Harnessing Inspection Data to Accelerate Product Evolution

The Promise of Data in Industry 4.0 

For years, the discourse around "Industry 4.0" and "big data" has been rife with optimism. However, translating the vast potential of data into tangible outcomes has proven challenging. With the advent of the InspectionWorks software suite, this potential is finally being realized. Major industrial manufacturers are now harnessing inspection data to reduce costs and gain valuable insights into product design. 

The Critical Role of Inspection Data 

Industrial assets generate an enormous volume of inspection data throughout their lifecycle. From research and development to production, operations, and repairs, this data is essential not only for regulatory compliance but also for managing product development, quality, and production processes. 

Despite its importance, this data has often been underutilized. Plant managers might acknowledge that the vast amounts of inspection data collected are rarely used meaningfully by engineers. "Until now, there hasn’t been a tool to easily gather and analyze this vast array of data in one place." InspectionWorks has addressed this gap by developing an agnostic data management platform that connects the entire inspection history of an asset, thereby offering insights that drive innovation. 

Overcoming Fragmentation with InspectionWorks 

Historically, industrial inspection data was collected and stored in fragmented systems, leading to disconnected results and minimal supplier integration. This fragmentation rendered inspections a costly investment with little opportunity to extract value. InspectionWorks solves this issue through a straightforward approach: acquire, analyze, and act. 

At each stage, data contributes to the creation of a digital twin of the asset, optimizing processes, maximizing uptime, predicting failures, and ultimately improving product design. Furthermore, by adding real inspection data to this digital twin, manufacturers can obtain a comprehensive overview of an asset’s condition, including actual defects and material properties. This enables even more precise predictions regarding the asset’s safety and longevity. 

The Power of the Digital Triplet 

Incorporating inspection data into existing parts and processes creates what is termed a "digital triplet." This digital model facilitates various optimizations, including enhanced manufacturing processes and new design improvements. Activating this digital triplet allows for the development of cross-generational improvement plans, ranging from defect detection to their complete elimination. 

"By providing this framework, InspectionWorks turns your data into a tool for faster and better decisions, ultimately saving costs and enabling a more competitive product." For instance, a European airline maintenance operation has saved approximately $50 million since adopting the platform. Inspections, once viewed as a costly necessity, now provide critical insights that help not only in detecting defects but also in preventing them. 

How InspectionWorks Operates 

Consider a company that manufactures vehicles. The first step in creating an NDT digital twin is acquiring inspection data during the asset’s production. From raw materials to supply components and factory assembly, InspectionWorks catalogues and integrates these results with existing data to create a comprehensive asset profile. 

The platform’s latest digital tool, InspectionWorks Archive, supports the seamless and accurate collection, storage, and management of large data volumes. This cloud-based tool is compatible with industry standards and can catalogue up to two billion images, allowing users to revisit results from years past with a simple part number. 

InspectionWorks Insight further enhances data management by connecting results from multiple sources to a centralized asset model. Technicians can then develop guided workflows and generate customized, automatic reports. For example, a spot-weld or injection-molded component on a vehicle can be inspected following a menu-guided process, with results automatically transferred to the platform. If needed, an automatic report of the inspection sequence can be produced. 

Once data is acquired, the asset and its production process undergo analysis using advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The InspectionWorks Analyze module allows safety-critical parts to be measured and automatically checked for compliance with tolerance levels. 

"The Analyze components of the platform provide contextual data management through a single, integrated interface." AI and ML enable manufacturers to dive deeper, optimizing and enriching data, combining multiple inspections, and applying them across several parts. 

Driving Innovation Through Data 

Once the NDT data lake for an asset is established and analyzed, InspectionWorks facilitates the creation of innovative solutions. This leads to informed actions, such as process improvements, component redesigns, and the ability to predict failures as routine inspection data continues to be collected. 

"This cycle of taking data from the source to the cloud, and back again enhances the evolution of a product and represents multi-generational value for our customers. We have elevated industrial inspection from merely maintaining quality standards to forming the basis of a new universe of innovation opportunities—from product design to operations and down the entire value chain."