Toshiba Hydro Power (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd (THPC), a joint-venture between Japan’s Toshiba and China’s Power Construction Corporation, is now seeking new technology “3D scanning” to ensure high quality of its manufactured Hydropower Equipment and provides cutting-edge products to customers worldwide.

The company, long been involved in Hydropower industry, is committed to developing new technologies and offering advanced products, specially in the design, development and manufacturing of hydropower Equipment.

Hydropower is a renewable and clean source of energy that can offer various advantages to the society and the environment. It can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and enhance energy security. Therefore, improving the quality of hydropower equipment can help to maximize the benefits of this renewable energy source.

The hydropower industry is undergoing rapid growth, and the large-scale equipment used in this industry requires huge investments and high maintenance costs. It is important for hydropower equipment manufacturers to enhance product reliability from the design to the manufacturing to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Mr. Sato from the leading company Toshiba Hydro Power (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd shared with us how they collaborated with Scantech to leverage 3D scanning to enhance inspection.

Hydropower Equipment Manufacturer Seek to Improve Its Parts

Hydropower equipment consists of large and complex components that are affected by various factors during production and operation. These factors include vibration, humidity, temperature, acid and alkali corrosion, etc. High-quality components can ensure the performance and lifespan of the equipment, as well as the efficient and stable operation of the hydropower unit. This way, the hydropower equipment manufacturers can optimize their benefits.

The manufacturer in this story is seeking to develop more advanced equipment to achieve higher capacity, speed and efficiency.

How a 3D Scanner Helps to Inspect Hydropower Equipment

Traditional measurement methods have some shortcomings such as low efficiency, high personnel requirements, and being time-consuming. Moreover, these methods cannot generate intuitive reports or provide complete measurement data for further analysis. The lack of data means that these methods cannot provide comprehensive guidance for subsequent maintenance and repair. It is because operators and engineers cannot predict or evaluate the operating conditions of the equipment without complete measurement data.

High-tech 3D scanning offers more diverse solutions for hydropower equipment manufacturers from product design, production to even maintenance. By using TrackScan-Sharp, the advanced optical 3D laser scanner from Scantech, operators can conduct NDT testings of equipment to ensure the quality of equipment. High quality helps to extend the service life of hydropower systems, reduce losses and improve the efficiency.

Mr. Sato expressed his thoughts on using TrackScan-Sharp, “The TrackScan-Sharp can obtain 3D data of parts quickly with optical tracking, and no targets are needed. I am impressed by its 6-m tracking distance. It is really good when compared to common optical tracking systems. As its working volume is large, operators do not need to move the tracker frequently to scan the whole part.

It is lightweight and portable, which can be set up easily on the site. The working conditions in a factory is usually harsh. TrackScan-Sharp’s footprint is small, and it is highly adaptive to harsh environmental conditions. It can be used on site to fulfill tasks.

TrackScan-Sharp can meet our needs for quality control and help us deliver high-quality products faster to our customers.”

Advantages of Optical 3D Scanning System

Free and wide-range measurements

The optical tracking system features a 25-MP industrial camera and a 49-m³ tracking volume, delivering high-resolution and wide-range measurements. It can capture data from long distances in a wide range without the need to move the tracker frequently. This makes it ideal for measuring large parts such as: large hydraulic turbine blades, runner of pumped storage unit, generator wire rods, and more.

High-precision measurements for various scenarios

The system combines advanced hardware and robust algorithm to deliver high-precision measurements for various tracking ranges: 0.049-mm volumetric accuracy for 10.4 m³ small-range tracking, 0.067-mm volumetric accuracy for 28.6m³ medium-range tracking, and 0.089-mm volumetric accuracy for 49.0m³ large-range tracking. It can easily capture the fine details of various medium and large components of hydropower equipment.

Advanced and efficient 3D scanning

TrackScan-Sharp can scan the entire part without requiring any targets, saving time for sticking and removing them. It also allows scanning multiple part simultaneously, enhancing the measurement efficiency.

Real-time inspection reports

TrackScan-Sharp features powerful 3D software that can capture, analyze and store data in real time. It can scan the components of hydropower equipment and process the point clouds to generate color maps. It can also store the 3D data in the database for further archiving. TrackScan-Sharp offers precise assessment of the part conditions to deliver high-quality products.

Scantech’s 3D scanners and 3D solutions are widely applied in the field of energy engineering, such as inspection of hydraulic turbine guide vane, turbine casting, oil and gas pipeline, wind power flange, etc. It helps many large-scale energy enterprises to achieve digital transformation and upgrading.