CINCINNATI— May 17, 2018— Baker Hughes, a GE Company (NYSE: BHGE), today opened its largest Customer Solutions Center (CSC) globally for its Inspection Technologies business (IT). The Cincinnati CSC, first announced in 2017, brings BHGE’s most advanced non-destructive testing technologies under one roof for the first time and is the leading facility of its kind. With more than 100 customers from 12+ countries in attendance, BHGE leadership officially opened the facility in Sharonville this morning and began a packed first day of demos, application development and service sessions.
“Cincinnati is a perfect location to launch this site, and we are thrilled to bring our expertise and best technologies here to co-innovate with customers,” said Holger Laubenthal, CEO of Inspection Technologies for BHGE. “I want to personally thank the local team for making our vision a reality as well as our colleagues from nearby GE Aviation. I truly believe no one else in the industry can offer the level of high-quality service we will provide here, and our team’s passion to solve our customer’s toughest problems will help launch Cincinnati as the new benchmark for CSCs globally."
The 26,000 square foot Cincinnati CSC is a $4 million investment and was developed to better support customers for non-destructive testing needs. The facility will provide a heightened experience for customers in three specific areas:
- World-class inspection services at the scale of a production facility
- Application development and qualification testing for customers and partners
- Customer demos and world-class training
The Cincinnati CSC will serve customers requiring asset and process performance improvements, quality assurance, parts validation and repairs. The facility’s primary focus will be on the growing aerospace, electronics and additive manufacturing industries, as well as oil & gas, automotive, and power industries. These industries require a new level of high-resolution imaging for inspection technologies, a key benefit of the CSC’s radiography and imaging systems. The facility’s proximity to significant aerospace and additive manufacturing presences in the region, including GE Aviation, makes the location ideal for customers and partners.
Within the Cincinnati CSC is the BHGE’s most advanced x-ray, CT, ultrasonic and remote visual inspection (RVI) technologies available today, as well as a state-of-the-art climate controlled room for CT metrology and dedicated spaces for services and training. The facility also allows for personalized setups based on customer needs and will include additional technology in the coming years.
IT has already seen impressive results from its work with key customers for non-destructive testing, and the Cincinnati CSC will aim to host 600+ customers annually to deliver even greater results. Three examples of the CSC’s technologies at work:
- GE Aviation has deployed 60+ radiography and RVI systems to inspect turbine airfoils, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) and additively-manufactured parts. With proprietary CT technology found in the CSC, average inspection time decreased by more than 80 percent for a single part, from more than an hour to just a few minutes.
- Air Asia has entered into a long-term agreement using multiple Mentor Visual iQ RVI units to enable faster inspection and increased accuracy for its global fleet of aircraft engines. With best-in-class 3D imaging and resolution capabilities, Mentor Visual iQ was chosen over a competitive technology for its outstanding features and leading performance.
- Safran has used multiple CT systems to inspect engine components on the CFM LEAP jet engine since the earliest days of the program, with a particular emphasis on driving greater insight to support engine durability.
BHGE is evaluating opportunities to open additional CSCs in 2018 and 2019, with more locations in Asia, U.S. and Europe coming online soon. Each CSC will offer similar technologies and services as the Cincinnati facility and will focus on the most relevant industries and customer needs for the immediate region(s), providing more attentive service never seen in the industry at such scale before.
About BHGE
Baker Hughes, a GE company (NYSE: BHGE) is the world’s first and only fullstream provider of integrated oilfield products, services and digital solutions. We deploy minds and machines to enhance customer productivity, safety and environmental stewardship, while minimizing costs and risks at every step of the energy value chain. With operations in over 120 countries, we infuse over a century of experience with the spirit of a startup, inventing smarter ways to bring energy to the world.
