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idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
The DIKUQ project has developed a semi-automated process chain for forming steel sheets for shipbuilding. Fraunhofer IOF designed a novel inline 3D measurement system that can digitally capture workpieces in less than half a second and reconstruct them as 3D images. The system reduces the workload for specialists and minimizes quality fluctuations.
When bending steel sheets weighing several tons for ship hulls, the final geometry often depends on the trained eye and experience of the workers. Millimeters determine the accuracy of fit and stability. Until now, specialists had to repeatedly stop the production process to manually check for deviations in shape – a time-consuming and error-prone process. Conventional approaches to digitalizing these processes from industrial series production can hardly be transferred to the individual production of single pieces in shipbuilding.
The joint research project DIKUQ ("Digitalization of cold plastic forming through continuous quality control"), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), addresses precisely this issue. In this project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, together with partners, developed a semi-automated process chain for the cold plastic forming of ship components. The project partners are Ostseestaal GmbH & Co.KG, which also acts as project coordinator, the Fraunhofer Institute for Large Structures in Production Engineering IGP, the University of Rostock, and MSR-Service GmbH. One focus of the project is the precise, digital recording of the workpieces along the entire process chain.
Sensor network for 3D reconstruction
For the DIKUQ project, researchers at Fraunhofer IOF have developed a novel high-speed inline 3D measurement system: a low-latency 3D sensor network that can be used to digitally capture the workpiece, enabling precise target/actual comparisons directly at the press. The system consists of two synchronized cameras on the right and left sides of the workpiece, which are coupled with the corresponding projectors. This allows a measuring volume of up to 4 x 2 x 0.5 meters to be completely captured in less than half a second. The image sequences obtained are reconstructed into a precise 3D model of the workpiece using triangulation.
At the heart of the system is an area-based 3D measurement method using structured light in the near-infrared range (NIR). "An irregular pattern is projected onto the object surface, which deforms according to the geometry of the workpiece," explains Dr. Christoph Munkelt, research scientist in the Imaging and Sensors department at Fraunhofer IOF. "The distortion of the pattern then provides us with the information for the 3D reconstruction."
"The decisive advantage over conventional methods lies in the real-time feedback," explains the IOF researcher. "The system creates an automated target/actual comparison with the target geometry, which is projected onto the sheet metal. This allows the worker to see immediately where reworking is required to achieve the target corridor." Physical test templates, which would otherwise have to be time-consuming to set up and evaluate, are no longer necessary. Instead, a digital "test template" is available that can be compared with the process data at any time.
Supporting specialists with 3D data
The system's precise, digital feedback makes complex work steps that were previously anchored exclusively in the experience of workers accessible for new employees. "Our goal is to provide digital support for the forming process, which has previously been shaped primarily by the expertise of the workers. This enables us to counteract the shortage of specialists, increase process reliability, and make jobs more attractive," explains Maximilian Müller, Head of Research and Development at Ostseestaal.
Digital recording of the workpiece geometry minimizes quality fluctuations, achieves higher fitting accuracy, and reduces the return rate. At the same time, the system creates complete quality control documentation that is traceable for end customers.
Digitally networked manufacturing process
With the overall system developed in the DIKUQ project, the project partners are presenting an example of a digitally networked, semi-automated manufacturing process for the cold plastic forming of ship components – from incoming goods inspection to planning and control of the forming steps to final quality inspection. The automation concept can also be transferred to industries with similar requirements, such as aerospace or architecture.
You can also learn more about the project in this video (German with subtitles):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WYh5K23Fhs
About Fraunhofer IOF
The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena conducts application-oriented research in the field of photonics and develops innovative optical systems for controlling light - from its generation and manipulation to its application. The institute's range of services covers the entire photonic process chain from opto-mechanical and opto-electronic system design to the production of customer-specific solutions and prototypes. At Fraunhofer IOF, about 500 employees work on the annual research volume of 40 million euros.
For more information about Fraunhofer IOF, please visit: http://www.iof.fraunhofer.de
Dr. Christoph Munkelt
Fraunhofer IOF
Imaging and Sensing
Phone: +49 (0) 3641 807- 245
Mail: christoph.munkelt@iof.fraunhofer.de
The sensor network consists of synchronized cameras and a projector for pattern projection for digit ...
Copyright: Fraunhofer IOF
A worker forming a steel sheet. Thanks to the measurement system, test templates are no longer requi ...
Copyright: Fraunhofer IOF
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