Telford-based Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (www.hexagonmi.com) has launched a carbon-fibre inspection system with Integrated Scanner for the Romer Absolute Arm.

Based on new Apodius 3-D technology, the system comprises HP-C-V3D Apodius camera-based scanning hardware that has been designed to fit to a Romer Absolute Arm SI and work in conjunction with the Apodius Explorer 3-D real-time software package.

This arrangement allows high-definition fibre orientation and geometry measurement to be performed, along with complete 3-D model creation and analysis.

This system provides actual-to-target value comparison and can detect, document and classify previously difficult-to-define composite production errors.

During the process, the Romer Absolute Arm SI acts as a global reference system for data collected by the sensor.

Alexander Leutner, managing director of Apodius, says: “Until now, 3-D digitisation has required the sensor to be robot-mounted. However, with the Romer Absolute Arm SI, we’ve been able to deliver portable hand-guided composite inspection for the first time, resulting in a much faster and more convenient digitisation process.”