The Conversion of a Skeptic: Saving Engines is Saving Millions

Rolls-Royce Power Systems' AI journey started at a South Carolina facility producing large diesel engines for generator sets, naval and marine applications, and military vehicles.

The Problem

Upon completion of assembly, each engine is subjected to rigorous testing. During this process, subtle indications of pending problems may go unnoticed—potentially leading to catastrophic failure during testing or after the engine is put into service.

The Challenge

Detecting the Undetectable

  1. Catastrophic Engine Failures

    During rigorous testing, subtle indications of pending problems went unnoticed by even the most experienced operators—potentially leading to catastrophic failures.

  2. Millions in Annual Losses

    These failures caused scrap, rework, delayed shipments, backlogs and warranty claims, costing Rolls-Royce millions of dollars annually.

  3. Data Overload

    The plant had collected over 50 billion data points from multiple systems over the years, but only used it for follow-up root cause analysis after failures occurred.

The Solution

AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance

Delta Bravo's technology transformed how Rolls-Royce approached their massive data challenge:

Rapid Data Reduction

Within 48 hours, Delta Bravo's technology reduced the dataset from 50 billion to 2 billion critical data points, identifying the metrics that most influenced failure.

Enhanced Data Collection

A gap in data collection frequency was identified. Increasing collection from 0.5 Hz to 10 Hz at critical process junctures enabled development of an accurate machine learning model.

Predictive ML Model

Detailed correlation analysis established baselines for each metric, creating a model capable of predicting failures before they occurred.

Key Results

Measurable Impact

30 min

Within 45 days, the model could predict failures 30 minutes in advance with zero false positives.

10x

Within 90 days, the AI solution saved multiple engines, producing a 10x return on investment.

Winner

Rolls-Royce was named Innovator of the Year by the South Carolina Manufacturing Excellence Awards.

The model was scaled across all engines from test cells to the field. Now, Rolls-Royce can predict low-hour failures and proactively send maintenance teams, reducing warranty claims and maintaining positive brand loyalty with customers.

From Skeptic to Advocate

"I had much skepticism at first. Could this be done? Were we recording the right parameters to do this? What would it take to shut these engines down before the failure occurred?"

Kyle Hodges, PhD
Senior Controls Engineer, Rolls-Royce Power Systems

Since then, Kyle has become one of Delta Bravo's biggest supporters, presenting Rolls-Royce's AI prowess in a keynote at the South Carolina Automotive Manufacturer's conference and interviews in Automation World Magazine.

Ready to Transform Your Operations?

Turn Your Data Into Predictive Intelligence

Like Rolls-Royce, your organization can leverage AI-powered predictive maintenance to prevent failures, reduce warranty claims, and achieve significant ROI.