Rotor Blade Inspection

Helicopter rotor blades are complex, aerodynamically-shaped components. With airfoil profile, twist, sweep and bow can be extremely challenging for traditional techniques, they are difficult to measure with tactile solutions or static optical sensors. Automated, flexible 3D measurement systems are therefore the way to measure them accurately and quickly. This way, manufacturing defects may be identified early on, helping eliminate uncertainty about component assembly and speeding production.

Lifting and controlling the machine in poor weather, dust and sand, helicopter and other rotary-wing aircraft rotor blades have a tough time. Damage and on-condition inspection can ground an aircraft for a full or partial blade change, work that costs not only money but also mission readiness. With the ATOS ScanBox Series 7, OEMs and MROs have the option of automatically scanning complete rotor blades. Where removing the blade is undesirable, or only a partial scan is required, then the ATOS 5 offers the flexibility of robust hangar-floor metrology. Together, ZEISS 3D measurement systems fulfil traditional inspection needs while enabling faster inspection cycles. Advanced inspection processes showing and mapping surface defects, and measuring the airfoil profile, are also easily available.

ZEISS´s ATOS 3D sensors and ARAMIS Digital Image Correlation system are essential tools for research and development organizations designing blades, molds and tooling, redefining manufacturing processes, updating materials data and validating simulations. The ATOS 3D scanners bring rapid, accurate capability to the reverse engineering, prototyping, mold validation molds and first article inspection processes. Meanwhile, ARAMIS provides dynamic tracking for materials characterization – bending, tensile and fatigue testing, and more – typically in a universal testing machine, and supports structural trials on larger assemblies, including load limit testing validation, fatigue and vibration testing.