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Artificial Intelligence Solution from Fujitsu Helps Siemens Gamesa Significantly Accelerate Quality Assurance Procedures

Fujitsu EMEIA

News facts:
  • Automated Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution for post-manufacturing inspection and quality control developed by Fujitsu for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy using cutting-edge image processing and deep learning technology
  • Cuts inspection times for windmill turbine blades from six hours to just one and a half hours, resulting in significant cost savings
  • AI technology has the potential to revolutionize quality assurance in other industry areas
Fujitsu Forum Munich, November 07, 2017 – Fujitsu has significantly accelerated Siemens Gamesa’s post manufacturing quality assurance (QA) process through the co-creation of an Artificial Intelligence solution1 that uses deep learning capabilities to significantly reduce inspection times for newly-manufactured wind turbine blades.
Siemens is using the new Fujitsu AI solution to speed up the inspection process for the fiberglass blades, which are up to 75 meters long. AI analyzes images generated from Non-Destructive Testing data scans to identify patterns that may indicate manufacturing defects, such as wrinkling, that could cause the blades to fail during operation. Inspection time to thoroughly check every centimeter of the entire length of a new blade is reduced to just one and a half hours. As a result, highly-skilled inspectors are freed up from a monotonous but necessary task that could previously take six hours.

Ken Kaser, Head of Operation in Offshore at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, states: “Fujitsu has been a great partner helping us to use our data more effectively and efficiently”.

Heine Bach, Head of Quality in Operation at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, continues: “Turbine blade failure is not an option, so we needed a solution that would accelerate the time-consuming quality assurance process without compromising on accuracy or safety in any way. By adopting Fujitsu’s ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence technology it takes only a quarter of the time previously required to perform an inspection. We have co-created a solution that not only dramatically cuts the time required for a thorough inspection of turbine blades, but also enables us to focus on sections of blades with potential deviations."
Duncan Tait, Corporate Executive Officer, SEVP and Head of Americas and EMEIA at Fujitsu, said: “Artificial Intelligence has delivered a radical step forwards for Siemens Gamesa in improving what was previously a time-consuming and laborious task. It is just one example of how Fujitsu is co-creating with its customers to take solutions to the next level. We listened to the problem, before jointly working on a solution that leverages AI deep learning, image and signal processing techniques during the inspection process. This ensures the highest possible quality, while also removing the monotony of checking every centimeter of a fiberglass blade of up to 75 meters – something that used to take up to a whole day and required intense levels of concentration to complete.”
Flexible licensing model minimizes upfront investment in ground-breaking AI technology
Fujitsu delivered the complex and tailored AI software with a flexible licensing model, which meant that Siemens Gamesa was able to minimize upfront investment. The solution is designed to easily scale to include new models of wind turbine blades, and runs on-premises on Fujitsu PRIMERGY servers. Fujitsu plans to introduce a cloud-based version of the AI technology in 2018.

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About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu EMEIA

Fujitsu promotes a Human Centric Intelligent Society, in which innovation is driven by the integration of people, information and infrastructure. In the Europe, Middle East, Africa and India region (EMEIA), our 28,000-strong workforce is committed to Digital Co-creation, blending business expertise with digital technology and creating new value with ecosystem partners and customers. We enable our customers to digitally transform with connected technology services, focused on Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Cloud - all underpinned by Security. For more information, please visit http://www.fujitsu.com/fts/about/

Fujitsu Public Relations

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Date: 07 November, 2017
City: Fujitsu Forum Munich