Development project about optimization of measurement processes

Siemens Gamesa produces on- and offshore wind turbines, and with installations in more than 90 countries, the company is one of the world’s leading suppliers of wind power. Additionally, the global company is a key player within renewable energy.   

Since 2012 Siemens Gamesa has used the metrology system TRITOP CMM for optical coordinate measurement of stators and flanges etc. Measurements which are used when producing large wind turbines without gears.

“What makes TRITOP an ideal system for us is that it is well suited for our production environment. In addition, the system has high accuracy, which is necessary for us to trust our measurements and know what we get out of our production.” - Martin Bach Sørensen, Production engineer at Siemens Gamesa

TRITOP CMM is a mobile and production friendly system, which is ideal for 3D measurements of large parts, and can be used on-site even under extreme conditions. The metrology system is based on photogrammetry, a technology that defines precise 3D positions on markers and visible elements.

In 2018 Siemens Gamesa went over several of its production processes to examine, which could be optimized and create better results.

Here the "marriage process", where rotor and stator are united, was chosen as a central process.

For a wind turbine generator, it is important that the stator and rotor are centered perfectly in relation to each other and create an even air gap in the generator. 

The more accurate a center, the more power the wind turbine can produce, and the less thermal loss occurs. The result is less wear and tear and a longer lifespan for the generator.

For several years, Siemens Gamesa has measured the diameter of its stators and the center of flanges.

"We do this to make sure, that the product fits from the beginning, instead of finding out later that the air gap is uneven." - Martin Bach Sørensen 

Earlier, this measurement process consisted of several manual processes, which required a thorough introduction. Furthermore, the result would vary depending on the operator, and as the operator subsequently had to enter many results manually, there was a risk of typing errors.

These were some of the challenges, which made Siemens Gamesa contact Zebicon to further develop the existing solution. 

The purpose of the development project was to remove sources of variation, which could occur during measurement of the company's stators. Some wishes for the solution were: high precision, more user-friendliness, and automation of data processing.

"We have a great collaboration with Zebicon, who accepts the challenges and don't give up until they have found the right solution." - Martin Bach Sørensen

At first, Zebicon looked at how the stator's center was measured. Here the solution was a more simple setup, where the stators onwards would be measured in the same way, before and after the marriage process.

The project’s next step was to work with the user-friendliness. Today, the workflow is made as a guided measurement process, which helps the user from starting up the measurement, to finishing the inspection report. Thus, all operators can complete the measurement process with minimal introduction, which ensures more consistency in the measurement.