Beijing, China
Background
AECC No.1 Institute needed to automate inter-process transport and storage for single-crystal turbine blade manufacturing — covering ceramic cores, wax patterns, shell molds, melting, heat treatment, inspection, and machining. The goal was to raise output, stabilize quality, and reduce manual handling in a highly controlled aerospace process.
Solution
ENGOAL delivered four integrated development workstreams: → Inter-process automated transport equipment + dispatch system → Custom protective tooling and fixtures → Product transport & storage management control system → Digital production-line intelligent management & control system
Scope delivered:
- 1 set of inter-process automated transport & storage equipment
- 1 set of automated dispatch system
- 1 set of custom protective tooling
- 1 set of product transport & storage management control
- 1 set of inter-process material buffering & sequencing smart equipment
- 1 set of lean production-line layout + virtual commissioning / validation system
Key equipment: → WMS-WCS / stacker cranes / conveyors / racking / AGVs / non-standard fixtures
Operation logic:
- Unified packaging, transport, and storage standards across cores, wax patterns, shell molds, and cast blades.
- Effective part protection during transit; some stations auto-link on-line.
- Inbound → storage → picking → outbound; selected materials also flow to a break-bulk picking warehouse.
- Information-driven control and high-efficiency dispatch to match production takt.
Results
- End-to-end automated transport across all single-crystal blade processes.
- Standardized protective tooling stabilizing part quality.
- Designed explicitly to raise blade output and reduce manual handling.
Industry Value
A referenceable model for high-value, high-contamination-risk manufacturing (aero engines, turbines, precision castings) where inter-process protection and virtual commissioning matter more than raw throughput.
