AI and MDI redefine inspection in critical engines
Waygate Technologies, part of Baker Hughes, and GE Aerospace have deployed automated MDI templates for borescope inspection on GEnx engines, marking a tangible step toward the digitalization of aircraft maintenance.
The most disruptive element is not automation itself, but the ability to standardize inspection criteria through AI-guided workflows, reducing reliance on the operator’s individual interpretation.
This approach transforms the NDT process from a practice highly dependent on experience into a reproducible, traceable system aligned with advanced metrological quality principles.
Standardization: the end of operational variability
The MDI templates integrated into the Mentor Visual iQ+ guide the inspector in capturing critical views of HPT turbine blades, ensuring direct compliance with maintenance manuals.
The use of visual overlays and real-time geometric references ensures consistency in data acquisition, eliminating deviations associated with technique, angle, or subjective judgment.
From a technical perspective, this advancement reduces result dispersion, improves measurement repeatability, and increases statistical reliability in defect assessment.
Data, traceability, and predictive maintenance
Automation, together with integration into digital platforms, makes it possible to structure inspection data with automatic tagging, strengthening traceability and enabling historical condition analysis.
In addition, incorporating 3D measurement—depth, area, and profile—within the inspection workflow makes it possible to evolve from qualitative assessments to quantitative diagnostics.
This digital ecosystem not only optimizes operational efficiency, but also lays the groundwork for predictive maintenance models based on advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.
Automation as a response to the talent challenge
One of the less visible, but more strategic, impacts is the reduction of the learning curve in NDT inspection, a critical factor given the global shortage of specialized technicians.
Standardized visual guides enable less experienced personnel to perform inspections with quality levels close to those of experts, democratizing critical capabilities.
In industrial terms, this translates into greater fleet availability, reduced inspection times, and an accelerated transition toward more resilient maintenance operations.
Source: https://www.bakerhughes.com/
Photo: Shutterstock