Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Approved
Posted: 2022-12-1US drone regulation has made slow but steady progress in approving safe, advanced drone operations. For those new to this niche topic, approving advanced commercial drone operations could look like fully autonomous power grid inspections – critical to restoring power infrastructure after a storm. Or autonomous delivery of food and medical supplies (or online shopping orders). Over the past decade, large-scale, streamlined Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) approvals have been the "holy grail" of regulator...Read More.
Quantum Computer Vision Tested for Defect Detection
Posted: 2022-12-1Scientists have demonstrated what they believe is the first implementation of quantum computer vision for a quality inspection problem on a manufacturing production line.
Researchers at Multiverse Computing, which delivers quantum computing solutions, and Ikerlan, a technology transfer centre in Spain, developed a quantum-enhanced kernel method for classification on universal gate-based quantum computers, as well as a quantum classification algorithm on a quantum annealer.
The team found that bo...Read More.
Addressing Stainless Steel and Dissimilar Metal Weld Inspection with Advanced Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques
Posted: 2022-11-29Phased array ultrasonic testing is a mature and widely adopted technology that allows for the inspection of critical components in various industries. Over the last five years, new techniques like full matrix capture and live total focusing method have been available on most high-end phased array ultrasonic testing units. They have been introduced in ASME codes and ISO standards with dedicated training courses, as prescribed by the codes, offered by large training centers.
However, innovation is on...Read More.
Baker Hughes Acquires Quest Integrity
Posted: 2022-11-28Baker Hughes has announced an agreement to acquire Quest Integrity, a subsidiary of Team, Inc and a global leader in the development and delivery of technology-enabled asset inspection and reliability management solutions across the pipeline, refining, petrochemical and power generation sectors. This complements Baker Hughes’ existing asset integrity offerings and will support customers with the delivery of actionable insights on a broader range of industrial infrastructure.
Baker Hughes’ asset integrity...Read More.
Evident Wind Blade Inspection System Automates Ultrasonic Testing
Posted: 2022-11-28Evident (Tokyo, Japan), a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus comprising its former Scientific Solutions Division as of April 2022, developed its Wind Blade Inspection System (WBIS) using Industry 4.0 technologies to automate and digitize the time-consuming, labor-intensive process of manual nondestructive testing (NDT) for large components like composite wind blades.
The concept for the technology originated as a development led by Vestas (Aarhus, Denmark) with partners Evident, Eckhart Automation ...Read More.
Finding the Right Coordinates
Posted: 2022-11-28Shop floor metrology equipment is getting faster, smarter, and more automated. Is it time for an upgrade?
Initially, this article was going to explain how machine shops and moldmakers could sell all of their handheld measuring tools and gages and replace them with shop-hardened coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Gone would be the time and expense of managing hundreds of micrometers, dial indicators, bore gages, and other metrology gear found in a typical shop’s inspection lab, all of it made obs...Read More.
Nordson Corporation Announces Agreement to Acquire CyberOptics Corporation
Posted: 2022-11-28Nordson Corporation (Nasdaq: NDSN) has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of CyberOptics Corporation (Nasdaq: CYBE), a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-precision 3D optical sensing technology solutions. The acquisition enhances Nordson’s test and inspection platform, providing differentiated technology that expands Nordson’s product offering in the semiconductor and electronics industries.
The all-cash transaction is valued at $54.00 a share, or approximately $380 million ...Read More.
Automation With Remarkable Robotics
Posted: 2022-11-28Oil & gas and chemical operations are complex and safety is paramount. Plant operators are required to pay special attention to the infrastructure where flammable and potentially explosive matters are processed. Ensuring availability and safety in these operationally intricate facilities requires frequent inspections and detailed monitoring. Often, these inspections must be performed in or close to potentially hazardous environments, and therefore all on-site equipment must be Ex-certified as sa...Read More.
Xiris Appoints Polytec GmbH as Distributor
Posted: 2022-11-28Xiris Automation Inc. is pleased to announce that Polytec GmbH of Waldbronn, Germany has been appointed an official distributor of Xiris Weld Inspection Systems for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. As experts in industrial measurement technology solutions, Polytec will be able to provide consulting, demos, sales, and service for the turnkey weld inspection systems that serve the tube and pipe industry. In entering this relationship with Polytec, Cameron Serles, President of Xiris Automation comments, "We ...Read More.
Leave Pipeline Abandonment to ProFoam
Posted: 2022-11-23ProFoam is a family run operation that has well over 300,000 manhours completed on thousands of miles of pipeline projects. This includes providing pipe pads that cushion pipelines to prevent coating damage; the ProFoam motto is, "You lay it, we spray it!" Foam breakers are another innovative solution we offer to assist with pipeline erosion control; they are ideal for blocking subsoil from entering into wetlands and water resources. Finally, we offer void filling thanks to a proprietary foam and leading-ed...Read More.