Computerised weighing technology

Citation

(1998), "Computerised weighing technology", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770aab.014

Computerised weighing technology

Computerised weighing technology

The latest in computerised weighing technology from Salter Weigh-Tronix is being installed at GKN Westland Helicopters in Somerset to assist in the manufacture of helicopter blades for some of the country's most sophisticated civil and defence aircraft.

A series of WI 130 intelligent weighing systems complete with tailored software, SLH platforms and report printers are being installed at the plant's dynamic composite components facility where blades are produced for the Sea King, Lynx and EH 101 helicopters.

Richard Mullis, GKN Westland Helicopter's senior composites production engineer, said:

"Weight is an extremely important factor in the production process. The aim is to produce blades which, although made from a series of different composite products, are consistent to within a minute amount, to ensure the aircraft balances properly."

The composite products used in the process include glass fibre, carbon, titanium, nickel, film adhesive and foam packing - which are bonded to make a highly expensive finished product. Working with very low weight tolerances we need to minimise wastage by keeping tight control on the weight of the blade at each stage of the production process.

The plant is introducing statistical process control (SPC) which will be assisted by Salter Weigh-Tronix's WI 130 weighing systems. These communicate with a series of PCS, linked to a central network. Using software designed by Salter Weigh-Tronix, each weight is recorded against a unique serial number at each stage in the process, providing an on-line quality control database.

The SPC system will mean that Westland is able to monitor the production process more closely to make refinements or to find out where a weight discrepancy or a fault may have arisen.

Richard said: "Ultimately the Salter Weigh-Tronix weighing systems will be used from production through to finishing and quality checking. The accuracy of the Salter Weigh-Tronix technology will mean that we can reduce our weight variation on each blade from the current 1.2 per cent to well below 1 per cent, by reducing weight variation on sub-assemblies to below 0.1 per cent."

The latest in computerised weighing technology from Salter Weigh-Tronix is being installed at GKN Westland Helicopters in Somerset to assist in the manufacture of helicopter blades for some of the country's most sophisticated civil and defence aircraft

The WI 130 is suited to a variety of high accuracy weighing functions including checkweighing, processing and standard weighing, provided by the system's intel 16-bit micro processing unit which can be programmed and configured using its specially designed Simposer™ software.

GKN Westland Helicopters is the UK's only helicopter manufacturer. Over 1,000 Westland rotorcraft have been sold to 19 countries around the world.

For more information on weighing equipment, contact Salter Weigh-Tronix, George Street, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 6AD. Tel: 0121 553 1855; WWW: http://www.salter-wtx.co.uk