SIEMENS VERIFIES TURBINE BLADE GEOMETRY WITH METRIS LASER SCANNERS

Siemens, a worldwide leader in power plant turbines, investigate laser scanning to monitor the production quality of casting blades. Non-contact verification of blade geometry and alignment guarantees premium economy and long life in harsh turbine operating conditions. Powerful 3D scanning technology accurately captures the aerofoil surfaces of the blades as well as their fine alignment notches. A single mouse click triggers the automatic geometry verification process that provides detailed insight on the basis of graphic part-to-CAD comparison. LC50 laser scanning and Focus point cloud processing are the cornerstones of a much faster and operator-independent digital inspection process.

Capturing the complex geometry of turbine blades

The quality of turbine blades in stationary gas turbine power plants is critical. As hot combustion gas expands through the turbine, it spins aerofoil blades to drive a generator that produces electricity. Air-cooled in its internal channel, turbine blades reach high rotational speeds and face temperatures up to around 1000°C. Turbine blades are designed for optimum aerodynamics and mass center location, and are made of advanced metal alloy castings to increase strength, resist extreme temperature, and avoid corrosion. Inaccuracies in
blade geometry and positioning may cause energy conversion efficiency loss and untimely blade failure.

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