Darmstadt, Germany – Based in Sarralbe, France, FB2M has built a strong reputation for heavy steel fabrication and the production of exceptionally large components and assemblies. Since 2025, the company has been using Visometry’s augmented reality (AR) solution Twyn for visual inspections and basic geometric checks. The results have been substantial: particularly demanding inspections that once took almost an entire working day can now be completed in no more than 30 minutes. FB2M also reports higher customer satisfaction, with customer-side nonconformities involving missing parts down by 50%.
FB2M specializes in heavy steel fabrication, welded assemblies, machining, and processing high-strength steels. Its capabilities cover the full manufacturing process, including welding, machining, non-destructive testing, blasting, and painting. One of the company’s particular strengths is producing very large components and assemblies used in cranes, earthmoving equipment, and tunnel boring machines around the world. This makes reliable quality inspection throughout production particularly important, and Twyn is now part of FB2M’s approach.
Tablet-Based AR Streamlines Traditional Inspection Workflows
Before adopting Twyn, FB2M relied on customer-supplied 2D drawings and conventional measuring tools, such as tape measures and calipers, for visual inspections and basic geometric checks. Each line of the inspection report also had to be signed off manually. The process was slow and tedious, with fatigue, the risk of human error, and difficult-to-read documentation adding to the challenges.
With Twyn as tablet-based inspection software, this process is now a thing of the past. FB2M adopted the tool in 2025 following a customer’s recommendation. Responsive support was another advantage.
Twyn Delivers Major Time Savings and Added Value
FB2M now uses Twyn at several stages of production, including the inspection and approval of subassemblies. Once assembly is complete, the AR tool is used for the final inspection and acceptance of finished components, such as crawler frames for mobile cranes and slewing platforms for excavators. Employees also use Twyn to prepare final acceptance reports.
According to FB2M, Twyn has cut the time required for particularly complex inspections by up to 90%. “Some of our most demanding inspections used to take almost an entire working day with 2D drawings. With Twyn, we can now complete the same inspection in 30 minutes or less. The process has also become much more structured and straightforward, and our inspections are more reliable,” says Christian Mallick, Technical and Quality Director at FB2M.
FB2M’s customers are seeing the benefits, too. Since Twyn was introduced, customer-side nonconformities involving missing parts have dropped by 50%. Internal nonconformities resulting from assembly errors have also decreased. “Twyn helps us identify missing parts more reliably and standardize our inspection processes,” says Mallick.
FB2M reports improvements in four key areas: more thorough and consistent inspections, shorter inspection times, additional in-process inspections, and standardized digital documentation.
The way inspections are organized has changed, too. Previously, quality inspectors needed assistance from someone in production. Now, they can carry out the checks themselves.
AR Inspection Complements Established Methods
Twyn has become a valuable addition to FB2M’s existing measurement and inspection methods, rather than a replacement. The company uses the AR solution alongside established procedures, including non-destructive testing of welds.
The rollout was quick. Once FB2M had seen what Twyn could do, the company incorporated the solution into its existing workflows without delay. Today, three quality inspectors use Twyn on tablets every day, while production managers occasionally use it on their iPhones. “Twyn was well received from the start. It’s intuitive to use and gives our inspectors a clear framework for their work. That helps us carry out inspections more consistently and fit them more easily into our daily routines,” says Christian Mallick. “Twyn is efficient, versatile, and has become indispensable to us.”
Press contact
Alberto Castiglioni
Head of Marketing
Phone: +49 6151 707 660
Email: alberto.castiglioni@visometry.com