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TESA I S I O
tesaVisio 200La nouvelle TESA-VISIO 200 manuelle,plus compacte mais sans compromis quant à ses performances métrologiques.
La haute précision accessible à tous.
tesaVisio 500Versions VALUE et UNIVERSALavec compensation volumétrique, puissante intensité lumineuse et angles d’incidence variéspour une localisation plus fine des arêtes.
La vision de l’excellence.
tesaVisio 300Versions manuelle, DCC et DCC MULTISENSOR.Avec logiciels TESA-VISTA ou PC-DMIS.
La référence industrielle incontestée.
TESA Benelux Instruments et systèmes de mesure Pascal Siebens - Generaal de Wittelaan 17 - Bus 21 - B-2800 MechelenTél. 015 435 301 - Fax 015 435 302 - www.tesabs.ch - [email protected]
Les machines de mesureVision TESA
Leader en Technologies de Vision
TESA I S I O
tesaVisio 200Our latest manual machine version,smaller but without compromise on metrological performance.
High precision made accessible to all.
tesaVisio 500VALUE or UNIVERSAL machines with volumetric compensation, powerfullillumination with various incident angles for finest detection of sharp edges.
A vision of Excellence.
tesaVisio 300Manual, DCC or DCC MULTISENSOR machines. Equipped with TESAVISTA or PC-DMIS software.
The undisputed reference for industry.
TESA Technology UK Measuring Instruments and Systems Metrology House - Halesfield 13 - Telford, Shropshire TF7 4PL - Tel 1952 681 349 - Fax 1952 681 391www.tesabs.co.uk - [email protected]
A Vision Technology Leader
TESA VisionMachines
3QMT November/December 08www.qmtmag.com
CONTENTS
November/December 2008News and comment 4
Data visibility drives quality 7A three phase implementation of an on-line shopfloorsystem improves shopfloor efficiency, accuracy and qual-ity at automotive chassis manufacturer
Shearography power 11100% inspection of huge wind turbine blades usingshearography systems is helping to power the greenenergy revolution
Tensile testing 15
Turbine blade inspection 16Blade inspection time is reduced 83% at Toshiba GETurbine Components
Cost effective 2-D inspection 182-D inspection by camera-based system of large, flataerospace components is up to three times faster andmore cost effective than laser system
Matching sparkle in colour 21A new colour measurement system will save automakersand automotive suppliers considerable time and moneyin applying metallic flake and other effect paints
Focus on sensors 24It is the application which matters when choosing theright type of non contact displacement sensor for preci-sion measurement. By Chris Jones, Micro-Epsilon
Vision & microscopy 28
On-machine probing 29
Shopfloor 30
CMMs 31
SPC 32
NDT 34
Materials testing 35
Quality management systems 36
On-line vision 37
Automatic gauging 38
Editor: Brendan CoyneEmail: [email protected]: 00 44 1580 715152
Media Director: Dawn WisbeyEmail: [email protected]: 00 44 208 2897011Mob: 0044 797 4640371
Website: www.qmtmag.com
Quality Manufacturing Today , pub-lished eight times a year, is a print andon-line magazine for the quality,measurement and test industry pro-moting improvements in manufactur-ing processes and products throughquality control and quality manage-ment - from shopfloor to line andenterprise management.
Quality Manufacturing Today is pub-lished by Cranbrook Media Ltd.Registered company No. 06048241Registered office: The Coach House,Angley Road, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2LE, UK.
Printers: Premier Press, Southend© Cranbrook Media Ltd.
Front cover:Hexagon Metrology.
www.hexagonmetrology.com/uk
Product and feature articleenquiriesLog on to www.qmtmag.com fordirect links to companies andproducts featured in this issue.
Free subscription UK & Europe - register online atwww.qmtmag.com
Renishaw reports stronggrowth at 24%Measurement technologyleader, Renishaw, have issuedan interim management state-ment for the period 1st July to30th September 2008 whichshows a revenue increase of24% to £53 million for thefirst 3 months of the currentfinancial year - up from£42.7m last year (an increaseof 14% at constant exchangerates). Unaudited profit beforetax amounted to £9.8m, com-pared with £5.6m last year. Inaddition to strong tradingresults, profits have beenassisted by the weakness ofSterling to the extent of profitbefore tax increasing by£2.9m due to favourableexchange rate movements rel-ative to the comparable peri-od last year.
Sir David McMurtry, chair-man and chief executive,commented, “It is still veryearly in our financial year andworldwide economic condi-tions are extremely uncertain.Notwithstanding this presentsituation, we are encouragedby the continuing strength ofour order book and theincreasing market opportuni-ties for the application of ourtechnologies. The Boardremains confident of theCompany’s prospects for thecurrent year.”
www.renishaw.com
Record sales forCybermetrics Q3 2008CyberMetrics Corporation, aleading software and solu-tions provider founded in1988 and located inScottsdale, Arizona, reportsrecord sales through Q32008. Year-over-year revenuegrowth for CyberMetricsQuality Management Division(QMD) is reported at 28%.
“Other than the Y2K Bugdriver back in 1999, we havenever seen growth like thispresident & CEO, DaveBanerjea.
Sales of CyberMetrics’ serv-
ices revenues rose 34% overQ1-Q3 of the previous year,providing CyberMetrics withcontinued multi-digit salesgrowth.
“Even with the current stateof the economy, I am happyto be able to reinforce mystatement made earlier thisyear that CyberMetrics isenthusiastic about our 2008prospects”, adds Banerjea,
“and with our planned releaseof GAGEtrak v7 in Q1 2009,the outlook for next year lookspositive as well”.
www.cybermetrics.com
Trac MeasurementSystems are measuringup to moveTrac Measurement Systemswill shortly be moving their
SME Aerospace con-ference at AerotestAmerica 2008Some of the topics to be cov-ered at this month’s SME'sAerospace Measurement,Inspection & AnalysisConference.to be heldAerostest America 2008, FortWorth, USA,18 20thNovember include;Measurement & Inspection -First Article Inspection - Beyondthe Gauges The presentationwill examine key characteristicof GD&T conformance duringfabrication and assembly oper-ations. The speaker, TimShinbara, Jeremy Barrows,Northrop Grumman, will lookat how modern military air-craft, such as the F22 andF35, rely on precision technol-ogy to insure their survival inthe modern battlefield. Someof the criteria to insure survival,performance, and affordabilityare the need to fabricate andassemble the airframe withprecision located features anddatum points. As assembly iscompleted in each section ofthe aircraft, key characteristicsare measured to insure confor-mance to the allowable stan-dard.
Other presentations include:Measurement ExperimentUsing CMMs. This presenta-tion, by John Rivers, RiversPrecision LLC, USA, will reviewthe results of measuring thesize and location of 15 fea-tures on a specially constructedtest specimen. This specimenand a drawing were given to11 different CMM operatorsusing 11 different machines.The results were assembled ona spread sheet to easily com-pare the findings. The presen-ter will explain the test speci-men as to how it representsfeature that are measured inthe real world of manufactur-ing and then review the reportwith discussion as to why vari-ations occurred. Also shownand discussed will be a fewexamples of actual productionpart problems as they relate tothe experiment.
www.aerotestamerica.comwww.sme.org
CommentHaving attended a numberof shows for the qualityindustry recently, namelyInspex and TCT in the UK, Iam not a little puzzled bywhat appears to be a discon-nection between events in theworld of credit crunch andmanufacturing gloom, withsales of cars etc plummetingand lay-offs and extendedshutdowns in the news. Yet,as far as one can tell, thesuppliers of advanced qualitycontrol systems, measure-ment, test and inspectionequipment and servicesalmost uniformly report thatorders and enquiries areholding up - that is , holdingup so far. Reasons given arethat big ticket items can’t beshut down at a drop of a hat.They have long project plan-ning and investment cyclesthat take time for events toinfluence, sometimes years.Others report opportunities indifferent manufacturing sec-tors, such as medical deviceand alternative energy sys-tems, such as wind genera-tors. Others again, are find-ing that the advances in tech-nology are revealing newapplications perhaps inentirely new areas. For exam-ple, scanning technology canbe used for a lot of rapidprototyping and reverse engi-neering applications, fromjewellry to dental constructs.The technology has applica-tion from small scale meas-urement in the region ofmicrons right up to detailedmeasurement of large build-ing and even geographicalfeatures. And of course,there are those who are con
constantly innovating toretain a competitive edgeand take market share.
Nevertheless, there is asense of the possibility ofvery tough times ahead. Thequestion arises, what are yougoing to do to make sureyour company (a.) survives(b) grows and, finally, (c)makes the right level of prof-its? Some CEO’s may employa knee jerk reaction -slashand burn, cut costs, cutinvestment, put a hold onproduct innovation, cut train-ing, lose people, all beforetaking the company down.
Others, more enlightenedcompanies, will re-emphasisetheir company’s commitmentto restructuring their businessalong the lines of a Leanorganisation, with a positiveemphasis on innovation,continuous improvement,getting rid of genuine nonvalue added waste, and evenmaking counter cyclicalinvestment in all the slashand burn targets of our pan-icking CEO above. The ques-tion is: which one are you?Or to put it another way, areyou part of the solution orpart of the problem?
Brendan [email protected]
NEWS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 084
NEWS
CONFERENCE
operations to a new facilitybased at the Telford Scienceand Technology Park. Over
one million pounds sterlinghas been invested into thenew site to provide state-of-the-art facilities for both TRACemployees and customers.The new 20,000sq ft purposebuilt site is located on a greenfield site and features; temper-ature controlled UKASaccredited laboratory, com-fortable training and meetingrooms, state-of-the-art confer-ence room with video confer-ence facilities, electronicsrepair bay, a SolidworksCADdesign centre, temperaturecontrolled development labo-ratory and customer supportcentre.
Web: www.trac-group.com
Centre for manufactur-ing productivity openedin MedwayThe second UK RenishawCentre for ManufacturingProductivity was opened on22 October 2008 at theUniversity of Greenwich,Medway. Jonathan Shaw,Minister for the South East,opened the regional trainingcentre within the School ofEngineering.
Marc Saunders, UK GeneralManager for Renishaw, out-lined the company’s corebusiness strategy of invest-ment in innovation.Renishaw is ranked 5th in the2007 R&D Scorecard for FTSE100 and FTSE 250 companiespublished by UKTI, with over17% of its gross turnoverinvested in research, develop-ment and engineering.
Marc Saunders said,“Innovation isn’t just aboutinvestment and a long-termmanagement perspective. It’salso about skills. Renishaw is
an end-to-end business, carry-ing out its own R&D, manu-facturing, sales and support,and unusually in this day andage, we retain the majority ofour manufacturing, includingall of our machining, here inthe UK. Over the last fewyears, Renishaw has distilled
NEWS
QMT November/December 08
November 18-20th 2008AAeroTest America,Fort Worth, Texas, USA
http://www.aerotestamerica.com/
3 -6th December 2008Euromold 2008 exhibitionExhibition Fair Ground,Frankfurt / Main, Germany
www.euromold.com
February 11-12 2009Southern ManufacturingExhibitionFarnborough, UK
www.industry.co.uk
21-23 April 2009, Aerospace TTesting Exhibition2009Munich Trade Fair Centre,Germany
www.aerospacetesting.com
May 5 - 8 200923rd Control Exhibition
New Messe Stuttgart, Germanywww.control-messe.com
May 19 - 21 2009Metrology 2009 Exhibition &Symposium.Moscow, Russia
http://metrol.expoprom.ru
June 9 - 11 2009Subcon 2009NEC, Birmingham, UK
www.subconshow.co.uk
16, 17, 18 June 2009Automotive Testing ExpoEurope 2009New Messe Stuttgart, www.testing-expo.com/europe/
EVENTS
this accumulated knowledgeinto a model that we call theProductive Process Pyramid.This provides a systematicapproach to the identification,minimisation and control ofvariation in machiningprocesses, enabling compa-nies to develop the robust,automated processes that theywill need to be globally com-petitive.
We have realised the valueof these skills to the widermanufacturing communityand we are now working withseveral universities to extendour original 2-day courseupwards to produceFoundation Degree modules,as well as downward to pro-vide NVQ-accredited intro-ductory education aimed atschool leavers andEngineering Diploma stu-dents. Our courses will alsomesh with the NPL’sMetrology training frame-work.
To reach a wider UK manu-
facturing audience with thiseducation programme and toallow students to tap into gov-ernment funding for skills, weneed experienced partners.The Renishaw ProductivityCentres are a network ofestablished educationproviders, able to pass onreally practical and contem-porary skills to manufacturersin their region. Our selection
criteria are that they musthave the facilities, the skilledstaff and, most importantly,the passion to support UKmanufacturing.
Of course, in the current cli-mate, training budgets areunder pressure. That’s whywe were delighted to reach anagreement last week withSEMTA – the Sector SkillsCouncil for Science,
Engineering andManufacturing Technology –that the 2-day Pyramid coursewill be added to the portfolioof Academy training, provid-ing access to the £65 millionSector Compact fundingthrough the RPC network.This is excellent news forSMEs across the country.”
www.renishaw.com
Turkish growthResponding to growth in theTurkish market, Carl Zeiss willbe represented in the Turkishmetropolis of Istanbul with itsown subsidiary for IndustrialMetrology. Carl Zeiss hasfounded Carl Zeiss ÖlçümCihazlari, in which it holds amajority interest. The previ-ous owner of the longtimeZEISS agency ALPEGEEndüstriyel Metroloji, HasanKeskinaysever, has a stake inthe new sales organizationand will become its president.
www.zeiss.de
NEWS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 086
Renishaw's UK General Manager Marc Saunders shows the latest precision engineering tools to Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for the South East, and Professor Tom Barnes, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of
Greenwich
Chassis Systems Ltd (CSL) is the product of ajoint venture merger between Dana andGKN and it was formed to produce the
chassis structures for two of Land Rover's newerbrands – the Land Rover Discovery and the RangeRover Sport. The production of the chassis is aprecision process, involving the use of over 200parts and requiring more than 700 welds.
Ensuring the quality of each product is essentialand procedures are in place to take measurementsacross the production line and to recordmanual/physical inspection data to confirm thequality and to alert operators to any potential oractual faults. Historically, much of the recordingof this data was done manually, making analysistime-consuming and cumbersome.
Phase One – CMM dataChassis Systems recognised the limitations of thisapproach and began looking for a solution at thebeginning of 2007. The aim was to providegreater visibility of the CMM data, free up engi-neers' time analysing the data, and increase thenumber of products inspected each day. A greater
level of automation was required and the compa-ny explored available options.
As Scott Jeggo, quality engineering leader atCSL, comments, "We wanted a system to give realtime data to engineers at their desktops so thatthey no longer needed to go onto the shop floor tofind information from the CMM operators. It's all
about eliminating waste and giving our engineersthe data they need to analyse processes, makeinformed decisions and then perform moves toimprove the quality of the finished product.Having real time data available to them meansthat the engineers can react to potential problemsbefore they have an impact on quality and there-fore make sure that the production stays withinspecification limits at all times. We produce as
7QMT November/December 08 www.qmtmag.com
Data visibility drives quality
We wanted a system to give real time
data to engineers at their desktops
QUALITY SYSTEMS
A three phase implementation of an on-line shopfloor system improvesshopfloor efficiency, accuracy and quality at automotive chassis manufacturer
many as 2,700 chassis each week and accuracyand quality is a huge focus."
Having already worked with LighthouseSystems for several years, CSL looked to its suppli-er for a way to improve data visibility from theCMM measurement process. Lighthouse SystemsShopfloor-Online fitted the bill and offered otherpotential benefits in the future. Its modular designmeans that CSL will be able to add functionality,such as downtime analysis, OEE, maintenancemanagement, as required. The system was imple-mented quickly following budget approval and itsimpact on the CMM operators was felt almostimmediately. The manual processes, wherebyoperators generated PDF documents to alert man-agers to potential issues, were eliminated freeingup operator time. Now the system provides anautomated alert when readings move towards out-of-specification levels. The new approach hasbeen welcomed by the CMM operators and sam-pling throughput has increased by approximately50 per cent as a result of the new system. Its suc-
cess led to phase two of the implementation andan expansion of the system to the patrol inspectorson the lines.
Phase Two – Roving inspectionVisual inspections are an important part of theproduction process at Chassis Systems and a teamof patrol inspectors move around the productioncells examining the quality of all the welds. Theyare required to check one in 25 parts (full chassisand all sub-assemblies), so their days are busy andthe amount of information collected large.
To help them with the process and to provide alog of all visual checks performed, a number of
rugged tablet PCs were provided that operate overthe wireless network with Shopfloor-Online. Thismeans that all of the functionality of Shopfloor-Online is available to the inspectors at all timesand they can report all checks done and any faultsfound immediately.
Once again this system has replaced a manualsystem that requires operators to identify specificparts and welds and report on their quality. Themanual, catalogue approach was time-consum-ing, difficult to work with, and required a gooddeal of hands-on experience before operatorscould perform well in the role. For example to beable to identify the weld number quickly, fromone of 700, if a defect is found. The automatedapproach, on the other hand, requires less trainingand provides the user with a CAD image of theweld as they make their weld number selection to
8 QMT November/December 08
QUALITY SYSTEMS
www.qmtmag.com
Having downtime analysis would be the next logical step so that we could
measure OEE, line rates and run rates.
give visual assurance that their findings are accu-rately reported on every occasion.
Also, as data is now available in real time,reports can show progress and status to theminute. Before, it was only possible to report onthe inspections at the end of each eight hour shift.This was given to the quality supervisor and theninput to a PC creating further delays, duplicatingeffort and leaving room for re-keying errors.
According to Jeggo, "The implementation of thewireless system for the inspectors has improvedthe quality checks enormously. Everything isdone in real time now so we have an accurateaccount of any faults, what the fault was, when itoccurred and, most importantly, what was done tosort it out. This audit trail is very important to uswhen reporting back to the customer and gives usincredible visibility of the quality of the produc-tion line at every point along the way. The userswelcome the new systems and they all see greatbenefit from it."
Phase Three – End of line quarantineOf course, the process is not complete until theproduct reaches the end of line. Once again,checks are carried out here to ensure that no faultsare present. This visual inspection is carried outonce the chassis is built and painted, and there-fore ready to be shipped to the customer. Anyfaults found are input to Shopfloor-Online in
detail and the chassis is placed into containmentuntil it can be fixed. Once repaired, the detail ofthe repair is captured and the chassis released.Shopfloor-Online provides a complete audit trailof the chassis and is able to report on fault fre-quency and corrective actions.
For this high volume producer making highvalue, complex parts, quality is a major focus andChassis Systems has a system in place now thathelps the company to achieve its goal of 100 percent in-specification output. Shopfloor-Online isable to automate many processes that previouslyrelied on human intervention and manual input.It is able to automatically alert engineers to meas-urements that are moving towards being out ofspecification. In this way, the software helps topre-empt problems and allows the operators andengineers to take action to avoid faults before theyhappen.
Jeggo concludes, "Lighthouse Systems havebeen instrumental in helping to get us to wherewe are and we hope to further extend the imple-mentation over the coming months. Havingdowntime analysis would be the next logical stepso that we could measure OEE, line rates and runrates. This is another manual process at presentand automation will help us move even closer toproduction perfection." �
www.lighthousesystems.com
10 QMT November/December 08www.qmtmag.com
QUALITY SYSTEMS
Measuring your Products and Processesis an Expensive Business!
Need to Utilise and Manage yourData More Effectively?
Statistical Process Control & Process Management Software
SPC Vision
� Process Measurement
� Process Control
� Process Improvement
� Process Management
� Process Integration
� Process Compliance
Data Driven Continuous Improvement www.infodream.co.uk
The high demand for Green Energy is causinga rapid increase in the production rate ofturbine blades. The wide range of wind
power solutions and blade sizes requires a higherand faster production rate. These requirements aregenerating a need for improved and faster qualityinspection which can be accomplished by opticalmeasurement technologies such as shearography.
Wind turbine blades are highly sophisticatedproducts, composed of a variety of materials andcomposites. They are safety relevant components
and, therefore, 100% quality control has to beassured. Each turbine blade is manufactured as acomposite, with wood forming the core of theblade, covered with one or more layers of glassfibre plastics on the outside. Various design fea-tures strengthen the structure of the blade so thatblade lengths of more than 50 metres can beachieved. The high demand on larger and highlyefficient blades leads to a high-tech productwhere weight and quality is the key to success
The production of these turbine blades follows a
rather complicated and complex procedure and,consequently, nearly 100% inspection of theblades is required after production. Dantec’snew Shearography Sensor Q-800 combinedwith ISTRA 4D software is used to define theparameters for an upcoming fully automaticinspection system.
11QMT November/December 08 www.qmtmag.com
Shearography power
Shearography has proven to be faster, easier to operate and capable of ensuringthe high quality of the production turbine
blades required
NDI
100% inspection of huge wind turbine blades using shearography systems ishelping to power the green energy revolution
The huge dimensions of the blades require a fastand reliable inspection technology which cancover several square metres in a very short time.Furthermore, the shape of the blade requires anon-contact and full field measurement system.The varying curvatures and surface conditionsmust be covered by the system without any mod-ification.
The increase in production rate causes a higherrisk of production variations which must be recog-nised by such a new technology. The shearogra-phy system can detect these variations and can
display defects, such as wrinkles, delaminations,debondings and kissing bondings.
Excitation of turbine bladeThe excitation technique will be determined dur-ing the initial test phase by the R&D department.The thermal excitation has already proven to suc-cessfully detect wrinkles in highly stressed areas ofthe blade. The verification of the vacuum loadingwill also be a part of the evaluation process wherethe most practical method will be determined.
The laser Shearography sensor Q-800 consistsof two diode lasers mounted to the sensor hous-ing. The sensor is connected to a controller whichis linked to the evaluation PC. The complete sys-tem set-up takes less than 5 minutes to be readyfor the first measurement. The sensor allows avariable field of view by positioning it at differentdistances from the object surface. This providesmaximum flexibility to the operator and the bestset-up in relation to the detectable defects can beeasily verified. This principle is used to provideparameters for the design of the automatic inspec-tion system.
The inspection areas are illuminated by the redlight of two diode lasers mounted on the sensorhead. They provide sufficient light to illuminate anarea of 200 x 300 mm which already allows for afaster inspection than current technologies canprovide.
The complete system is operated by DantecDynamics software ISTRA 4D. The software offersfull control of all measurement specific toolsincluding camera gain, shear angle adjustment,image evaluation parameters, defect sizing, cali-bration of the field of view, Realtime Phase ImageDisplay and automatic image storing.
12 QMT November/December 08
NDI
www.qmtmag.com
Operator displayimages:
Typical results ofwrinkles in a
laminate
Olympus Industrial Systems Europa
www.olympusindustrial.com
Olympusultrasound | phased array | eddy current | eddy current array | remote visual inspection
Olympus designs, manufactures, and globally markets a range of innovative nondestructive testing and remote visual inspection instruments developed with a commitment to technology, design, and user friendliness. These products are used for inspection and maintenance in industrial and research fields ranging from aerospace and energy to transportation and manufacturing. Olympus instruments contribute to product quality and add to the safety of infrastructure and facilities. Olympus has earned industry-wide reputations for providing cost-effective solutions and
excellent support and customer service.
SolutionsCorrosion Testing
Weld Inspection
Security
Flaw Detection
Thickness Measurements
Automated Testing
Motion Analysis
Technologies
Ultrasound
Eddy Current
Remote Visual Inspection
Ultrasound Phased Array
Eddy Current Array
High-Speed Video
www.qmtmag.com
NDI
QMT November/December 0814
The goal of the pre-evaluation in the R&Ddepartment is to define the best practice and theparameters for the production unit. This unit hasto be fully automatic to cover the high productionrate of the blades. The unit will use a gantry sys-tem to move the sensor system from one inspec-tion area to the other. The gantry as well as theoperation of the shearography system will be con-trolled by a single software platform which can bea steep learning curve during the training.Therefore, positioning of the sensor, image acqui-sition and evaluation will be done automaticallybased on the pre-defined parameters. The soft-ware will allow for automatic defect detection andany potential deviation is automatically registeredin the report. The final operator review will offer are-test of specific areas, acceptance of the devia-tion or rejection of the blade. An automatic testreport is included so operator input is kept to min-imum.
The results of the measurement are displayed inrealtime to the operator which displays a continu-ous view of the surface response due to the exci-tation. The operator can easily detect any varia-tion or anomaly in the field of view and with one‘click’, all images are stored automatically. Theseimages can be later reviewed in a repositorywhere the best image is selected to be used fore.g. reporting. Images on opposite page 12 showexamples of how these images are displayed to
the operatorIn comparison to existing inspection technolo-
gies, shearography has proven to be faster, easierto operate and capable of ensuring the high qual-ity of the production turbine blades required, evenunder higher production rates and shorter inspec-tion cycles.�
E-mail: [email protected]: www.dantecdynamics.com
pictu
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Material Testing
So that theykeep flyingSo that theykeep flyingKnowledgeable people trust them sel-ves and the safety reserves of thematerials. Destructive testing of ma-terials shows its limits, making safetymeasurable.
Testing machines and systems:
we have the know-how.
Zwick GmbH & Co. KGAugust-Nagel-Straße 11D-89079 Ulm/GermanyPhone: +49(0)7305-100Fax: +49(0)7305-10200 [email protected]
Intelligent testing
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.comQMT November/December 08 15
MATERIALS TESTING
Zwick testing machines enablearchitects to realize revolution-ary design for France's largesttensile structure
When engineers decided towrap the Zénith arena inStrasbourg, France, in arecord breaking 15 000 m2 ofmaterial, they had to be sure itwas not going to break underthe huge amount of tensionrequired to hold it in place.
UK company, P-D Interglas,supplied the material for thejob - ATEX, a woven glass-fibre fabric that is coated insilicone. To test the material,the company used a ZwickZ050 tensile testing machine
Tests carried out on thematerial included tensilestrength, creased tensilestrength, weld strength andsurface peel. The tensilestrength test showed that a teststrip of the material could
withstand loads of up to 8 kN/ 50 mm with the joins with-standing up to 7 kN / 50 mm,proving that the material waswell within the specificationsrequired by the architect.
The Zwick Z050 can test ten-sile strength up to 50kN(11,000 lbs), and can be usedto test sensitive materials suchas tissue paper as well ashigh-performance fabrics and
composite laminates. It fea-tures Zwick's testXpert soft-ware, which is easy to use andmodular in design. Intelligentassistants help the customer toset up or change test proce-dures and it is compatible withall commercially available PCsand laptops without the needfor an additional connectioncard. It adopts industry-specificterminology and can easilyexport data to a company'scentral laboratory database.The software also enablesframe synchronization of videorecordings and features aLaboratory InformationManagement System (LIMS).This is a powerful databasethat can be used to administertest results spanning a numberof test series. Its graphicalsequence editor enables thecustomer to design customizedtest procedures by combining
test events, parameters andresults. It analyzes the test pro-cedure and can filter outerrors in the early stages with-out destroying a single speci-men.
"The Zwick Z050 machinewith its pneumatic jaws givesconsistent and reliable resultsnot previously achieved," saysGeorge Illing, ATEX businessmanager at P-D Interglas."When we started to tensile testa new range of architecturalfabrics which had a highstrength substrate and highperformance surface, we expe-rienced premature failing ofthe product in the conventionalgrips. On advice from Zwickwe purchased a new set ofroller (capstan) grips and nowachieve very consistent resultswhich match our target theo-retical values."
www.zwick.com
Tensile tests provecritical to building'ssuccess
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0816
TURBINE INSPECTION
Toshiba GE TurbineComponents (TGTC) hasreduced the time required toinspect and measure steamturbine blades from 280 min-utes to 45 minutes by usingthe MAXOS non-contact meas-urement system, a product ofSteintek GmbH and NVision,Inc. in North America. Thecoordinate measuring machine(CMM) used in the past toinspect the blades was notonly slow but was unable toaccess hard-to-reach areassuch as dovetail hooks and fil-lets. The MAXOS uses five axesto reach every point on theblades and also generatesspecific and accurate meas-urements of critical areas.Resulting measurements arereported instantly and theneed for additional manualinspection is eliminated.
“The MAXOS optical scannerprovides the best possibleaccuracy, eliminates the need
for matt coating, and inte-grates easily with our engi-neering and productionprocesses," said Tomio Kubota,president of TGTC.
TGTC is a joint venture thatcombines the productionexpertise of Toshiba andGeneral Electric to producelarge blades ranging from 26to 52 inches (660 to 1320mm) for steam turbines at cut-ting-edge manufacturing facili-ties. The company's annualproduction of blades is suffi-cient to generate the equiva-lent of eight to ten gigawattsof electricity. TGTC is sitedwithin Toshiba's Works inYokohama, Japan and pro-duces long blades. TheMAXOS optical scanner wasdelivered to the Yokohamaplant in February 2008 andpassed acceptance testing inMarch 2008.
In the past, it took longer toinspect blades than it took to
make them. A turbine bucket iscomprised of an airfoil and aroot. The long blades built atYokohama have mid-spangeometry that provides supportfor the midsection of the airfoil.
The complex geometry ofthese blades means that manycross-sections must be exam-ined. The conventional 3-DCMM used in the past toinspect the blades was unableto reach many points on theroot. Also many fillet radii areinaccessible to the CMM ortoo small to be measured by atouch probe ball.
The MAXOS uses a propri-etary non-contact probe con-sisting of a concentrated lightthat collects individual pointsat a rate of 100 per second,many times faster than aCMM. Unlike laser or whitelight fringe scanners, theMAXOS can inspect turbineblades without having to applya matt coating that introducesdimensional inaccuracy. TheMAXOS provides accuracy of+/- 0.0004" and a resolutionbetween measured pointsdown to 0.0002" on this proj-ect. The system can be provid-ed with a resolution as low as0.0001".
The MAXOS software is con-
figured with an overall best fitof the measured geometry toallow a part with some error tofit within the overall toleranceenvelope of the referencedata. Win3DS Blade inspectionsoftware is configured to givefast results and different kindof evaluations on mid-span,fillets, gaps and airfoils.Different best-fits are avail-able, including Gauss andChebyshev.
In this application, theMAXOS was configured with a5-axis horizontal arm withthree linear axes and tworotary axes. One rotary axis isfor the sensor and the otherfor positioning the blade. Therotary axes are servo con-trolled and are not indexed.This configuration makes itpossible to measure every partof the blade even when it ismounted vertically. Verticalmounting is preferred for thelong blades because it pre-vents them from bendingunder their own weight. TheMAXOS does not require high-ly accurate fixturing of theblade because it scans theroots as an alignment proce-dure.
E-mail: [email protected].
Blade inspection time isreduced 83% at ToshibaGE Turbine Components
One of the few aluminium alloy routingspecialists in the UK, Whitwam PrecisionComponents, has installed an optical,
non-contact measuring machine that allowsinspection of flat components up to 1,350 mm x900 mm against the original CAD file much morequickly than using a traditional laser system.
Called Planar P120.50, the machinewas supplied in January 2008 by Press& Shear Machinery, UK agent for theIrish manufacturer, InspecVision.
Chris Whitwam owns and runs theaerospace subcontract firm in Colne,Lancashire, together with wife Judithand their four children. Before estab-lishing the business in 2004, he was formany years the technical director ofWadkin, responsible for designing andbuilding high-speed routing machines.
His long experience in the sector hadleft him with the impression that therewas only one viable solution forinspecting two-dimensional compo-nents. Based on laser scanning of theprofile in two planes, the system workswell enough but is time consuming andsensitive to swarf and scratches on the
glass table, which the laser often sees as part ofthe profile.
"The InspecVision measuring process isbetween two and three times faster than the lasersystem, irrespective of component complexity,"said Mr Whitwam. "Results are just as accurateand are unaffected by foreign matter on the table."
He pointed out that the digital camera-basedsystem costs less than two-thirds the price of alaser scanner. An added bonus is that the Planarmachine is also able to inspect 3D parts using aline laser measuring option, which Mr Whitwamadded to his machine's specification at the time oforder.
In addition to inspecting aerospace componentsthat Whitwam produces, the Planar is availablefor reverse engineering parts for which drawingsor electronic data are no longer available. CADfiles can be created for a customer, from whichfurther parts can be made. This service is beingactively marketed, both within the aerospaceindustry and in other sectors as well.
The Colne company works mainly for a tier 1suppliers to commercial aircraft manufacturers inEurope and the USA, notably Airbus, Boeing,Hawker Siddeley and Embraer. The tier 1s supplyto Whitwam the CAD files from which cutter
18 QMT November/December 08www.qmtmag.com
Cost effective 2-D inspection
2-D INSPECTION
2-D inspection by camera-based system of large, flat aerospace componentsis up to three times faster and more cost effective than laser system.
The profile of the sheetaluminium component is
inspected against the CADmodel from which cutter
paths were created to routthe part. Out of tolerance
areas are shown in red,while other colours denotedifferent tolerance bands.
13QMT January/February 08 www.qmtmag.com
• The fusion of Metrology and Tomography deliversnew possibilities to Industrial Metrology
• It is now possible to measure very accurately and non-destructively the inside of highly complex parts
• Improving product development through better information
• Non-destructive reverse engineering of externaland internal geometries
• Bureau service available
The Revolutionin Metrology
Carl Zeiss Ltd.
Division of Metrology
We make it visible
2 Hadrians Way
Glebe Farm Industrial Estate
Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 1ST
Phone: 01788 821770 Fax: 01788 821755
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.zeiss.co.uk/metrology
...
METROTOMOGRAPHY...with
paths are created for three high-speed (24,000rpm spindle : 3 m/min profiling) routers on theColne site.
Measured results from the Planar machine areobtained in about 15 seconds and correlated backto the original CAD file already loaded into themachine’s control. Graphically on screen, themeasured profile is displayed against a trace of theCAD model, with any out-of-tolerance areasshown in red. Results may be printed out asrequired and supplied with the parts to the cus-tomer.
Until 2007, the tier 1s that Whitwam suppliedwere happy to inspect components on arrival, orprovide a calibrated master so that the subcon-tractor could inspect parts by eye. The latter,although satisfactory, was not ideal as there was arisk of human error, which could lead to a batchof parts being scrapped.
Around of the middle of last year, Whitwamwon a contract from Generation MetalsInternational to supply aluminium parts for therange of business jets being built in the US byEclipse Aviation. Components include empen-nage parts, wing-to-body fairings, keel beams andsundry items such as supports for the pilot’s sunvisor.
The contract stipulated that all parts had to beinspected and certified before delivery, after hav-ing been routed using CNC cutting cycles created
from IGES files originating from Eclipse.Whitwam’s manual methods were not adequatefor inspection, necessitating the purchase of acomputerised measuring system. Components arechecked on the Planar machine after they havebeen routed and the tags securing the nested partsto the skeleton have been removed by hand.
The largest router at Colne accepts sheet up to 4m by 1.5 m, sufficient to machine the tail fin of aHawker Siddeley 125 in one operation. Sheetsize generally used is 3,660 mm by 1,220 mm andgauge ranges from 0.4 mm to 3.5 mm. Parts arenested automatically using software withinWhitwam’s AlphaCam CADCAM system. Somecycles take up to four hours if the sheet contains alot of small, complex shapes.
Many components are subsequently formed,painted and incorporated into sub-assemblies,operations that Whitwam’s customers oftenundertake, although the subcontractor offers thesame services through partner companies.
Expected to more than double within the nexttwo years, the Eclipse contract now accounts for alarge part of the Colne factory's output. To copewith increasing demand, Whitwam will be pur-chasing another CNC router and adding a nightshift to supplement the current 6.00 am to 6.00pm working.�
E-mail: [email protected]
20 QMT November/December 08
the need for speed
REVO™ - unprecedented speed and accuracyThe REVO™ system represents the biggest step-change in
CMM measurement capability that we have ever introduced,
and is now used in automotive and aerospace inspection.
5-axis measurement of an aero-engine blade has been
reduced to 4 minutes and 30 seconds from 46 minutes,
a 922% improvement, while in an automotive cylinder head
application, inspection was reduced from 29 minutes and
13 seconds to just 3 minutes and 42 seconds.
Speed up your measurement with Renishaw
a measurement revolution
call 01453 524111 or visit www.renishaw.info/speed for more information
2-D INSPECTION
www.qmtmag.com
How to accurately measure the colour andappearance of coatings with “sparkle” thatconfound optical instruments has been a a
daunting problem for automotive suppliers andautomakers ever since metallic flake, pearlescentand other effect paints were introduced in the1970s. Now colour measurement specialist, X-Rite, has launched its xDNA system which,together with the MA98 handheld spectropho-tometer, solves the problem.
Manufacturers often waste a significant amountof time and money trying to match body panels,bumper facias and other parts coated with effectpaints because they do not have instruments thatmeasure why the paints look different under vari-ous illuminations and observation angles. Quality
control personnel on a production line mayobserve that body panel and bumper facia don’tmatch properly, but prior instruments could notgive consistent and accurate measurements tohelp explain why the mismatch was occurring.Consequently, companies spend an inordinateamount of time and resources trying to determinethe root cause of painting problems through trialand error methods.
“With xDNA, X-Rite is giving automakers andtheir suppliers the appropriate tool to distinguishcharacteristics of effect paints that can’t be detect-ed – much less analyzed – by other systems,” saidBrian Teunis, market manager of X-Rite’s industri-al colour and appearance division. “We coinedthe term ‘xDNA’ to emphasize the fact that eacheffect paint has a unique, three-dimensional math-
21QMT November/December 08 www.qmtmag.com
Matching sparkle in colour
Each effect paint has a unique, three-dimen-sional mathematical model, similar to the waythat each person has a unique DNA structure.
COLOUR MEASUREMENT
A new colour measurement system will save automakers andautomotive suppliers considerable time and money in applying
metallic flake and other effect paints
MA98internal:Fibre optic cables
(gray lines) transmitlight from the testsurface (at left) tothe colour engine(at right) that uses
sensors and specialoptical filters to
measure the spec-trum and intensityof light at various
angles
ematical model, similar to the way that each per-son has a unique DNA structure. The exact namefor X-Rite’s package is Dynamic NumericalAnalysis, but we figured xDNA was a little easierto say.”
The xDNA system promises to speed the intro-duction of new effect paints by designers andpaint manufacturers, improve the first-time quali-ty of products being coated with the paints, andreduce the time and effort of troubleshooting man-ufacturing problems that occur on the factoryfloor.
Key to xDNAThe key to xDNA is a new instrument called
MA98 that uses twice the number of illuminationangles and sensors of prior instruments, and a soft-ware package called X-ColorQC that manipulatesthe data with proprietary xDNA algorithms to gen-erate easy-to-understand graphs that show uniquecharacteristics of an effect paint.
The new xDNA package offers manufacturersreliable and consistent data that can help:
•Troubleshoot whether a problem on the shopfloor is due to the manufacturing process or thepaint formulation
•Assess whether existing equipment can beadjusted enough to accommodate a new process
•Develop more exact quality standards on thepainting lines that indicate quickly when aprocess is going out of control
•Predict whether a person will be able to per-ceive a difference in colour and appearance whenthe formula of an effect paint, or the process usedto apply the paint, are changed
From a hardware viewpoint, MA98 is a preci-sion 31-point spectrophotometer that is designedfor ease-of-use on the factory floor. Weighingapproximately 1 kilogram (2 pounds) and coveredwith a soft over-mold case for two-handed use,the instrument is designed for frequent and com-fortable measurement by shop floor personnel.Battery powered, it has a quick measurement timeof about 1 second, with calculation and display ina total of 2 seconds.
22 QMT November/December 08
The MA98 spectrophotome-ter illuminates the test sur-
face at two angles (15° and45°) and measures the light
at 11 different viewingangles to develop a unique
mathematical model ofmore than 300 data points
in an X, Y and Z colourspace. The MA98 uses twice
the number of illuminatorsand sensors of prior
instruments.
COLOUR MEASUREMENT
www.qmtmag.com
Automotive case studyOne of the world’s largest automakers was able toresolve a problem matching the effect paints ofbumper facia and body panels in three days usingthe xDNA package – after spending more thantwo months trying to resolve the issue through theuse of other measurement systems.
Process engineers at the automaker applied tra-ditional root cause analysis to the problem, first totry and identify whether the matching problemwas an internal process, or due to changes in for-mulations by the paint supplier or whether parts
were out-of-specification from bumper suppliers.Individuals working on the line told the engineersof a sudden difference in how the parts matched.Their floor inspectors, using an X-Rite MA68IIinstrument, said the instrument indicated therewas a difference in reflectance values. With theavailable data , the engineers reasoned that theroot cause of the problem was due to paint for-mulation and they asked for assistance form thepaint supplier.
The paint manufacturer spent nearly twomonths unsuccessfully trying to match the colourand appearance of the bumper fascia s thatappeared too light in comparison with the carbody - even going as far as changing the formula-tion on the paint.
Using the new MA98 instrument, X-Rite per-sonnel offered to analysis the paint problem. Sincethe MA98 takes measurements at 10 anglesinstead of 5 angles, the instrument can record rel-ative comparisons of the critical aspects of specialeffect paints, such as flake size and particle distri-bution. The data indicated major variations at the+/-250 out-of-plane angles, which can be causedby differences in flake orientation. Further, thexDNA software interpreted the measurements ofboth the bumper fascia and the body panel bydeveloping three dimensional plots that wereuniquely representative of their particular specialeffect paints. The plots showed similar shapes butdifferent positions in 3-D space that indicated achange in process rather than formulation.
X-Rite further analysed the data by translating,aligning and scaling 3-D plots, which confirmedthat the best course of investigation was to checkthe process of how the paint was applied. ThexDNA provided another important clue - the dif-
ference in reflectance curves at the 250 angle out-of-plane measurements indicated a difference inthe way the flakes were oriented. It all pointed toa mis-match, or harmony problem, due to pro-cessing differences between the bumper and thecar body.
The automaker then realised that it had altereda critical process parameter in prior months whenit changed from a bell/air method of applying thebase coat and the final coat to the body panels toan entirely bell/bell method.
When the automaker implemented the bell/bellmethod, the process delivered the flakes so theywere oriented on their edges uniformly, cuttingtheir reflective quality to give the paint a darkerappearance. This phenomenon is understood bypaint engineers, but the information wasn’t con-sidered during the process change and subsequentroot cause analysis until the MA98 and xDNAbrought the differences to light.
With the data measured by the MA98 and inter-preted by xDNA in only two days by X-rite per-sonnel, the automaker made adjustments to thepaint supply in the bell/bell system and coordinat-ed with the bumper supplier to achieve harmo-
nious colour matching in body panels andbumper fascias.
“X-Rite will first market the xDNA system withMA98 to the automakers and automotive suppli-ers in the United States and Europe, but the pack-age has potential applications in other industries,including appliance manufacturing and cosmeticsformulation,” says Teunis. �
www.xrite.com.
23QMT November/December 08
COLOUR MEASUREMENT
www.qmtmag.com
The use of non-contact displacement tech-nologies in the field of precision measure-ment is rapidly growing. This is due to many
factors. However, two of the main drivers are thatcustomers need to measure much more accurate-ly – to sub micron or even nanometre resolutions– and they need to measure against difficult sur-faces or surfaces that cannot be touched duringthe measurement process. For example, silicon,glass, plastics, miniature electronic components,medical components and even food-based sur-faces.
This rapid growth has pushed the developmentof new technologies, and also the adaptation ofalready existing technologies to meet the newmeasurement requirements and to improve meas-urement accuracies and resolutions. It is thereforemore important than ever to have a greater levelof understanding of the strengths and limitationsof each non-contact measurement principle whenselecting the correct sensor technology for themeasurement task.
In practice, besides, eddy current and laser tri-angulation sensors, capacitive and confocal sen-sors are proving popular with customers. But non-
contact displacement sensors come in a wide vari-ety of shapes, sizes and measurement principles.The key is selecting the most appropriate sensingtechnology for the customer’s application.
As a specialist in non-contact measurement,Micro-Epsilon has a variety of precision sensortechnologies available for customers. The range
includes eddy current, capacitive, confocal andlaser triangulation sensors. The company pridesitself on helping customers choose the correcttechnology for the application, including evenhybrid technologies if this is appropriate.
Eddy current principleThe eddy current measurement principle is aninductive measuring method based on the extrac-tion of energy from an oscillating circuit. This
24 QMT November/December 08www.qmtmag.com
Focus on sensors
Confocal technology offers nanometre resolution and operates virtually
independent of the target material.
NON CONTACT SENSORS
It is the application which matters when choosing the right type of non contactdisplacement sensor for precision measurement. By Chris Jones, Micro-Epsilon
Capacitive principle
21-23 April 2009New Munich Trade Fair CentreGermany
AEROSPACE 09TESTING DESIGN MANUFACTURING
w w w . a e r o s p a c e t e s t i n g . c o m
www.qmtmag.com
energy is required for the induction of eddy cur-rents in electrically conductive materials.
A coil is supplied with an alternating current,which causes a magnetic field to form around thecoil. If an electrically conducting object is placedin this magnetic field, eddy currents are induced,which form an electromagnetic field according toFaraday’s Induction Law. This field acts againstthe field of the coil, which also causes a change inthe impedance of the coil. The controller calcu-lates the impedance by considering the change inamplitude and phase position of the sensor coil.
The advantages of the eddy current principle arethat it can be used on all electrically conductive,ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic metals. Thesize of the sensor is relatively small compared toother technologies and the temperature range ishigh due to the resistance measurement of thesensor and cable. The technology is high accura-cy and is immune to dirt, dust, humidity, oil, highpressures and dielectric materials in the measur-ing gap.
Restrictions of the technology also need to beconsidered. Output and linearity depend on theelectric and magnetic features of the target mate-rial. Therefore, individual linearisation and cali-bration is necessary. Cable length has a maximumof 15 metres and the diameter of the sensor (andtherefore the effective measuring diameter)increases as the measuring range increases.
Capacitive principle With the capacitive principle, sensor and targetoperates like an ideal parallel plate capacitor. Thetwo plate electrodes are formed by the sensor andthe opposing target. If an AC current with constantfrequency flows through the sensor capacitor, theamplitude of the AC voltage on the sensor is pro-portional to the distance between the capacitorelectrodes. An adjustable compensating voltage issimultaneously generated in the amplifier elec-tronics. After demodulation of both AC voltages,the difference is amplified and output as an ana-
logue signal.Because the sensor is constructed like a guard
ring capacitor, almost ideal linearity and sensitiv-ity to metals is achieved. The technology alsooffers high temperature stability, as changes in theconductivity of the target have no effect on themeasurement. Capacitive sensors can also meas-ure insulators.However, the technology is sensi-tive to changes in the dielectric sensor gap and sois therefore ideal for clean, dry applications. Cablelength is also relatively short due to the effect ofthe cable capacitance on the oscillating circuittuning.
Laser triangulation principleIn the laser triangulation principle, laser diodeprojects a visible point of light onto the surface ofthe object being measured. The back scatteredlight reflected from this point is then projectedonto a CCD array by a high quality optical lenssystem. If the target changes position with respectto the sensor, the movement of the reflected lightis projected on the CCD array and analysed tooutput the exact position of the target. The meas-urements are processed digitally in the integralcontroller and then converted into a scaled outputvia analogue (I/U) and digital interface RS232,RS422 or USB.
Confocal principleThe technology works by focussing polychromat-
26 QMT November/December 08
Eddy current principle
Right; Laser triangula-tion principle
NON CONTACT SENSORS
ic white light onto the target surface using a multi-lens optical system. The lenses are arranged insuch a way that the white light is dispersed into amonochromatic light by controlled chromaticdeviation. A certain deviation is assigned to eachwavelength by a factory calibration. Only thewavelength that is exactly focussed on the targetsurface or material is used for the measurement.
This light reflected from the target surface isthen passed via a confocal aperture to the receiv-er, which detects and processes the spectralchanges. This unique measuring principle enablesdisplacements and distances to be measured veryprecisely.
Both diffuse and spectral surfaces can be meas-ured and with transparent materials such as glass,a one-sided thickness measurement can beaccomplished along with the distance measure-ment. And, because the emitter and receiver arearranged in one axis, shadowing is avoided.
Confocal technology offers nanometre resolu-tion and operates virtually independent of the tar-get material. A very small, constant spot isachieved and the technology offers one-sidedthickness measurement of transparent materials.Miniature radial and axial versions of the technol-ogy are available for measuring drilled or boredholes. White light is used instead of a laser.
Restrictions of the technology include the limit-ed distance between the sensor and target. Inaddition, the beam requires a cleanenvironment.�
Email:[email protected]
www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
27QMT November/December 08
NON CONTACT SENSORS
www.qmtmag.com
Confocalmeasurement
principle
www.nikoninstruments.eu/inexiv
For metrology only aruler is simpler
to use...
...but nothing is morepowerful than a NEXIV
Metrology – the science of traceable measurement. In the production environment, the need for speedand convenience often conflicts with requirement foraccuracey, repeatability and cost – until now.
With the launch of the new iNEXIV VMA-2520, youcan gain the convenience of a ruler with the accuracyand precision that comes from autofocus-based videomeasurement. Just pick, load, measure and respond.
• Compact and simple to use
• Combines a 250 x 200mm stage
• Large working distance
• Ideal for rapid QC checks and demanding R&D work
• Laser autofocus option for faster measurement speeds
• Touch-probe compatible for greater versatility
Ask for a demo now, and run the rule over how the new bench top iNEXIV VMA-2520 measures up to your QC challenges.
i N E X I V V M A - 2 5 2 0
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0828
VISION & MICROSCOPY
Robotic system speedsthroughputOGP, the measuring machinespecialist, joined forces withEurope’s largest robot manu-facturer to stage a ground-breaking metrology demon-stration at last month’s Inspexexhibition, held at the NEC,Birmingham. A KUKA KR5robot was used to pick andplace Gillette razor blades intoa SmartScope CNC 250 multisensor system. This configura-tion highlighted how automaticloading can further enhancethe machine’s rapid capabili-ties for measuring injectionmoulded components.
“This robot-fed machineshowcased the remarkabletime-saving ability to loadcomponents from an injectionmoulding machine into anOGP measuring system thatprovides fast, consistentlyaccurate, statistical analysis forproduction personnel withoutany human intervention,” stat-ed Andrew Fulton, OGP UK’smanaging director.
The machine also featuredOGP’s patented AccuCentric12:1 zoom lens, which is ableto maintain accuracy as themagnification alters due to arapid automatic, self-calibrat-ing facility, and series ofSmartRing LED white lights thatdeliver the ability to pinpointlight from an infinite numberof directions to detect exactlythe correct feature.
www.ogpuk.com
Growing rangeThe Venture Plus range ofvision systems from Baty is ofa rigid, low mass bridge con-struction with integral zoom
optics and patented light tabletechnology. With a 250mm Zaxis measuring range, two XYbridge formats are available:640 x 640mm and 640 x940mm. Options includerotary table and laser scan-ning probe.
With Baty’s Fusion software,CNC programming is a simpleteach-and-repeat process. Thepart is measured once and a
full CNC program is createdautomatically. The Zoom lenscan also be controlled so thatmagnification changes are allrecorded into theprogram.With Using a touchprobe, measurements datapoints taken can be combinedwith those taken using videoedge detection for optimumspeed and reduced inspectiontimes.
A probe changer can be fit-ted so that probe modules fit-ted with a variety of pre-cali-brated styli can also be usedin the same inspection.Graphical reports show themeasured part as a dimen-sional drawing with out of tol-erance colouring for instantpass/fail classification.
www.baty.co.uk
Higher speeds, truercolours Olympus has updated itsextensive digital microscopyimaging camera range toensure that they can bematched easily to every appli-cation, from standard bright-field to advanced high speedfluorescence. The new desig-nations and features enableusers to quickly select the rightcamera and maximise theirimaging capabilities.Olympus has updated theircamera range to provide fasterimaging capabilities for eachcamera, ensuring that users
can catch events as they hap-pen. Furthermore, the entirerange now features the uniqueOlympus True Colour (OTC)system to ensure that there isconsistency between the inputand output colours, as well asbetween different cameras.OTC uses internalInternational ColourConsortium (ICC) referenceprofiles to govern the relation-ship between the colours atevery stage of the imagingprocess..
The SC20 (formerly theALTRA20) is an un-cooledcolour camera with a 2megapixel chip designed forstandard or routine tasks.
E-mail: [email protected]
www.microscopy.olympus.eu
Intelligent invertedmicroscope for metalsand materials analysisAn inverted metallurgicalmicroscope designed specifi-cally for inspection and analy-sis has been launched byNikon Instruments.
Combining an innovativeergonomic design with areduced footprint, the EclipseMA200 incorporates an inte-grated intelligent nosepiece,making it ideal for inspection,QC, evaluation, measuringand analysis of key parame-ters in metallic and electroniccomponents in the automotive,electronics and materials-relat-ed industries. Optimised fordigital imaging and ergonomicefficiency, the MA200 can beconnected to a range of Nikondigital cameras and config-ured with imaging software forseamless, comprehensiveimage and data acquisitionand processing.
The new cube-shape designof the MA200 body requiresone-third less surface spacethan the conventional model,while improving operability byplacing primary controls infront.
www.nikoninstruments.eu
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.comQMT November/December 08 29
ON-MACHINE PROBING
Enhanced PC-basedprobing software formachine tool users Renishaw's Productivity+ ActiveEditor Pro, which brings easyprogramming and a powerfulmacro suite to machine toolprobe users worldwide, hasbeen significantly upgradedwith the release of version 1.4.The new version of ActiveEditor Pro dramaticallyincreases the number of userswho can benefit from its sim-ple programming style, byadding support for CAD mod-els from a large variety ofCAD formats, and extendingthe range of postprocessors.In addition, the new 'construct-ed features' function (for pris-matic parts with multiple cir-cles and planes), along withsupport for many more lan-guages, open up new possibil-ities for flexible part program-ming and bring process con-trol into the reach of moreCNC machine tool users thanever before.
Renishaw's range ofProductivity+ software allows
the machine tool to automati-cally update itself based onmeasurements it has made.For example, the machine canfind a component, or identify awrongly-loaded part, with nouser input required. The levelof detail is up to the program-mer to decide - from simplejob set-up through toadvanced process control andreporting, the Productivity+software allows the easy cre-ation of automatic routines onthe machine.
Productivity+ Active Editor
Pro is an interactive CAD-based editor for programmingprobing tasks on machinetools, bringing a wide range ofbenefits to all probe users -whether they are experiencedor absolute first-timers.
By adding a wide range ofimport capabilities into ActiveEditor Pro, Renishaw hasopened up the benefits of sim-ple programming to a largenumber of users – all of whomcan now program parts usingthe software's easy feature-based point and click system.
The new CAD formatsinclude Parasolid, STEP andIGES as standard items, withthe option to add support forPro/Engineer, Catia (v4 and5), UG/NX .prt files, ACIS,SolidWorks and Inventor files.Loading files without interme-diate conversions means amuch faster workflow whendeveloping new programs.
Productivity+ Active EditorPro 1.4 also adds the ability toupdate the machine tool using"virtual" (or constructed) fea-tures, which have been builtfrom other measured features.
'Constructed Circle' allowsusers to create PCD featuresusing drag-and-drop function-ality – and to use the real-lifedimensions of that PCD toadjust the operation of themachine tool.
The new 'Constructed Plane'feature is ideal for measuringcomplex components beforelevelling them using theProductivity+ 4th-axis levellingfunction. It allows parts withmany islands on a plane to bealigned accurately.
www.renishaw.com/mtp.
Measurement of steep flanks and complex geometries
True color information registered to 3D data
Traceable results even on highly sculptured surfaces
Usable on highly reflective and inhomogeneous surfaces
Highest resolution across measurement areas of several mm
Comprehensive roughness measurement capabilities, conformingto the latest ISO standards
Usable in the lab and as Inline measurement sensor
OPTICAL MEASUREMENT AND INSPECTION
Alicona UKAlicona UK Ltd.
Lime Tree House15 Lime Tree Walk, Sevenoaks
Kent TN13 1YHUK
phone: +44(0)1732 746670fax: +44(0)1732 465500
e-mail: [email protected]
++ Rad i i and ang l e measu remen t ++ Measu remen t o f po l i shed edges ++ Va r i ance ana l ys i s ++
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0830
SHOPFLOOR PRODUCTS
Multi-Gauge portablemeasuring system. The Tesa Multi-Gage is aportable tool that provides theusers with an infinite numberof measuring possibilities fordimensional inspection withinthe manufacturing environ-ment. It is extremely easy touse, and is ideally suited tomulti-user installations on theshop-floor. The gauge intuitivesoftware eliminates the needfor a level of expertise normal-ly associated with a systemperforming complex measure-ments.
Despite its large measuringvolume of 1.2 metres in diam-eter, it retains remarkableaccuracy of 0.018mm.
www.tesabs.ch
Glass measurementmade easyWhen a major European glasscontainer manufacturer need-ed a production line methodto measure the dimensions oftheir glass bottles and contain-ers they turned to PrecitecOptronik GmbH of Germany
and their UK representativeArmstrong Optical. Althoughthe manufacturer was alreadyusing an ultrasonic method itwas not reliable enough, toointrusive and too slow for therequired line speeds.
By fitting the CHRocodile M4thickness measuring system, amachine capable of non-con-tact inspection of up to 350non-round containers perminute for thickness, glassshape, roundness and glassquality was developed withfour, simultaneous operation,measurement probes.
This measuring system isable to read, and reliablyinspect, all hollow containers;bottles can be various shapesand colours and may havesteeply sloping surfaces oreven angled sides.
email:[email protected],
www.armstrongoptical.co.uk
No lightweight when itcomes to quality
Unilathe, a Stoke-on-Trentbased Engineering companyhas with a client base in thepetro-chemical, off-highway
specialised vehicles, rail, min-ing and aerospace industries,has developed stringent qualityassurance procedures inaccordance with BSENISO:9001 2000.
Unilathe make regularinvestments in state of the artmeasuring instruments. A casein point is the extremelyunusual gauge recently pur-chased from Bowers UK.When faced with the need tomeasure the length of excep-tionally large shafts, the com-pany struggled to find aninstrument with the requiredaccuracy and capacity. Achance conversation withRichard Briggs, Bowers’ localsales engineer, unearthed theideal solution to their measur-ing problem. Bowers wereable to supply a 10 ft capacityUltra-Light Sylvac Caliper thatproved ideal for the compa-ny’s application. Aiding thedigital gauge’s accuracy,strength and lack of weight,the Sylvac instrument’s mainbeam is constructed of
advanced composites, whilstits contact faces are coated inTitanium giving excellent wearresistance. Operator repeata-bility is helped by the caliper’sconstant measuring force, andease of reading is aided by thegauge’s large digital display.
Company quality managerJeff Bratt enthused, “As wewere previously using one ofour coordinate measuringmachines to measure ourlarge shafts, transporting theparts and CMM time becamea major problem. Before wediscovered the Sylvac caliper,we despaired of ever finding agauge with the capacity tomeasure our shafts. Since
using the gauge, valuableCMM time has been releasedand measuring times havebeen slashed. To furtherspeed-up our shaft measuringprocess we have constructed 2V-block saddles, containingalignment slots to accept thenew gauge, and allow us tocheck the required lengths.”
www.bowers.co.uk
Wireless bore gaugecuts out cablesA wireless bore gaugelaunched by SolartronMetrology is set to change thedesign of manufacturing work-stations. By eliminating the
need for cables to downloadthe measurement data, thenew wigauge(TM) wirelessbore gauge (WBG) offersmanufacturers greater free-dom in workstation design andpractice.
Solartron's WBG is a class 1Bluetooth(R) gauge and has arange of 15 m or more fordata transmission, even in thehostile environment of anengineering machine shop. Upto seven WBGs can be linkedto a single system.
The rugged, high precision,IP65 rated gauge is compati-ble with industry standard M6and M10 gauge head threads.The transducer is linear alongits full measuring range, mak-ing it easy to set up andadaptable for applicationsother than bore gauging.Resolution is user selectable upto 0.1 um.
The attached NiMH batterypack delivers up to 10 hoursof continuous data transmis-sion, and can be removed foroff line recharging.
E-mail: sales.solartronmetrology
@ametek.comwww.solartronmetrology.com
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.comQMT November/December 08 31
CMMs
Unlimited options onsensor selectionMetris Camio 6.0 multi-sensormetrology software coverslaser scanning on CMMs aswell as tactile 3-axis and 5-axis REVO scanning. With newenhancements in 3D laserscanning support, Camio 6.0iis a multi-sensor software plat-form for off-line programmingand on-line inspection.
Camio 6.0 enables part pro-gram creation to be performedindependently from the select-ed sensor type. This offersunlimited flexibility whenselecting the most appropriatesensors for inspecting virtuallyany type of component.
Camio 6.0 supports the newMetris LC60D laser scanner.This fully digital laser scannertriples traditional scan ratesand eliminates user interactionwhen scanning componentswith varying colour or highreflectivity. Software algo-rithms enable Camio toinspect a broader range ofgeneric and complex featuretypes, such as specialist fir treeconnectors used on automotivesheet metal.
For prismatic tactile meas-urement applications, such asengine or powertrain compo-nents inspection, Camio 6.0supports the Renishaw REVOcontinuous 5-axis tactile prob-ing system. In general, 5-axisscanning overcomes the limi-tations of other tactile inspec-tion methods by providinghigher speed, improved accu-racy, better resolution and
increased accessibility. Notonly is the cycle timeimproved, but the setup timehas been reduced to a singlecalibrated position per probebuild. Unique features of theCamio REVO integrationinclude dynamic probe posi-tioning (DPP), which automati-cally corrects the probe headposition to match the partalignment and ensures the sty-lus is perfectly aligned with thefeature. Along with a completeset of graphical 5-axis pro-gramming tools that offer fullsimulation for on-line and off-line programming and fullsupport for the emerging DMIS5.1 5-axis scanning com-mands, these capabilitiesguarantee forward-compatibil-ity of REVO inspection pro-grams.
Camio 6.0 incorporates anumber of improvements thatenhance ease of use. TheDatum Wizard has been great-ly improved and now supports8 feature types and over20,000 datum combinations.“Touch & Go” is a new devel-opment that automatically initi-ates a new program, sets thedatum or measures a featurewhenever the operator usesthe CMM handbox. Sensormanagement has beenstreamlined and now includesa new sensor explorer treewith a powerful context menu.
The Camio CADfast interfaceis a new intuitive stand-aloneapplication that provides CamioStudio users with access to thelatest revisions of CAD.
www.metris.com.
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www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0832
SPC
Wireless mobile SPC Zontec is addressing the wire-less mobility needs of qualityassurance professionals with amini-notebook computer andreal-time statistical processcontrol (SPC) software applica-tion.
The Synergy 200A bundlefeatures a compact 2.2-lb.computer pre-loaded withZontec's popular entry-levelSynergy SPC software for per-sonnel who want to conductquality checks as they movefreely about their productionfacility.
The Synergy SPC softwareapplication is designed fordata collection, charting,process monitoring, analysis
and reporting of an unlimitednumber of variable (dimen-sional measurement) charac-teristics for each manufacturedpart, assembly or process.
When not performing SPC,Synergy 200A users canaccess e-mail, the Internet,spreadsheet, word processing,presentation software or otherbusiness applications they careto install on the ample harddrive.
With a single mouse-click,SPC charts and reports can besaved in an e-mail-readyattachment format. In addi-tion, users can reference engi-neering drawings or procedur-al documents without leavingthe Synergy SPC program.
www.zontec-spc.com
Applied SPC. AppliedSPC software, fromApplied Industrial Systems,links to existing plant automa-tion – so that SPC alarms andtrends become an integral partof operations. This providesoperators with early warningof process variability that could
lead to quality problems orloss of yield.
AppliedSPC is integratedinto Siemens WinCC softwareand is based on an openarchitecture that can connectto any plant control andautomation system. The sys-tem can support multipleusers, including interfaces withstandard web browsers.
Existing automation softwarecustomers have had a majorsay in the development of theAppliedSPC package. Thosewho have experience of exist-ing SPC software have gener-ally found the packages to becomplicated to set up and use.Therefore the focus of theAppliedSPC package has beento provide the common SPCfunctions in a simple to usepackage. These include:
* Mean charts that helpidentify process trends
* Range charts to indicateprocess variance
* SPC alarms to providewarnings before hard alarmlimits
* Process capability calcula-tions – for quantifying the abil-
ity of the process to manufac-ture products which meet cus-tomers requirements
In addition to the displayand calculation function thesoftware also provides a sim-ple method for configuration.One of the issues for operatorsis the calculation of the SPCalarm limits – typically referredto as warning and action lim-its. In AppliedSPC this is doneautomatically by capturingdata when producing knowngood product and then usingthe built in software functionsto calculate the limits to beapplied. This method has thefurther advantage of enablingthe software limits to be re-calculated to reflect processimprovement.
www.appliedspc.com
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0834
NDT
Rolling in innovation.The new Wheelprobe series ofultrasonic transducers fromSonatest, have been devel-oped in conjunction with lead-ers in aerospace technology.Focussing on the increased useof composite materials, theprobes enable rapid and intu-itive scanning in the testingenvironment.
The probes feature a wideconformable rubber tire whichis acoustically matched towater, allowing near dry con-tact, and so producing high
quality results without the needfor couplant or large quantitiesof water.
The Wheelprobe rangeincludes three models: aSingle Element Wheelprobe, a50mm Array Wheelprobe anda 100mm Array Wheelprobe.Developed to be used in con-junction with the SonatestRapidscan Series, these arenow compatible with alterna-tive NDT industry standardequipment.
Wheelprobe is suited tohand scanning of large flat orslightly curved parts, covering
these areas quickly and effi-ciently. A central springloaded roller ensures consis-tent contact across the wheel,even when scanning narrowparts. The Wheelprobe is ableto provide high quality, highresolution data due to theincorporated 64 elementphased array with 0.8mm res-olution and a high resolutionpositioning encoder. The100mm tire has been con-structed for very large areacoverage and due to it’s size isbest suited to flat horizontalcomponents, but is also adapt-able to curved parts.
www.sonatest.com
Multimode bond testerLatest addition to theBondaScope range ofBondTesters from AdvancedNDT, is the New BondaScope3100 - a full multi-mode,ultrasonic bond tester. This full function Bond Testerincorporates Resonance, Pitch-Catch & MIA MechanicalImpedance Analysis modes ofinspection.
A feature of this unit is theprofile mode presentationwhich shows a time/encoderrelated display of phase oramplitude, making the opera-tors’ task simpler.
Applications include theinspection of metallic, non-metallic and combinationmetallic/non-metallic structuresfor a variety of anomalousconditions. These includemeasurable levels of unbonds,voids, delaminations, inclu-sions, porosity, fibre damage,core damage, bondline thick-ness variations, and certainmaterial properties.
E-mail: [email protected]
www.advanced-ndt.co.uk
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.comQMT November/December 08 35
MATERIALS TESTIING
Falling /drop weightimpact testerThe HIT230F instrumentedfalling / drop weight impacttester from Zwixk is designedfor multiaxial impact tests andpre-damaging for compres-sion-after-impact tests.
This machine is optimizedespecially for tests in accor-dance with ISO 6603-2 andASTM D3763. The impacttester is equipped with a low-noise characteristic piezo forcetransducer. An innovative
pneumatic specimen clampingsystem allows the insertion andimpacting of specimens in lessthan 5 seconds, and in manyapplications it is possible toavoid the installation of anexpensive temperature cham-ber.
The impact tester can alsobe used to initiate mechanicaldamage to long fibre-rein-forced composites for the com-pression-after-impact (CAI)test, and additional tooling isavailable for this purpose. Thecompression test for determin-ing the influence of the dam-age on the compressivestrength is then performed ona static testing machine.
www.zwick.com
Nano tensile testing ofhuman hairResearchers in India havebeen investigating the nanotensile properties of humanhair using an LFPlus single col-umn materials testing machineand NEXYGENPlus control andanalysis software from LloydInstruments. Using a specially
designed winding grip tosecure the sample, individualhairs undergo ‘pull to break’tests to determine Young’smodulus, yield stress and ten-sile strength.
Human hair has an outerlayer of flat scales known asthe cuticle, which protects thesofter inner cortex tissue. Asthe hair is stretched, smallstress drops are seen on thetensile curves before the fibrefails completely. These initialstress drops are due to strandsof the cuticle failing while thecortex remains intact. The sys-tem is being used to analysethe differences in nano tensilemechanical properties betweendifferent types of hair.
www.lloyd-instruments.com
Hardness tester for softmaterialsThe Bareiss IRHD MICROCompact III bench hardnesstester provides test results onparts such as thin walled rub-ber O rings and soft elasticmoulded parts with materialthickness from 0.6 mm.
It features a Quick CentreLever, which allows the quickand precise positioning of themeasuring position.
For users who need to testpieces with both IRHD andSHORE, the Bareiss DIGI-TESTfully automatic bench hardnesstester guarantees a very accu-rate test result
www.mapra.co.uk
Visit our website www.mapra.co.ukEmail: [email protected] • Tel: +44 (0)20 8508 4207 • 63 Spring Grove, Loughton, Essex. IG10 4QE
Non contact opticalmeasuring and
inspection sysems
Hardness testersSHORE & IRHD and
testers for otherapplications
Precision dial gauges,dial test indicators,
thickness gauges andcomparator gauges
Mapra Q1 - Digitalprecision measuring
instruments
Marcel - Aubert - saof Switzerland
Bareiss ofGermany
Kaferof Germany
High Qual i ty Metro logy and Mater ia ls Test ing Equipment
QualityLow cost
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0836
QUALITY SYSTEMS
Best practices with justthree clicks.The Aspen Licensing Center isbeing introduced in conjunc-tion with aspenONE V7, a newsoftware release that enablesprocess industry companies toachieve the seven best prac-tices of engineering excellence.
At the heart of the newlicensing centre is AspenTech’sa token-based licensingmodel. Customers can accessaspenONE applications on a“check out/check in” basis upto their purchased amount oftokens. The flexibility of thetoken model enables cus-tomers to access and use theright software at the right time,based on their changing busi-ness needs.
The Aspen Licensing Centerprovides customers withgraphical views of how theirsoftware is being used acrossthe enterprise, enabling themto identify best practice usageof the software.
The Aspen Licensing Centeralso delivers 24x7, self-serviceproduct evaluation. With justthree clicks, customers candownload and start usingaspenONE applications.
www.aspentech.com
Faster 3D factory simu-lation softwareVisual Components hasannounced the availability ofthe latest version of its soft-ware for three-dimensional(3D) factory simulation. VisualComponents 2009 deliverspowerful new material han-dling capabilities, advancedsupport for simulating roboticsand related automation equip-ment, and a host of develop-ments to increase productivityand competitiveness for cus-tomers. Many user-requestedfeatures and enhancementsmean that machine suppliers,system integrators, productionengineering and manufactur-ing specialists may now betterapply digital factory conceptsby modelling, analysing andoptimising proposals with leasteffort and maximum efficiency.
The Visual Components soft-ware accepts data from 3DCAD systems so that it can bere-used for factory simulation
purposes, a strategic benefit tothe customer. This featureincreases the value and use ofthe data asset throughout theorganisation, from marketingand sales to production anddistribution departments.
In the new release new fea-tures include updated installertechnology for compatibilitywith the Microsoft Vista operat-ing system. For the rapiddevelopment of equipmentcontrol programmes, the newversion includes the latestrelease of the VisualComponents PLC Add-on,which helps control engineersconnect to their ProgrammableLogic Controller test benchesmore effectively.
In addition, the eCataloguelibrary that is used for select-ing equipment componentmodels now features a similarconcept to “play lists” used indigital music players. Usingnew search and filter com-mands, “component lists” canbe generated and selected fordifferent types of layout proj-ects. The library itself containsover 100 of the major robotmodels from the main manu-facturers, extensive materialhandling libraries, and stream-lined tools to take 3D CADdata and make it “work” inrealistic production scenarios.This means system integratorswill now have at their finger-tips a very useable and power-ful tool that is extremely costeffective.
For better visualisation, fac-
tory floors and backgroundview options now include softand hard shadows as well astextures and reflections: thisprovides excellent simulationand picture quality ready forpublication, and requires nointervention or manipulation.
In total, the new develop-ments enables VisualComponents 2009 to encom-pass 3D material flow simula-tion, robot cell design andanalysis, and machine controlvisualisation all in one, fullyintegrated working environ-ment. This leads to consider-able time-savings, reducedcosts, increased capacity, andenhanced throughput.
“Visual Components 2009builds on our bid to bringeffective and affordable facto-ry simulation within the graspof small to medium-size enter-prise (SME) manufacturers.”said Visual Components salesdirector, Mikko Urho.
The Visual Components2009 suite comprises threeexisting, integrated modules:3DCreate, a complete pack-age for building new equip-ment libraries and simulatingthe complete production con-cept; 3DRealize for snappingtogether ready-made equip-ment models into a workingconfiguration; and 3DVideofor viewing a completed pro-duction layout model.
E-mail: [email protected]
www.visualcomponents.com
Web-based enterprise-wide standardisation Aegis Software is a key part ofNew York-based CatalystManufacturing Services’growth and vision of totalcross-factory standardizationof equipment, processes, andinformation management.Aegis technology will acceler-ate the company's productlaunch cycle from the receiptof customer data, to the pointat which all line programs anddocumentation are completed,approved, and dispatchedelectronically to the properworkstations on the shop floor.All shop-floor documentation,product tracking, traceability,quality collection, shop floormaterials verification, andmachine data acquisition fromtheir placement, process, andtest equipment will be conduct-ed on Aegis' single web-basedsoftware platform enterprisewide.
Catalyst will use Aegis DataMiner and iMonitor real-timedashboards to drive theirgrowth in a controlled fashionvia 'one version of the truth'enterprise-wide.
The Catalyst vision of uni-form operations, equipmentsets, and information manage-ment across factories extendsto the selection of their ERPtechnology, and Aegis is beingintegrated into these businesssystems from the ground-up tocreate a uniform enterprise.
www.aiscorp.com
PRODUCTS
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ON-LINE VISION
Visteon Palmela based inPortugal, is a leading supplierto the top automotive manu-facturers in the world. Withtheir business covering a num-ber of key areas including cli-mate control, electronics, inte-riors and lighting, there is noroom for error in any productdelivery.
Amongst an impressiveproduct range within theirelectronics business, Visteonsupplies instrument clusters formany executive car modelsacross Europe. One vital ele-ment of the instrument clusterinvolves the appliqué, a plasticsheet incorporating the speedoand tacho markings. Eachappliqué must be clipped intoposition with pinpoint preci-sion, otherwise the vibrationfrom driving the car couldmake the appliqué move,resulting in the incorrect speedand revs being shown.
To ensure accurate assembly
verification, it was time tobring in a powerful vision sys-tem which could not onlycould cope with Visteon’s high-volume cluster production butalso fit within the confines ofthe allocated space.
Ensuring the most capableand cost-effective vision systemwould be used, Visteon calledupon its trusted vision technol-ogy supplier Alphr TechnologyLtd. Based in Letchworth, AlphrTechnology has been workingwith Visteon for a number ofyears and had previouslyinstalled similar lines at theirplant in Portugal, as well asother factories across Hungary,Mexico and India. Offering acomplete solution, Alphr woulddesign, build, programme andretro-fit the system on-site attheir facility in Portugal.
Having assessed the projectrequirements, Alphr selectedCognex’s high-performanceIn-Sight Micro to achieve the
required inspection rates.Launched earlier this year andmeasuring just 30mm x 30mmx 60mm, the In-Sight Micro isa unique and powerful visionsystem, specifically designed tooffer outstanding performanceas well as fit within confinedareas, a common issue inmany production facilities.
This new system would alsocomplement two existingCognex In-Sight 1000 cam-eras, successfully inspectingpointer alignment for thespeedo, tacho, fuel and tem-perature gauges on eachinstrument panel.
To cope with customerdemand, two identical produc-tion lines were required, run-ning simultaneously. Two In-Sight Micro cameras are fittedper production line and aremounted onto a FlexLink framewith LED spot lights mountedalongside the cameras.
Both production lines assem-ble the PCB with the necessaryplastics and LCDs and fullytest the parts. Using PatMax,Cognex’s geometric patternmatching technology, the cam-eras search for two plastic pipspositioned at 3 o’clock and 9o’clock on each appliqué’swhite circle. If these pips are
obscured, the appliqué is sit-ting on top of the clip ratherthan behind it and is thereforenot affixed correctly. Thepower of the PatMax softwareensures each feature is locateddespite any process variation.
Each part is manuallyloaded onto the rig by anoperator and then removedonce the inspection is com-plete. Results are viewed on aPC monitor using a test pro-gram written in Visual Basic 6.Failure tickets are printed forthe operators and all resultsare sent to a factory CIM sys-tem to monitor performance.Any defective parts are manu-ally removed from the rig,once the operator has pressedthe ‘reject acknowledgement’key.
The overall speed of themachine for each part withmanual on/off loading is 40seconds. Speed of productionhas been unaffected despitethe new inspection require-ment, as the In-Sight Microsinspect each appliqué in lessthan half a second, ensuringproduction and optimumthroughput remain constant.
www.cognex.co.uk
Accurate verification ofinstrument clusterquality uses vision
PRODUCTS
www.qmtmag.com QMT November/December 0838
PRODUCT APPLICATION FEATURE
As more manufacturers auto-mate their precision manufac-turing processes, they areadding automated gauging asthe final step. Maximum bene-fits apply: higher quality withno operator interaction tocause error, reduced labourcontent because the process isautomated, faster throughput,reduced scrapped parts, all ofwhich contribute significantlyto increased profitability.
Kurt In-Line Auto GagingSystems, Minneapolis, USA,have allowed several KurtEngineered System’s customersto fully automate their enginepiston gauging processes, animportant adjunct to new, highspeed automated pistonmachining lines. The compli-mentary processes – automat-ed machining and automatedgauging -- greatly increaseprecision component output to
meet rapidly growing marketdemands while ensuringrepeatable quality. “More cus-tomers are completing the cir-cle for completely automatedhigh speed manufacturing withKurt automated gauging sys-tems. This is because they con-firm the quality output of thenew machines and processesand are therefore a soundeconomic investment,” reportsJeff Lenz, general manager ofKurt Engineered Systems.
Kurt has a long relationshipwith automotive and aero-space customers with successgauging all types of enginecomponents including pistons.Repeatable accuracy andthroughput speed are vital inthese systems. So when a cus-tomer came to Kurt asking foran automated gaugingprocess that could stay aheadof the output of six new
machining lines, Kurt designedthe solution. Each line wascapable of finish machining350 pistons an hour. The cus-tomer wanted 100 percentpart inspection with the abilityto monitor readings in realtime with machined pistontraceability back to the spindlethat machined it. 100 percentpart inspection was requiredfor all six machining lines sothat any chance for humanerror in the inspection processwas completely eliminated.And the customer wanted tohave the capability to makevery fast machining adjust-ments based on real timereadings from the automatedgauges. The gauging software,therefore, was a critical ele-ment in the planned automat-ed gauging setup.
Kurt’s gaging software forthese piston gauging applica-
tions includes the KurtICS,KurtUSB and KurtSPC PremiumSoftware systems.
By measuring these pistonsfor ± .0005 inch tolerance and.0001 inch repeatability at therate of one per 9 seconds,repeatable quality is assuredwhile eliminating hand gaugingoperations. Validation ofupstream precision machiningand die casting operations thusinsures uninterrupted, 24/7automated manufacturing.
In addition to custom gagingsystems for automated manu-facturing, Kurt provides inte-grated custom engineeredworkholding systems. Bothworkholding and gauging aredesigned around a customer’srequirements with systemsavailable for many industriesincluding automotive, medicaland aerospace applications.
Email:[email protected]
www.kurtelectonics.com
Automated systemeliminates hand gaug-ing on piston line
