AR Cuts Heavy Steel Inspection from a Full Day to 30 Minutes at FB2M

Inspection times for complex fabricated assemblies at FB2M have dropped from nearly a full working day to a maximum of 30 minutes — a reduction of up to 90% — since the French fabricator adopted Visometry's Twyn augmented reality (AR) inspection software in 2025.

FB2M, based in Sarralbe, specialises in heavy steel fabrication, welded assemblies, machining and the processing of high-strength steels. Its very large components go into cranes, earthmoving equipment and tunnel boring machines worldwide. At that scale, quality inspection throughout the manufacturing process isn't optional — it's the gate that keeps multimillion-euro machines moving.

The change hasn't just saved time. Customer-reported non-conformities caused by missing components have fallen by 50%, and internal non-conformities from assembly errors have also decreased.

What replaced the tape measure and calliper?

Before Twyn, an employee performed visual inspections and basic geometric checks manually, working from customer-supplied 2D drawings with tape measures and callipers. Inspection reports had to be ticked off line by line. Operator fatigue, human error and sometimes unreadable documentation compounded the problem.

Twyn runs on tablets and overlays inspection data onto the physical workpiece, guiding the inspector through a structured check. FB2M adopted it after a customer recommendation, with fast technical support from Visometry cited as a second factor in the decision.

Where does the tool sit in the workflow?

Three quality inspectors now use Twyn daily on tablets, and production managers occasionally run it on their iPhones. The software operates at several stages: inspection and approval of subassemblies, final sign-off of complete components such as crawler carriers for mobile cranes and rotating platforms for excavators, and preparation of final inspection and acceptance reports.

FB2M identifies four areas of benefit:

• Greater care and consistency during inspections
• Shorter inspection times
• The introduction of additional in-process inspections
• Standardised digital documentation

The organisation of inspection work has shifted too. Previously, production personnel had to be pulled in to assist with certain checks; quality inspectors can now handle them alone.

Measured results versus vendor claims

The headline numbers — 90% time reduction on complex inspections, 50% fewer missing-component non-conformities — come from FB2M itself rather than an independent audit, so treat them as shop-floor self-reporting. But they're grounded in a concrete before-and-after: the same inspections that consumed a day with 2D drawings now close in half an hour.

"Previously, particularly demanding inspections using 2D drawings could take almost an entire working day. With Twyn, we can now complete the same inspection in no more than 30 minutes. At the same time, the inspection process has become considerably more structured and straightforward, and the reliability of our inspections has improved," says Christian Mallick, Technical and Quality Director at FB2M.

"Twyn provides very effective support in helping us identify missing components more reliably and standardise our inspection procedures," Mallick adds.

Complement, not replacement

FB2M positions Twyn as an addition to its existing measurement arsenal, not a substitute. Established techniques — notably non-destructive testing of welds — remain in place alongside the AR checks. That distinction matters for buyers: Twyn handles visual verification and basic geometric checks, not the metallurgical integrity checks that NDT methods cover.

Integration into daily operations was rapid once capabilities were demonstrated. "Twyn was adopted very quickly within our organisation. The solution is intuitive to use and provides our inspectors with a clear structure for their work. As a result, inspections can now be carried out more consistently and are easier to integrate into everyday operations," Mallick says. "Twyn is efficient, flexible in its application and has become indispensable to us."

The open question for metrology managers: AR-guided visual inspection is now delivering measurable cycle-time and non-conformity gains in heavy fabrication, so when does a tablet overlay qualify as a documented inspection method in your quality system — and what traceability will your auditors demand of it?