Re-Machine – Multimodal Inspection of Wind-Turbine Bolts for Reusability

Wind‑turbine decommissioning generates an inventory of at least 2,500 high‑strength bolted connections per unit that remain valuable for reuse, yet their reclaimability hinges on a detailed assessment for defects. Conventional NDE methods struggle to scale across such a large number of fasteners, and the presence of subsurface cracks, corrosion, or geometric deformations demands rapid, contact‑less inspection. This work presents an automated evaluation that fuses infrared thermography with high‑resolution optical imaging. Thermal data expose hidden cracks, while optical images capture surface anomalies and dimensional deviations such as bending or pinching. The two modalities are combined in a single workflow that generates defect masks and forwards the results to an AI classifier that determines bolt reuse eligibility.