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Quality and inspection focus
Baty profile projector helps improve machining accuracy Reverie Ltd has improved its machining accuracy and quality inspection capability following the installation of a high-accuracy non-contact profile projector for the measurement and inspection of autoclaved carbon-fibre composite parts; the company is also using the equipment to check the cutters it uses for CNC machining. Based in Colchester, Essex, Reverie was established some 15 years ago and offers a diverse range of carbon composite parts for the electronics, communications, marine, home, construction and automotive markets — plus a repairs service. The company has recently used its profile projector — a Baty R14 FT2-E (www.bowersgroup.co.uk) — to measure the tolerance of key fob trims for a British manufacturer of luxury, highperformance sports cars. It produces these trims in high volumes and required a quick and easy method of measuring to a tolerance of ±0.1mm, to ensure precise consistency and the highest-quality product. Reverie has also used the Baty R14 to measure CFRP trims for a high-end male grooming-products company. The Baty unit allows Reverie to accurately measure the side profile and the plan profile of the tail end of the part (its accuracy is absolutely crucial to a good cosmetic fit to the casting). Peter Farndell, design and manufacturing engineer at Reverie, said: “The Baty R14 unit is perfect for checking any suspect parts that are identified during visual checking, or for checking and validating any client returns for fit errors.” Reverie chose the Baty unit because it was unable to measure the parts with its portable CMM, which requires components to be touched during the measurement process (the flexible nature of the CFRP parts means they distort when probed, giving inaccurate readings). The company also investigated the use a white-light scanner, but this could not achieve the required level of accuracy on small parts; it also had difficulty finding and measuring the edges of components. The Baty profile projector provides a faster and simpler solution, as it offers automatic profile edge detection. Mr Farndell says: “The Baty unit makes measuring difficult parts that are too flexible to be held both easy and quick. The accuracy of the measurement is consistent and perfect for our needs; in fact, the accuracy that the
Baty unit is capable of achieving is more than we will ever need.” The readings that Reverie obtains from the Baty R14 also allow the company to prove that finished components are within the tolerances that it quoted the customer. This can be useful when handling potentially rejected parts, as proof of tolerance achievement allows Reverie to give the customer assurances of quality and accuracy. The company also uses the Baty R14 to
check CNC cutters for diameter and wear, thereby improving the accuracy of its machining. “It is important that the wear on the CNC tools is monitored carefully, as damage such as nicks and chips has a negative impact on the patterns, moulds and components that the machine is used to cut. The Baty R14 is also used to measure the length and diameter of tools, to ensure that the correct tool is used for the application requirements.”
Monitor gets the measure of surface roughness Monitor Coatings Ltd is a privately owned company with over 30 years experience in providing high-quality coatings to a wide range of industries, including aerospace, oil and gas exploration and steel. The company’s coatings and surface engineering operations are designed to withstand exposure to a variety of chemical, physical and mechanical environments, while at the same time offering resistance to wear, corrosion and abrasion; coatings can also act as thermal barriers. Production manager Tom Nicholson says:
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“Although we supply a number of key markets, it is the highly sought after NADCAP accreditation that drives the quality procedures at Monitor Coatings. This quality accreditation has allowed us to achieve high-level customer approvals and to be awarded prestigious contracts, such as the QE Carrier Deck project in Rosyth. “As the correct surface finish of a base material is critical to the ability of a coating to adhere to it, we recently conducted a Web search for a surface roughness tester that would increase our capabilities in the areas of precision and data
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capture. Having considered offerings from several manufactures, we identified Mitutoyo’s portable Surftest SJ-410 as the ideal tester for use in our quality department and on our shopfloor — plus occasional off-site use. “The Surftest SJ-410 has many more useful features when compared to our previous instrument, and its controls are very intuitive. As well as delivering improved precision in this area, the enhanced data supplied by the unit is archived and provides invaluable information for potential product development.”
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Quality and inspection focus
Mitutoyo (www.mitutoyo.co.uk) offers a wide range of surface roughness testers, from small battery-powered portable units that can be applied to any workpiece irrespective of size, through to advanced CNC instruments that measure to laboratory standards of accuracy. The Surftest SJ-410 surface roughness tester (as purchased by Monitor Coatings) complies with the latest international surface roughness measurement standards. It has a dedicated control unit equipped with the kind of analysis functionality normally found on larger, more-expensive benchtop testers; and it can operate in 38 individual roughness parameters that conform to the latest ISO, DIN, ANSI and JIS standards. The tester’s calculated results and profiles are displayed on a high-visibility colour-graphic LCD (backlighting further improves visibility when the unit is being used in dimly lit environments). A built-in high-speed thermal printer provides a hard copy of the measurement results, including BAC and ADC curves; these are presented in a landscape format, just as they appear on the screen. If required, the Surftest SJ-410’s set-ups can be password-protected to prevent accidental changes. The instrument can be used in a handheld mode or mounted on a stand, while a manual adjustment knob enables fine adjustment of a small stylus for position — particularly useful when testing the inside surface of small holes. To allow records to be saved, the unit’s measurement data can be downloaded to a PC via an RS232C cable; a range of optional accessories can further extend the unit’s application range.
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14 July 2016
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