Spirit AeroSystems deploys augmented reality to speed inspections, quality control
TOULOUSE, France, 13 April 2016. Engineers at Spirit AeroSystems Inc. (NYSE:SPR), an independent producer of large aerostructures, are deploying Airbus Group subsidiary Testia’s Smart Augmented Reality Tool (SART) in two factories located in Kinston, North Carolina, and Saint-Nazaire, France, where components for the Airbus A350 XWB are produced.
Spirit AeroSystems engineers have been testing and evaluating Testia’s SART system, known within Airbus Group as MiRA, in operational conditions for its inspection and quality control of brackets (fixed support) for A350 XWB fuselages before they are delivered to Airbus.
Using a tablet-based interface, Spirit operators can superimpose a digital mock-up over “As Built” reality. At the end of the inspection, management will automatically receive a report generated by the operator including details of any non-conforming parts which can be replaced or repaired quickly for improved quality control.
“Spirit confirmed to us that with SART, the Return on Investment was realized quickly through the time and costs saved during inspection and quality control checks,” says Denis Gardin, managing director of Testia Group and senior vice president, new technology ventures of Airbus Group.
In 2011, Airbus Group launched its augmented reality solution called MiRA/SART to standardize quality across its global network of production facilities. It combines real images with those from digital mock-ups on a tablet equipped with a camera. This system is integrated into the information system, and optimizes working times and quality control on the assembly line.
The deployment of this solution for inspections of Airbus A380 fuselages has reduced inspection times on system supports from three weeks to three days. Since 2015, MiRA/SART has been installed on roughly one hundred tablets and been operated by more than 1,000 users at production facilities across Europe.
Testia is an Airbus Group company specializing in inspection and quality control solutions. One of its roles is to market the MiRA solution under the name SART – Smart Augmented Reality Tool.
Airbus Group – a provider of aeronautics, space, and related services – includes Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space, and Airbus Helicopters.
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Courtney E. Howard | Chief Editor, Intelligent Aerospace
Courtney enjoys writing about all things high-tech in PennWell’s burgeoning Aerospace and Defense Group, which encompasses Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics. She’s also a self-proclaimed social-media maven, mil-aero nerd, and avid avionics and space geek. Connect with Courtney at [email protected], @coho on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+.
