ITM Power - From Manual Assembly Risk to 99% First-Time Right

ITM power stack

Who is ITM?

ITM Power develops Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysers that generate green hydrogen, the only truly clean, net-zero fuel, using renewable energy and water. This technology plays a critical role in decarbonisation and global sustainability efforts. (itm-power.com)

Headquartered in Sheffield, UK, ITM Power has been innovating in hydrogen technology for over 25 years and is recognised as a pioneer in renewable energy solutions.

The Challenge

Building each hydrogen electrolyser stack was:

  • Each power stack required a 20-hour manual assembly process.
  • The build was highly complex, involving more than 1,000 individual steps.
  • Operators manually stacked many different layers throughout the process.
  • A single incorrectly placed component could quickly compromise the entire product.

Manual inspection and guidance made quality inconsistent and hard to scale.

The Solution

 By combining augmented reality guidance with automated vision verification, ITM Power now inspects 100% of all manually placed parts, achieving complete process control and visibility.

Key Innovations

✔ AR projects step-by-step build instructions directly onto the stack
✔ Vision system verifies every individual part placement
3,600+ vision inspection checks per stack
✔ All images logged for complete traceability
✔ Workflow pause/resume lets operators take breaks without mistakes
✔ Early error detection prevents costly rework

“Deal with +1,000 steps and +3,500 vision checks for every product built.”

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“The AR and vision inspection system fundamentally changed how we build power stacks. The immediate feedback and full traceability have given us confidence in quality across every product.”
Operations Lead ITM Power

Impact & Results

Quality & Efficiency Improvements

  • 🚀 First-time-right quality improved: 64% → 99%
  • 🛠 ~3,600 automated inspections per product
  • 📊 Full traceability on every part
  • 👷♂️ Operators never miss a step again

Quality consistency increased dramatically across all production shifts, while rework and scrap were significantly reduced. As a result, operators gained confidence and were able to work faster and more accurately.

 

Why This Matters

ITM Power’s products support the global hydrogen economy by enabling green hydrogen production for:

  • Mobility and fuel cell vehicles
  • Industrial decarbonisation
  • Power-to-gas and energy storage systems

These solutions help companies meet net-zero goals and drive global sustainability. 

 

Interested in Similar Results?

If your manufacturing involves complex manual assembly with quality risks, we can help you:

  • Improve first-pass quality
  • Increase throughput
  • Capture every assembly step digitally

Book a 30 Days Free Trial

Experience our solution yourself.

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