops with faster, more accurate inspection assessments for GEnx engines", GE said, adding that it would give "GEnx-1B and -2B customers clear and consistent insight during HPT Stage 1 & Stage 2 blade inspections".
"Blade inspectors with integral cameras capture images with cutting edge AI technology, extracting and presenting them for review. BIT enables the user to measure both lines and areas on blade surfaces, to make an accurate assessment of the condition of hardware," the company added in its announcement.
"Our BIT technology is a great example of how we are innovating new ways to create service solutions for our customers," said Nicole Tibbetts, chief manufacturing engineer for MRO at GE Aerospace. "Industrialszing BIT technology enables MRO providers to use this state-of-the-art tool for fast, accurate assessments of GEnx HPT blades," she added.
“Traditional borescopes also lack the ability to steer and navigate inside some very tight spaces of the engine,” said Adam Mallion, technical Sales director for GE Aerospace, explaining some of the advantages of the new product.