All tooled up

API Sensor’s Steffen Linnemann explains the importance of being equipped with accurate and efficient tools for the job at hand.

“Verification of rotor blade production has a direct influence on the efficiency of a wind energy engine”
-Steffen Linnemann

EUINFRA. What are your main areas of interest and what recent product developments have you been involved with?
Steffen Linnemann. Automated Precision Inc. develops, produces and drives world-wide metrology products such as lasers trackers and laser interferometers, which rank among the most efficient systems of their class. Founded by Dr. Kam Lau in 1987, API has pioneered progressively higher standards of accuracy for coordinate measuring and machine tool operation. Over its two-decade history, API's products have been installed and used by all of the world's leading automotive, aerospace, machine tool, and CMM manufacturers.

API's is best known as the inventor of the laser tracking interferometer and holds the basic patent on tracker technology. Working with Boeing, API developed the first commercial laser tracker through extensive field trials and testing in aircraft manufacturing applications. API Laser Tracker Systems have been supplied to leading companies worldwide.

In addition, API has pioneered the development of many advanced measuring and sensing systems such as commercialised high precision 2D and 3D digital scanning and probe systems, as well as an articulated CMM probing wrist. API's innovative patented, XD Laser interferometer systems, which were developed alongside the Laser Tracker, simultaneously measure linear straightness as well as pitch, yaw and roll. Use of the XD systems reduces the time required for machine tool or CMM alignment down to 3 hours.

Building new energy infrastructure is an expensive business. What impact can using the correct tools have on upfront costs and overall profitability?
Verification of rotor blade production has a direct influence on the efficiency of a wind energy engine. It also increases long-term stability and reliability. Currently available solutions for large-scale object scanning, such as laser radar or laser scanning, are fairly limited in accuracy and/or resolution. Additionally, these techniques are quite time consuming. Systems using photogrammetry combined with optical 3D scanners are only applicable if the object size does not exceed 10 meters (approx.). For larger object dimensions this method achieves only inaccurate measuring results and requires many reference point markers.

Turbines need to be both durable and reliable. What are the implications if even the smallest errors are made during their design and construction?
Even small errors could lead to less efficient engines, which means less energy to harvest and therefore less money for the operating company.

What developments and innovations do you see emerging in your business area in the coming months and years? Do you have any exciting new products or solutions in the pipeline?
We have recently presented our latest solution for the 3D digitising of large-scale objects, which we developed in collaboration with Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH. This new development guarantees the highest accuracy and resolution within extremely short time frames. The combination of the long-range tracking accuracy of API's Tracker3 laser tracking system and the high resolution and accuracy of Steinbichler's 3D scanner COMET 5 allows the 3D digitising of objects featuring dimensions of 80 metres and larger with the highest precision. This new measuring method is especially targeted for applications requiring freeform surface information of large-scale parts, e.g., in wind power, aerospace or yacht building industries.

Also our augmented reality-based factory planning prevents the digital factory mockups from deviating from the real building. The wrong basis for further planning and construction work leads to planning errors and late modifications lead to high costs and may cause production downtimes.

In the future we are hoping to achieve 100 percent verification of every single blade that is manufactured in an efficient time frame.

Since 2005, Steffen Linnemann has been Account Manager at Automated Precision Europe GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany and Representative of API Europe in North Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. He is also a key contact in applications such as wind energy.