How Parker Hannifin used tomography to automate its quality inspection

Parker Hannifin is an American company and the world leader in motion and control technologies, founded in 1917 in Cleveland, Ohio, by engineer Arthur Parker under the name Parker Appliance Company. Since then, the company has been active in a wide range of industrial sectors, including aerospace (still its core business), automotive and energy, with products ranging from hydraulic systems to automation solutions.

By 2023, Parker will have achieved net sales of $19 billion worldwide, with 6,2730 employees working on 335 sites.

In 2022, the Parker site in Muzillac, Bretagne, acquired a computed tomography system, the EasyTom S from RX Solutions, to meet the need for quality control at the start and end of production. In addition to the CT system, a user interface has been developed to facilitate and automate operators' tasks as far as possible.

Why Parker Hannifin chose computed tomography to modernize its quality control process

We live in an industrial world where technology is evolving very quickly and where parts and products manufactured are becoming increasingly elaborate, technical and meticulous. This was the issue that led Parker to consult RX Solutions in 2022, with a view to ‘industrializing’ the quality control of the parts and components produced at the Muzillac plant. Traditional methods, such as coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), were proving too slow and laborious to meet current production needs. The company therefore sought a solution that would speed up inspections, be easy to use and non-destructive when inspecting the inside of a part.

The CT SYSTEM - EasyTom S

To meet this need, Parker has turned its attention to industrial computed tomography. A non-destructive testing solution enabling both internal and external inspection of their parts. After studying what the market had to offer, the company chose RX Solutions and the EasyTom S.

The EasyTom S is the most compact model in the EasyTom range, while offering great versatility for small and medium-sized parts. The motorized axes enabling the scan resolution to be adjusted to suit the size of the parts was also a major advantage. According to Parker Hannifin, ‘The EasyTom S model is the most versatile in its class’ and enabled a quick and efficient installation.

Interface tomographie automatisée sur mesure

A customized user interface and advanced automated control

The RX Solutions and Parker teams worked closely together to produce an EasyTom S with a UI (User Interface) specific to the company's inspection requirements using the RxSolutions API (Application Programming Interface). The UI developed enables the operator to choose his inspection range and, once the parts have been placed in the machine, to automatically carry out the part inspection, including scanning, reconstruction and VG Studio Max post-processing, right up to the display of whether or not the parts are red/green on the machine screen. A password can be used to switch back to an external interface for advanced non-production checks.

Benefits of industrial computed tomography

The integration of X-ray CT scanning via EasyTom S into Parker Hannifin's production processes has proved particularly effective. This interface has made it possible to fully automate data acquisition and system control, freeing up operators' time. The results obtained by Parker Hannifin speak for themselves:

Significant productivity gains: Quality checks are now carried out in hidden time, enabling the company to concentrate on optimizing its production processes. Until now, 2 injection operators had to carry out the inspection of their parts.
Improved quality : CT scanning can detect internal defects invisible to other inspection methods, guaranteeing impeccable quality of finished products.
Reduced rejets : Thanks to early detection of defects, Parker Hannifin has been able to significantly reduce the number of defective parts and customer returns.
Accelerated design :Tomography enables rapid analysis of prototypes and optimization of mold design, reducing time-to-market.
Ease of use : EasyTom S's intuitive interface made it easy for Parker Hannifin's teams to adopt the solution.

STUDY CASE : Solving a cracking problem with CT

L'une des usines de Parker Hannifin au Mexique a rencontré un problème de fissuration sur des pièces en plastique. Grâce à la tomographie, l'entreprise a pu identifier rapidement la cause de ces fissures : un défaut d'assemblage interne. Et surtout y trouver une solution. Ce cas industriel illustre parfaitement la capacité de la tomographie à identifier et résoudre des problèmes complexes et à améliorer les processus de fabrication et le contrôle qualité tout au long de la chaine de production.

One of Parker Hannifin's plants in Mexico had a cracking issue with plastic parts. Thanks to CT scans, the company was able to quickly identify the cause of the cracks: an internal assembly fault. And above all, find a solution. This industrial case study is a perfect illustration of the ability of X-ray tomography to identify and resolve complex problems and improve manufacturing processes and quality control throughout the production chain.