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When Senior Aerospace Weston wanted to become more efficient in the inspection of critical machined aerostructure parts, the company turned to Renishaw and its Equator\u2122 gauging system. The Equator gauge has cut inspection times per part by around 75% and introduced more comprehensive component traceability.

Senior Aerospace supplies a range of complex machined components and sub-assemblies for commercial aviation. At the company\u2019s machine shop in Earby, 95% of output is for Airbus aircraft, mainly A320 and A321, but also A330, A380 and A350.

Most of the components are aerostructure (wing and mainframe) components; everything from small items measuring 50mm, up to large engine pylon brackets and landing gear fittings.

Some complex aerostructure parts were taking 10 minutes to inspect using Senior Aerospace\u2019s existing CMMs. This would often cause bottlenecks and limitations around the CMMs. To address the problem, the company introduced manual inspection methods using traditional equipment and hard gauging with limited effect.

With build-rates increasing, Senior Aerospace Weston recognised its responsibility to become more efficient with in-cycle measurement without compromising quality.

\u201cInspection cycle time has been cut by 75%. Previously a manual measurement would be taken and recorded on paper; now, we have fully electronic reports with every dimension recorded. We can also use trend data to help identify potential areas for improvement in manufacturing.\u201d

\u201cWe spoke with Renishaw and they proposed the Equator gauge, which is another level up from a traditional 3-axis CMM in terms of speed,\u201d explains CMM Programmer Andy Wright.

The thermally-insensitive Equator system is a flexible gauge that is designed to provide speed, repeatability and ease-of-use.

\u201cWe have 70 parts that could fit on the gauging system, so there is high potential,\u201d states Mr Wright, who is also impressed with the system\u2019s ease of use. \u201cNo special skills are required; the operator simply loads the part into the fixture, lets the cycle run and receives an easy-to-read report.\u201d

Another factor behind the success of the project has been the sales and applications support from Renishaw: \u201cThe support we receive is first class,\u201d says Mr Wright. \u201cRenishaw is very quick to answer any queries, and it almost feels like we\u2019ve been assigned our own special support team.\u201d

A key part of the support team for Senior Aerospace Weston is Renishaw Applications Engineer, Ed Clarke, who comments: \u201cFor any customer with a turnkey project, we will provide support for their project. If there are any queries, the customer can come directly to us for support.\u201d

Among the parts inspected at Senior Aerospace Weston using the Equator gauge is a titanium wing flap track component for Airbus.

\u201cOver the years, we have gone through several process iterations and various equipment solutions trying to measure the part quicker with the required accuracy, but inspection would regularly fail due to component complexity and tight tolerances,\u201d concedes Mr Wright. \u201cHowever, using the Equator gauge we have been able to achieve a process that delivers accurate gauging and repeatability. The Equator measures around 25 different features on this part, taking just 90 seconds in total.\u201d

\u201cThe in-cycle measurement time has been significantly reduced, with our operators now just reviewing an electronic report,\u201d says Mr Wright. \u201cInspection cycle time has been cut by 75%. Previously a manual measurement would be taken and recorded on paper; now, we have fully electronic reports with every dimension recorded. We can also use trend data to help identify potential areas for improvement in our manufacturing process.\u201d\xa0