NDT Solutions has teamed with Invert Robotics company from New Zealand in a joint venture certain to change the process of aircraft inspection at the in-service, OEM and maintenance levels.
Invert’s remotely controlled robot employs a patented suction mechanism that adheres and traverses a range of aircraft surfaces made of aluminium, carbon or glass-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP and GFRP).
This unique process allows the technician to scan both the upper as well as the lower fuselage/wing surfaces from the remote location in both wet and dry environments.
Currently, the robot is equipped with a high-resolution camera to visualize and document surface conditions by transmitting video images to a ground-based screen for analysis by the technician. This process facilitates efficient inspections that can be shared immediately with an offsite engineering team.
NDT Solutions will extend the capabilities of the robot by adding NDT functionality such as Ultrasound, Eddy Current, Thermography and will continue research on other inspection modalities. These enhancements will reduce the labour, improve safety and minimize tedious inspection processes allowing the skilled aircraft technicians to focus on more complex tasks.
NDT Solution’s COO Larry Culbertson said: “Our team is constantly looking for ways to improve inspection services and reduce the costs to our customers in this highly competitive industry. The unique technology that Invert brings is the ideal automated delivery platform for many of the NDT technologies already in use manually.
“Time savings mean cost savings and our aerospace customers will have their aircraft returned to service sooner utilizing this cost-effective inspection approach in a safer environment. Recording the state of an aircraft proves the quality of our work and allows more accurate scheduling of required maintenance. We are excited to be part of this partnership that we believe will have a significant effect in our industry.”
Invert Robotics originally established itself in the dairy industry in New Zealand, Europe and Australia carrying out inspections of large-scale dairy plants, dramatically reducing the time and improving the quality of inspections while avoiding the need for inspectors to work in confined spaces. With current operations mainly in Europe, Invert has recently extended to the Petroleum and Energy Industries with a new base in Houston.