How VDM Metals uses MiViA to prepare for increasing customer requirements.
The challenges at VDM Metals
1. The starting point
VDM Metals is a global manufacturer of high-performance alloys with highly complex production tailored closely to customer requirements. Peter Maas, Head of Central Laboratory, is responsible for numerous testing methods, including metallography. The laboratories regularly reach their capacity limits, particularly for high-value orders in sectors such as aerospace.
The problem: Conventional microstructure analyses were manual, time-consuming, and heavily dependent on current capacity. Despite highly qualified staff, it was clear that a projected multiplication of analysis volumes would create a bottleneck. Hiring more staff was not a viable option: qualified people are difficult to find, and space is limited.
The solution
The search for greater efficiency brought MiViA into consideration. Initial contact through LinkedIn led to a trial. What began as a tool to reduce the workload for standard analyses quickly revealed unexpected potential.
MiViA delivered:
- Fast and reliable results, from the first attempt despite the broad range of materials.
- Additional insights through automated evaluations such as histograms, grain-size distributions, and structured reports.
- More capacity for valuable specialists, giving them more time for complex and critical tasks.
- Agile collaboration with rapid implementation of requested features, such as multi-image uploads and improved usability.
Adopting MiViA was not a decision against people, but for smart support, making growth possible in the first place.
The results
The MiViA trial quickly produced results:
- The first images achieved accuracy of up to 98%, immediately usable without extensive training.
- Large volumes of standard analyses can now be processed automatically and reliably.
- Quality is not compromised - on the contrary, new data creates new opportunities for research, development, and customer communication.