#manufacturing #engineering Stafford-based Alstom repairs, restores and services generators for customers around the world. As well as offering a comprehensive range of specialist services. its Generator Service facility has been designated a global ‘centre of excellence’ for rotor coil manufacture.
Design engineer David Evans says: “As our customers demand high-quality parts for power-plant maintenance, we strive to continuously improve our range of production, measurement and repair techniques. When we decided to aim for higher levels of precision and higher speeds of data capture, we invited Faro to perform a demonstration on some of our most awkward and tight-tolerance components and assemblies.
“We were very impressed by the outcome in terms of ease of use, accuracy and speed; the Faro system proved to be ideal for our specific needs. After a short training period, the five team members who now use the Faro Edge Scan Arm have become extremely proficient. As we have a diverse mix of measuring routines, we make regular use of the Scan Arm’s advanced scanning capacity, as well as its tactile probing system.
“I have also found the Scan Arm invaluable for the accurate reverse engineering of a wide range of complex parts and surfaces when upgrading or repairing other manufacturers’ equipment.
The easy-to-use software is also invaluable for part verification and for undertaking measured data comparisons against CAD models.” The Faro Scan Arm combines the advantages of the popular Faro Arm with the benefits of an accurate hand-held laser scanner to provide a contact/non-contact measurement system. Users can accurately measure prismatic features with the probe, then laser-scan sections requiring larger volumes of data with one simple tool.