FANTOM Project: How IRT Jules Verne Automates Composite Inspection with the MetraSCAN 3D-R

The Central Role of the MetraSCAN 3D-R in Generating Inspection Paths

Although the FANTOM platform combines several technologies, the first, and probably most foundational, step is geometry capture. Aerospace composite parts often feature complex curves, ribs, and reinforced areas. Optimal ultrasonic paths cannot be defined without knowing their actual shape.

Mounted on a collaborative robot, the MetraSCAN 3D-R performs this precise 3D mapping. IRT Jules Verne highlights three decisive advantages:

• Stability and repeatability despite vibrations in a robotic cell.
• Low on-robot weight, which is essential for collaborative robotics.
• Industrial-grade accuracy, which is indispensable for ultrasonic paths.

FARO CREAFORM software modules complement this stage:

• Automation generates, simulates, and adjusts robotic paths.
• Inspection uses the geometry to verify deviations and prepare the inspection.
• Dynamic Tracking maintains part-to-robot alignment even when variations or micromovements occur.

The geometry produced by the MetraSCAN 3D-R then becomes the backbone of the inspection process, supporting the ultrasonic, visual, and AI technologies developed by the partners.

Enhanced, Agile, and Consistent NDT Built Around 3D Geometry

The rigid ultrasonic end effectors, optimized flexible membranes, and AI-assisted vision systems were designed to rely directly on the geometry generated by the scanner. With this foundation:

• the ultrasonic probe automatically remains normal to the surface, maximizing signal quality;
• the visual end effectors are positioned with greater accuracy, improving the detection of scratches, dents, or chipping;
• NDT data can be merged into consistent maps using Testia's tools.

A Platform Designed for Production and Decision-Making

The FANTOM project is not intended solely to automate inspections. It also seeks to study the conditions required to integrate them into an industrial digital chain. In this respect, the geometric structure provided by the FARO CREAFORM system is an important component of the platform. Paths, geometric data, and inspection results can be brought together within a single environment, illustrating the potential for digital continuity between the different stages of the inspection process and, ultimately, with industrial quality management systems.

The visual presentation of indications, directly correlated with the scanned geometry, gives operators a more intuitive representation of inspection results and illustrates the value of this approach in facilitating inspection analysis. This continuity between geometric and inspection data offers a promising avenue for improving information consistency and the flow of quality processes over time.

Why IRT Jules Verne Chose FARO CREAFORM Solutions

Based on the information provided by IRT Jules Verne, several factors clearly explain its choice of FARO CREAFORM technologies to structure the FANTOM project. Above all, the institute needed a solution capable of delivering stable, repeatable accuracy in an industrial environment subject to vibration, while maintaining a low on-robot weight compatible with collaborative robotics. The localization methodology used by FARO CREAFORM systems, combined with their ease of deployment and robustness in a robotic cell, was a major advantage in meeting the project's requirements.

The ability to provide a reliable, usable geometric foundation for both path preparation and dynamic alignment made the MetraSCAN 3D-R a key structural element of the platform. IRT Jules Verne found a technology that could integrate naturally into a complex workflow while providing a solid foundation for all automated inspections.

Preparing the Production Lines of the Future

The FANTOM project demonstrates the feasibility of a flexible NDT platform that combines different inspection technologies and explores their integration within a single robotic environment. The results represent a step toward more advanced inspection automation and future integration into production environments. The approach developed by IRT Jules Verne combines robotics, ultrasound, vision, and artificial intelligence, but rests on one central element: reliable, structured, usable geometry provided by the FARO CREAFORM MetraSCAN 3D-R.

This collaboration illustrates the potential of hybrid solutions combining industrial innovation, advanced robotics, and 3D capture. With a robust geometric foundation, the project partners were able to automate certain stages of the inspection process and explore approaches that could eventually reduce the cost and complexity of historically demanding tasks. This work represents a step toward more automated inspection solutions and, in the longer term, more agile and efficient composite production environments.