China Uses 3D Laser Scanning For Steam Turbines

December 2, 2020
power plant

3D technology is fast and efficient

Steam turbines are an essential part of many industries. The turbines take in thermal energy from steam that can be used to do work and produce power. However, making these turbines can be tedious work, and a lot can go wrong because there are so many pieces involved. That is where 3D laser scanning comes in. It allows engineers to see all of the pieces quickly and understand which pieces may not be working.

Over ten thousand turbine components need to be put together, which means there are many ways to make mistakes. A one-piece that has a mistake could cause an entire assembly line to become backed up. This means the entire process can be shut down in just a few moments if the wrong piece becomes messed up. It can be hard to sort through so many pieces, but installing 3D laser scanning devices on the assembly line can save a tremendous amount of time.

This technology provides fast and efficient inspections of thousands of products. 3D laser scanning allows a turbine plant to be more productive and make more money. How? It allows them to speed up the time to put it all together and allow fewer faulty pieces to be produced. This allows the plant to be more profitable. 3D laser scanning also limits the amount of human work, which cuts labor costs. Many industries have seen the advantages of using this technology, and because of that, it is rapidly growing.

3D laser scanning in manufacturing

This can be one of the best tools in the manufacturing industry because it speeds up many processes and makes a company produce less faulty pieces. This means fewer returns, and it can be one of the best investments with the greatest ROI. Here are more of the advantages.

  • Faster Production- When each piece can be scanned in just a few moments, it allows for an overall faster production time. This also saves employees valuable time that can be spent doing something else.
  • Productivity- When employees spend less time evaluating and inspecting pieces, they have more time to build the original pieces. They also have time to work on other projects that need to be done.
  • On Hand Inventory- Less faulty parts means you need fewer pieces. Fewer mistakes will be made, which means you won’t have to buy as many backup pieces. This also allows you to save money where it is needed.
  • Testing- One of the best features of 3D laser scanning is that you can actually test out how the product would work in the real world through the editing system. Before a company sends out the turbine, they can make sure it runs properly in the editing system.

Adding this to the production line can be one of the best ways to ensure the highest quality products go into the turbines. This technology has become some of the most useful tools worldwide.

Final thoughts

3D laser scanning has turned the world upside down. Consumers can use this technology from their smartphones. Construction crews can send it in on a moving mobile, and now manufacturers can use it on the production line.