The new automated robotic inspection cell PRESTO has been introduced by Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence business, allowing manufacturers to speed up workflows, improve efficiency, and shorten quality inspection periods. By enhancing measurement capability and shortening time to market, PRESTO will help customers, such as automotive OEMs, to meet the industry’s changing demands, such as the move to electric mobility.
The system incorporates Hexagon’s cutting-edge 3D scanning and absolute positioning technologies and software in a single turn-key solution, building on the company’s world-leading HxGN Robotic Automation software that has supported the automobile industry through a shaky market. Manufacturers cannot afford to set up an inbound inspection of a supplier’s car door or retool a whole production line to switch to building electric vehicles (EVs) rather than internal combustion engines (ICEs). With PRESTO, Hexagon is enabling the future of smaller-batch production of higher volume parts as well as adapting quality inspection for a fluid, unpredictable period.
The greatest 3D-laser scanning technologies in the market are used by PRESTO to provide end-to-end inspection in a turnkey package, ensuring that any surface, even highly reflective materials, may be simply inspected. It is intended to make automated inspection more feasible in the future by:
- Reducing inspection time: Unlike other products on the market, PRESTO does not call for cleaning a part after it has been inspected or require it to be particularly prepped for examination. The overall time to inspect an item, like a car door, can be cut in half thanks to the autonomous robotic cell’s rapid and simple setup. Additionally, because PRESTO processes data in real time, engineers may access information right away and don’t have to wait until after a part has been scanned to post-process data.
- Optimizing the product lifecycle: Inspection is linked to the rest of the manufacturer’s ecosystem by PRESTO. A digital counterpart of the cell allows for complete offline programming of PRESTO. With the operator doing the measurements, the programmer can advance the quality inspection setup, maximizing equipment efficiency and return on investment. In order to confirm that the design corresponds to reality, data from the inspection can also be compared to the digital twin.
- Making quality inspection easier: PRESTO automates procedures, requires little setup, and is meant to be as simple to use as a smartphone. The technology is also made to be usable by quality experts without robotics experience, giving producers a safer and more effective working environment. This benefits manufacturer who are struggling to find skilled workers, such as robotic engineers, who can now focus on activities that offer more value to the production process. Unparalleled versatility is provided by the system’s rapid and simple setup, which allows it to be swiftly modified to inspect various batches, parts, or automobiles on a single assembly line.
- Improving safety: The design of this robotic cell prioritizes security. The mobile workstation allows the operator to freely select the ideal distance to safely observe the inspection, and clear walls ensure that everyone on the factory floor can safely view what is happening.
Hexagon’s PRESTO offers a turn-key solution to customers, empowering them by reducing inspection processes and maximizing product lifecycles, according to Ram Ravi, Industry Principal at Frost & Sullivan. Hexagon’s modular approach to automated inspection displays its dedication to responding to shifting client dynamics with its well-established hardware and software portfolio. PRESTO promises to provide consumers with significant value by making it possible for non-experts to conduct inspections and by removing the requirement for further software training.
Most firms we contact are interested in automating the inspection process, according to Nicolas Lachaud-Bandres, Director of Automated Solutions at Hexagon. Systems are frequently expensive, and complicated, and require a robotics specialist to operate them, which is particularly challenging at a time when the industry is experiencing a skills and manpower deficit.
We at Hexagon are committed to giving manufacturers quick access to vital quality data. Therefore, we think that this impediment to inspection automation ought to be addressed. For this reason, we developed PRESTO, a solution that supports the future of automated inspection by making it available to every one of a company’s suppliers, not just large OEMs. It is an off-the-shelf technology that can assist producers in reducing inspection time and costs without requiring ongoing robotics knowledge. It is also simple to install, integrate, and use.
The transformation of entire industries presents significant problems for today’s producers. For instance, the automotive industry is undergoing its most significant change in a century. They must implement new technology, improve agility and efficiency, and deliver the next generation of intelligent, connected electric vehicles in order to stay competitive. They can speed their time to market by automating procedures and improving quality control using PRESTO.
Credits: Hexagon
Click on the following link, Metrologically Speaking to read more such news about the Metrology Industry.
