Aircraft Interiors Inspection
Optical 3D measurement for aircraft interiors
From first-class to economy, passengers across all aisles want more out of their in-flight experience. Airlines compete to exceed customer expectations by designing aircraft interiors that optimize space and provide comfort while remaining lightweight to reduce fuel consumption and material costs. Knowing this, aerospace OEMs need higher throughput and fast inspection times to fill backlogs and meet the demand that manual inspection systems typically can’t keep up with. The need for a system that can deliver a virtual representation, or a digital twin, of interiors quickly and consistently is an aerospace OEMs’ best option.
Interior panels & plastic parts
Interior panels and corresponding plastic parts must be produced at a competitive cost and speed to keep up with aerospace industry needs. Interior panels need to meet both aesthetic and assembly standards like gap and flush alignment or surface imperfections; airlines do not accept anything less than perfection. Plastic and composite components, such as bulkheads, side panels, and overhead bins contribute to the overall structure, safety, and aesthetic of the interior. Optical 3D scanners are ideal for inspecting those parts as they deliver repeatable, precise measurements and replace long and unreliable visual inspections.
Our solution
The manufacture of aircraft interior components brings together the best of ATOS technology: accuracy and resolution (quality and quantity of data), unparalleled measuring speed, and advanced inspection capabilities. Equipped with Blue Light technology and automated processing, ATOS systems are perfect for scanning curved panels, irregular parts, and surface geometries of interiors that would otherwise cost more time and money with traditional measurement methods.
Seats
Seats are arguably a very critical component in terms of safety and comfort for passengers but also a cost and weight factor for the operators. Airline suppliers produce thousands of seats with specific aesthetic and comfort standards. With the increased production of single-aisle aircraft, repeatability and precision come first when looking for quality inspection methods. Automated inspection systems also enable manufacturers to raise their throughput while reducing costs and time, meeting the ever-increasing demand and fulfill order backlog.
ATOS systems and ZEISS INSPECT Airfoil are developed to capture 100% of the surface geometry of interior aircraft seats in half the time and half the cost of traditional methods. The enhanced measuring areas combined with high-resolution result in accurate and rapid measurement of seat components, increasing throughput without compromising quality or safety standards.
Interior retrofitting (reverse engineering)
In the aerospace industry, planes are modified and customized from their original structure for specific purposes periodically. Therefore two planes are never alike, regardless of the model or type. Since they’re unique, modifications come with new challenges in measuring the entire plane, taking into consideration previous maintenance and repair work. This makes referring to the original manufacturer’s blueprints a huge undertaking. Aerospace MRO and retrofit companies benefit immensely from optical 3D scanning to reduce the number of iterations, time, and manual labor it would typically take with traditional measurement systems.
Our solution
ZEISS technology supports the cabin retrofitting workflow by providing a combination of intuitive software (ZEISS INSPECT) and industry-leading optical 3D sensors (ATOS systems). Utilizing ATOS’ high-speed & high-resolution sensors allow duplication of the scanned areas virtually, creating a digital blueprint (or Digital Twin) of the interior within ZEISS INSPECT. This winning combination enables aerospace suppliers to conduct design work virtually without trial and error, minimizing time on the plane while maximizing time, profits, and productivity.