Robotics Lab Marries High-Accuracy Scanning with Sustainable Engine Innovation

Dr Jörg Feist, managing director of Sensor Coating Systems Ltd. All images: Courtesy of Sensor Coating Systems Ltd

Sensor Coating Systems Ltd (SCS) has opened a cutting-edge robotics laboratory in Dagenham, UK. The facility marks a significant step forward in advancing thermal measurement technology while reinforcing the company's commitment to net carbon zero innovation. The new lab—equipped with two state-of-the-art ABB robots—will dramatically boost SCS’s testing capabilities, quadrupling throughput for engine components and enabling high-resolution laser scanning of intricate parts like cooled turbine blades, turbocharger components, and helicopter bearings. Designed to meet the increasing demand from a growing global client base across power generation, aerospace, automotive, and industrial sectors, the lab represents both a technological leap and a strategic investment in a sustainable future.

Lab Design News spoke to Dr. Jörg Feist, managing director of Sensor Coating Systems Ltd, about the design and construction of the new facility, the vision behind the lab’s development, and how its capabilities will shape the future of energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

Q: How did you engage your engineers, scientists, and technical staff in shaping the design of the new robotics lab? Were there specific performance or workflow challenges you aimed to solve with this facility?

A: SCS has two fully operational workstations as part of their main development laboratory. The decision to set up a separate dedicated delivery laboratory meant we were able to improve on the setup. The engineers designed dedicated work benches, improving setup and throughput time considerably. Throughput could be improved by a factor of two to four, depending on the complexity of components being scanned.

Q: Were there any particular design choices driven by the need to accommodate your proprietary laser scanning and thermal mapping technologies? If so, can you describe how those requirements influenced the layout or infrastructure?

A: The layout allows for component parts to be de-situated in a dedicated waiting area in front of the robotic scanning benches. The new T-shaped benches allow scanning of components in three areas instead of the previous area. This reduces setup time for calibration and run-throughs.

Custom light-sealed enclosures were designed around the robots to block external light and minimize laser reflection risks during optical measurements.

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the construction of this facility—especially when integrating high-precision robotics into a laboratory setting?

A: One of the most significant challenges was integrating our bespoke temperature measurement instrumentation onto a six-axis industrial robot. This involved mounting an optical fiber sensor directly onto the robot arm and achieving highly precise calibration to ensure the thermal maps we generate are accurate to within sub-millimeter positional tolerances.

We also had to design custom light-sealed enclosures around the robots. These prevent external light from interfering with our optical measurements, while also helping to reduce the risk of laser reflections within the workspace.

Q: Did sustainability targets like achieving net carbon zero affect any construction or design decisions, such as materials selection or energy systems integration?

A: Sustainability and carbon net zero affects our final product/service, not the robotic systems themselves. The novel thermal mapping technologies allow new engine designs to operate at higher temperatures without disintegrating. This is a fundamental way of making engine run more efficiently and use less fuel and emit less CO2. 

Q: What was the process for moving staff and equipment into the new laboratory space? Were there any unexpected hurdles in transitioning your workflow or data systems?

A: There wasn’t much disruption—this lab was designed to expand our capabilities rather than replace anything. We didn’t need to move existing equipment or reconfigure workflows. Instead, the new space gave us a blank canvas to work with.

We were able to design the robot cages from scratch, optimizing them for measurement capacity and system integration. The lab now houses two brand-new industrial robots, complementing the two already in our original lab. 

Q: How did you plan for training your staff on the new ABB robotic systems, and were there any modifications to the lab environment to support this onboarding process?

A: The new ABB robots mirror the ones already in place. Hence, there was no significant learning curve. The redesign of the T-shaped benches was not fundamentally difficult.

Novel thermal mapping technologies enable engine designs to operate at higher temperatures, improving efficiency and reducing fuel use and CO2 emissions—key to achieving sustainability goals.

Q: The ability to scan thousands of measurement points with minute thermal resolution is impressive—what infrastructure or technology integrations make this level of precision possible?

A: There is a combination of three technical pillars: materials, instrumentation, and robotics. All three elements a glued together by an analytics team.

Materials: SCS developed and applied one paint and two coating variants, which can memorize temperature. These have been developed over several years and are the backbone of the measurement technique. The initial idea is fully patent-protected.

Instrumentation: The paints/coatings are ‘glow in the dark’ materials. When you shine a light on it, it starts to phosphoresce. The phosphorescence after calibration can be translated into temperature. For this, we have developed specific instrumentation tools which can both detect optical spectra and observe the time the light ceases after illumination.

Robotics: After experience some success with manual point-by-point measurements, the customers started demanding more data—thousands of measurement points instead of a hundred. This only was possible by combing the instrumentation systems with a robotic scanning system. This also suddenly allowed the accurate determination of the measurement spot on a component—a significant advantage towards high precision measurements, specifically in high temperature gradient areas.

Our analytics department glue all aspects of the measurement system together by looking at the properties of coatings, instrumentation, and robotics at the same time.

Sub-millimeter temperature measurements are enabled by precise calibration and a unique laser-excited coating, with safety ensured by containing stray light within robot cages.

Q: In terms of robotics lab design, are there any unique safety or calibration features built into the facility to ensure reliability when working with high-temperature turbine components?

A: At SCS, we offer sub-millimeter positional accuracy in our temperature measurements. To achieve this, we go through a calibration process for the optical fiber we measure with, and every part we work on is also calibrated so we know its exact location in space.

Thanks to our unique coating, our temperature measurements are performed post-operation—meaning the parts are measured at room temperature. However, since we use optical diagnostic techniques that involve exciting the coating with a laser, the main safety concern is ensuring that stray reflected light doesn’t escape the robot cages.

Q: How will the new lab support local schools, colleges, and universities beyond the opening event? Are there ongoing outreach or internship programs in place to connect students with your work?

A: SCS works closely with Barking & Dagenham Chamber of Commerce and recently won the Business Awards 2024. SCS will continue to support schools and university student with a limited number of work shadowing places and internships. Former outreach projects have led to full-time employment with a few internship places.

Q: Given the focus on inspiring the next generation of engineers, how do you envision this lab contributing to STEM education efforts in Dagenham and the wider London area over the next few years?

A: First, the laboratory is in support of new businesses from a global customer base. However, SCS will continue to introduce students to their overall activities through STEM days, outreach work shadowing schemes and internships for talented university students.