Siemens Energy Enhances Visual Inspection and Quality Control with Augmented Reality
Siemens Energy is advancing its digital transformation in quality assurance by integrating SuPAR, an Augmented Reality (AR)-based inspection solution, into selected visual inspection and quality control processes. By allowing physical components to be compared directly with their corresponding 3D CAD models in real time on the shop floor, SuPAR makes inspections faster, more practical, and easier to document while enabling earlier detection of potential issues.
Bridging the Gap Between CAD and Reality
In a recent technical presentation, Malte Galeazzi, Supply Quality Engineer and SuPAR Product Owner at Siemens Energy, demonstrated how SuPAR overlays 3D CAD data directly onto physical components.
This immediate visual comparison provides inspectors with precise, intuitive guidance on the actual component. By bringing 3D models into the physical workspace, the technology significantly reduces the reliance on interpreting traditional 2D technical drawings or transferring data into isolated 3D inspection workflows.
Key Impact on Quality Control Workflows
Implementing AR-based visual inspection has delivered clear operational gains across Siemens Energy’s manufacturing environment:
More Than 50% Time Savings: In completeness checks for steel structures, Siemens Energy has achieved time savings of more than 50% by using SuPAR.
Direct Visual Comparison: Inspectors can compare the physical component directly with its corresponding 3D CAD model in the production environment, making target-versus-actual checks clearer and more practical.
Earlier and Faster Error Detection: The AR overlay helps teams identify potential missing, misplaced or non-conforming elements earlier in the process, supporting faster corrective action.
Digital Documentation and Reporting: Inspection findings can be documented digitally with photos and structured reports, improving transparency and traceability throughout the inspection process.
Field-Ready and Intuitive Use: The mobile workflow allows 3D information to be used directly where components are produced and inspected, supporting practical adoption by quality teams.
Supporting and Enhancing Established Quality Methods
SuPAR is designed to complement, rather than replace, Siemens Energy’s existing quality assurance methodologies. The technology seamlessly supports a wide range of tasks, including: Visual quality inspection, completeness checks, assembly verification, digital reporting and audit trails and in-process quality control
By making high-resolution 3D CAD data available directly at the point of inspection, quality engineers can easily select and execute the most effective method for each specific quality task.
The Next Step in the Digital Inspection Journey
The adoption of SuPAR underscores how augmented reality can drive a more transparent, streamlined, and field-ready approach to visual quality control. By directly connecting digital CAD design data with physical production environments, Siemens Energy reduces manual interpretation errors, enhances documentation accuracy, and supports faster, data-driven decision-making across its manufacturing operations.
For more information: www.supar.tech
