Hexagon launches PRESTO robotic inspection cell to enable flexible manufacturing

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced the launch of its new automated robotic inspection cell PRESTO. 

The company says PRESTO has been designed to enable manufacturers to reduce quality inspection times, increase efficiency, and streamline workflows.

With PRESTO, automotive OEMs, for example, will be able to increase measurement capacity, and thus reduce time to market, to cope with the dynamic demands of the market, such as the shift to electric mobility. 

The new solution builds on Hexagon’s HxGN Robotic Automation software which has supported the automotive sector through an 'uncertain market' to integrate Hexagon’s state of the art 3D scanning and absolute positioning technologies and software in a single turn-key solution.

Hexagon recognises that manufacturers in markets like automotive cannot afford to re-tool a whole production line to pivot to building Electric Vehicles (EVs) over Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) or setting up inbound inspection of a car door from a supplier. With PRESTO, Hexagon believes it is adapting quality inspection for a 'dynamic, unpredictable time,' as well as enabling 'the future of smaller-batch production of larger volume parts.' 

Powered by what Hexagon describes as the best 3D-laser scanning technologies in the industry, PRESTO facilitates end-to-end inspection in a turnkey package to ensure any surface can be easily inspected. 

Among the key benefits of PRESTO, per Hexagon, are: 

• Reducing inspection time: Compared to other solutions on the market, PRESTO does not require a part to be specially prepared for inspection, and with no need to clean it afterwards. The automated robotic cell is also quick and easy to set-up, meaning that the total time to inspect a part, such as a car door, can be reduced by up to half. PRESTO also processes data in real-time, ensuring engineers can access information quickly and not have to wait to post-process data once a part has been scanned. 
• Optimising the product lifecycle: PRESTO connects inspection to the rest of a manufacturer’s ecosystem. PRESTO can be fully programmed offline with a digital twin of the cell. This allows the programmer to progress the quality inspection set-up while the operator is conducting the measurements, offering maximum equipment efficiency and return on investment. Data from the inspection can also be compared to the digital twin, ensuring that design matches reality.
• Making quality inspection easier: PRESTO requires minimal set-up, automates processes and is designed to be as easy to use as a smartphone. The system is also designed to be useable by quality professionals without robotics expertise, providing a safer and more efficient environment for manufacturers. This helps manufacturers who are facing skilled labour shortages, such as robotic engineers, who can now be freed-up to undertake more value-add tasks. Crucially, the speed and ease of the set-up means the system can be quickly adjusted to inspect different batches, parts, or vehicles on a shared assembly line, offering unparalleled flexibility.
• Improving safety: This robotic cell is built with safety in mind. Clear walls ensure others on the factory floor can safely see what’s happening and the mobile workstation enables the operator to freely choose the right distance to safely monitor the inspection. 

Nicolas Lachaud-Bandres, Automated Solutions Director at Hexagon, said: “Most manufacturers we speak to are keen to automate the inspection process. However, systems are often complex, expensive and require a robotics expert to run them – something which is particularly difficult at a time when the sector is facing a skills and labour shortage.”

“At Hexagon, we’re on a mission to empower manufacturers with fast access to critical quality data. So, we believe this roadblock to automating inspection needs to be removed. That’s why we’ve created PRESTO – a solution that enables the future of automated inspection by making it accessible not just to large OEM’s, but all their suppliers. It’s an off-the-shelf solution that is simple to install, implement, and operate, and can help manufacturers reduce inspection time and costs, without the need for robotics expertise every time something changes.

“Today's manufacturers are facing huge challenges as entire industries transform. Automotive manufacturers, for example, face their greatest transition in a century. To remain competitive, they must integrate new technologies, increase agility and efficiency, and deliver the next generation of smart, connected electric vehicles. With PRESTO, they can automate processes, improve quality control and, ultimately, reduce time to market.