International. AkzoNobel has acquired a minority stake in Donecle, an automated inspection business powered by drones to optimize aerospace coatings maintenance and replacement programs.
Donecle's technology was originally developed to automate and increase the efficiency of general visual inspections (GVI) of aircraft, including lightning detection and identification.
It has now evolved to be able to detect paint defects, scratches, and other coating problems, such as rivet tears, in exactly the same way, every time. The findings are then analyzed to determine the overall "health" of the coating and if and when a new coating may be required.
Patrick Bourguignon, BU Director at AkzoNobel Automotive & Specialty Coatings, says the investment reflects the company's strategy of partnering with best-in-class technologies: "It aligns with our commitment to developing new and increasingly innovative services and solutions that help our aerospace customers reduce costs, improve efficiency and support a significantly more sustainable operation."
Matthieu Claybrough, CEO of Donecle, is excited to have the backing of such a prestigious global brand: "We have already been collaborating to develop the new Aerofleet Coatings Management service and will work closely with their teams to develop this and other services to help keep our aerospace customers one step ahead of the competition."
As part of the Aerofleet Coatings Management solution, the drones fly in a fixed grid over the surface of the aircraft and take up to 1000 high-definition photographs. These are then analyzed using a custom Donecle machine learning algorithm based on a two-stage deep neural network to identify problems on the surface of the painting.
Drones can reach parts of an aircraft faster than a person, while their patented laser positioning technology makes flights fully automated. Navigation sensors allow the drone to fly and land safely.
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