Shanghai Electric Integrates Industrial AI in Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Manufacturing and Lifecycle Services
Shanghai Electric, a leading player in the heavy-duty equipment sector, has embarked on an innovative journey by incorporating industrial artificial intelligence (AI) into its gas turbine manufacturing processes as well as lifecycle services. This leap towards AI marks a significant shift from pilot projects to core operational frameworks within manufacturing organizations, aiming to deliver lasting value not only in production but also in the longevity and performance of energy facilities. Considered essential components in high-performance energy generation systems, heavy-duty gas turbines showcase the precision engineering needed for complex parts while ensuring reliability throughout their operational lifecycle.
In the realm of high-efficiency gas turbines, Shanghai Electric is leveraging its extensive experience in equipment manufacturing along with valuable production and operational data. The integration spans various aspects, including the flexible manufacturing of turbine rotor blades and intelligent operational and maintenance processes. This comprehensive approach illustrates the company's commitment to advancing AI-driven production.
The manufacturing of turbine components is crucial for gas turbine manufacturers. Rotor blades, which vary in size, shape, and processing pathways, require automated plants capable of adapting to diverse rotor blade types and production requirements. To address these challenges, Shanghai Electric has developed a flexible manufacturing line that employs AI-driven image processing, digital twinning, intelligent scheduling, and robotics. This system is adept at producing multiple rotor blade models with automated reconfiguration capabilities. With the integration of 3D image recognition and AI, the system effectively identifies rotor blade blanks stacked randomly, picking them with a remarkable accuracy rate of over 99.99% and positioning them for processing.
In addition to the precision in manufacturing, the facility incorporates systems for production planning, execution, and quality management, seamlessly connecting loading, machining, inspection, and packaging processes. This setup allows for transitions between fully automated production and individual machine operation, enhancing flexibility and ensuring continuity in production flows.
Beyond production flexibility, ensuring quality is a primary focus for Shanghai Electric's AI applications. Rotors serve as critical components within large power generation systems, and the quality of welding directly influences their safe operation. To tackle the challenges of inspecting machined features on large components, the company has designed an AI-based visual inspection terminal. This innovative system combines AI capabilities with robotic control and welding expertise, enabling real-time monitoring throughout the welding process to detect quality defects at early stages.
The architecture of this system integrates a collaborative robot equipped with a custom-built end effector. The robotic arm can extend and retract at the push of a button, automatically adjusting to the welding cycle. Using 5G connectivity, the system performs image analysis and delivers inspection results within seconds. A data feedback loop connects observations from manufacturing processes, allowing for continual process optimization and tracking of quality, converting practical manufacturing experience into actionable digital knowledge that is stored and reusable.
The application of AI extends beyond manufacturing and quality inspection; it plays a significant role in the long-term operation of the power plants. Shanghai Electric's intelligent operation and maintenance platform, named SIMPLE, draws upon data from over 60 turbine units, accumulating more than a million operational hours. This platform combines AI with extensive knowledge of turbine operating principles to facilitate real-time performance monitoring, dynamic optimization of operational performance, and early warnings for potential failures.
By harmonizing Cloud and Edge technologies, the platform integrates design and operational data into a decision-support workflow encompassing monitoring, early warning alerts, diagnostics, and corrective measures. This transition supports a change in paradigm from reactive repair strategies to a proactive maintenance approach. Additionally, remote collaboration tools enhance these functions by allowing experts to access live images from facility sites and provide maintenance guidance using augmented reality annotations, thus enabling technical support across different locations.
Shanghai Electric aims to advance data integration throughout the entire lifecycle of gas turbines, utilizing feedback from both manufacturing and operational frameworks to enhance design, production, and customer service. With an eye on international markets, the company will continue to validate and refine these capabilities through practical projects. Thus, it aspires to meet power plant demands for reliable operations, timely maintenance support, and cost-effective operations, solidifying the international expansion of its gas turbine business.
In the realm of high-efficiency gas turbines, Shanghai Electric is leveraging its extensive experience in equipment manufacturing along with valuable production and operational data. The integration spans various aspects, including the flexible manufacturing of turbine rotor blades and intelligent operational and maintenance processes. This comprehensive approach illustrates the company's commitment to advancing AI-driven production.
Flexible Blade Manufacturing
The manufacturing of turbine components is crucial for gas turbine manufacturers. Rotor blades, which vary in size, shape, and processing pathways, require automated plants capable of adapting to diverse rotor blade types and production requirements. To address these challenges, Shanghai Electric has developed a flexible manufacturing line that employs AI-driven image processing, digital twinning, intelligent scheduling, and robotics. This system is adept at producing multiple rotor blade models with automated reconfiguration capabilities. With the integration of 3D image recognition and AI, the system effectively identifies rotor blade blanks stacked randomly, picking them with a remarkable accuracy rate of over 99.99% and positioning them for processing.
In addition to the precision in manufacturing, the facility incorporates systems for production planning, execution, and quality management, seamlessly connecting loading, machining, inspection, and packaging processes. This setup allows for transitions between fully automated production and individual machine operation, enhancing flexibility and ensuring continuity in production flows.
AI-Driven Quality Inspection
Beyond production flexibility, ensuring quality is a primary focus for Shanghai Electric's AI applications. Rotors serve as critical components within large power generation systems, and the quality of welding directly influences their safe operation. To tackle the challenges of inspecting machined features on large components, the company has designed an AI-based visual inspection terminal. This innovative system combines AI capabilities with robotic control and welding expertise, enabling real-time monitoring throughout the welding process to detect quality defects at early stages.
The architecture of this system integrates a collaborative robot equipped with a custom-built end effector. The robotic arm can extend and retract at the push of a button, automatically adjusting to the welding cycle. Using 5G connectivity, the system performs image analysis and delivers inspection results within seconds. A data feedback loop connects observations from manufacturing processes, allowing for continual process optimization and tracking of quality, converting practical manufacturing experience into actionable digital knowledge that is stored and reusable.
Data-Driven Operations and Maintenance
The application of AI extends beyond manufacturing and quality inspection; it plays a significant role in the long-term operation of the power plants. Shanghai Electric's intelligent operation and maintenance platform, named SIMPLE, draws upon data from over 60 turbine units, accumulating more than a million operational hours. This platform combines AI with extensive knowledge of turbine operating principles to facilitate real-time performance monitoring, dynamic optimization of operational performance, and early warnings for potential failures.
By harmonizing Cloud and Edge technologies, the platform integrates design and operational data into a decision-support workflow encompassing monitoring, early warning alerts, diagnostics, and corrective measures. This transition supports a change in paradigm from reactive repair strategies to a proactive maintenance approach. Additionally, remote collaboration tools enhance these functions by allowing experts to access live images from facility sites and provide maintenance guidance using augmented reality annotations, thus enabling technical support across different locations.
Shanghai Electric aims to advance data integration throughout the entire lifecycle of gas turbines, utilizing feedback from both manufacturing and operational frameworks to enhance design, production, and customer service. With an eye on international markets, the company will continue to validate and refine these capabilities through practical projects. Thus, it aspires to meet power plant demands for reliable operations, timely maintenance support, and cost-effective operations, solidifying the international expansion of its gas turbine business.
Topics Energy）
【About Using Articles】
You can freely use the title and article content by linking to the page where the article is posted.
※ Images cannot be used.
【About Links】
Links are free to use.