News Vol.10

NIKON METROLOGY NEWS Case Studies and Product News

InSight L100

The ultimate CMM laser scanner combining productivity and accuracy

Kiekert favours Cross Scanners for 3D inspection of door closing components Newbury Electronics embraces X-ray for future electronics inspection Video Measuring ensures diamond quality for waterjet orifices

VOLUME 10

REACHING THE PEAK OF VIDEO MEASUREMENT

Discover how MicroTec EDM speeds up inspection by a factor of 60 using an iNEXIV video measuring system

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NIKON METROLOGY I VISION BEYOND PRECISION

Content 4 | Insight L100 – The ultimate CMM laser

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combining productivity and accuracy

6 | Automobile component supplier

Kiekert AG favours digital Cross Scanners

9 | Spring s.r.l. uses laser scanner for quality

control of additively manufactured products

12 | EDM subcontractor and toolmaker installs

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Nikon Metrology CNC video measuring to speed accreditation to AS9100 aerospace quality management standard

16 | Printed circuit board manufacturer embraces X-ray inspection for QA of next-generation devices

20 | X-ray inspection shifts a gear higher

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at SGC - SwitchGear Company!

22 | Video Measuring System Ensures Diamond Quality for Waterjets

25 | Creating complex ”spare“ tooling using MV330 laser radar

22 Send your feedback and topic suggestions to Sales.NM@nikon.com +32 (0)16 74 01 00 Nikon Metrology NV Geldenaaksebaan 329 - 3001 Leuven - Belgium www.nikonmetrology.com Order your free copy of Nikon Metrology News through info.nm@nikon.com

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InSight L100 The ultimate CMM laser scanner for surface and feature inspection

It’s a Nikon ..

The InSight L100 CMM laser scanner offers the best possible combination of speed, accuracy and ease-of-use.

Suited for both surface and feature measurement, the L100 quickly delivers accurate data and insightful part to CAD comparison reports even on shiny or multi-material surfaces.

The Insight L100 builds on 20 years of experience in optical metrology. With the InSight L100, Nikon Metrology confirms their technology leadership in the field of CMM laser scanning.

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Ultrafast data collection

Capture the finest details

The InSight L100 is ideal to inspect larger components 50 mm where productivity is key but without having to 100 mm compromise on accuracy. The 100 mm wide Field-of-View combined with the increased (* stripe distance = 0.5 mm) measurement speed results in measurement productivity that wasn’t achievable with CMM scanning before.

The L100 is equipped with a high quality glass Nikon lens optimized for laser scanning.

Combined with the high definition camera this results in a point resolution of only 42 µm and a data quality that is the best on the market, enabling fine detail capture and measurement of sharper edges. The L100 has an exceptionally small probing error of 6.5 μm, which is a measure of the scanner’s noise level, enabling delivery of smooth meshes and high levels of detail.

Accurate feature measurement

Cope with changes in surface color

50 cm2 surface scanned per second

The L100 is perfectly suited for combined surface and feature measurements. Thanks to the low measurement noise and high point resolution, feature measurement accuracy approaches to the accuracy of a touch probe.

The 4th generation of Enhanced Sensor Performance (ESP4) adapts the laser intensity for each point in the scan line to varying colors or materials faster than ever. This makes the scanner even more robust for digitizing multi-material assemblies or shiny surfaces without the need for cumbersome surface treatment.

Easy to use

Extend the measurement reach

The new Field-of-View (FOV) projection provides a clear indication for the user whether the scanner is optimally positioned. This facilitates scanner programming and provides better feedback during actual scanning.

The patent-pending integrated mount rotation allows the scanner to rotate around its autojoint axis in 30° increments up to 90°. This saves the use of expensive autojoint adaptors and is particularly interesting to measure turbine blades or parts with vertically oriented features and edges.

The L100 also allows the use of an extended 105° PH10 A-angle allowing better access to measure underneath or behind parts.

0°

30°

105°

60°

90°

105° combined with 90° inclination

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Case study

Foam gaskets seals in the line of fire Automobile component supplier Kiekert AG favours digital Cross Scanners

Kiekert AG, the global leader for automobile door lock systems, now uses digital cross scanners

by Nikon Metrology to test the positions and dimensions of sealing lips on door and rear compartment locks. Tactile inspection methods are unable to correctly measure these touch sensitive and complex free-form components.

It’s about 30 cms long, eight millimetres thick, smooth, soft, with a curly form. It’s completely insensitive to cold, heat, damp, dust or dryness. It can live for several decades - despite the fact that it spends its entire life in the dark. It’s a very special species, unknown even to biologists. It’s a foam gasket seal.

Unnoticed by the human eye, it curls itself up just 10 cms from the left or right upper arm

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of virtually every BMW driver or passenger - in the door lock of all vehicles bearing the blue and white emblem. Here, between the interior and exterior door panels, is the habitat of the foam gasket seal. And here it fulfils its one and only purpose in life: to seal the vehicle latch closing system hermetically against moisture and dirt from outside. This makes sure the lock will work anywhere in the world, and even under the harshest of conditions. In the Arctic Circle and the Gobi

desert, in tropical climates and in the cold and wet German autumns.

Like more than 50 other automotive manufacturers, BMW favours Kiekert AG’s technology for high quality locking systems.

Based in Heiligenhaus near Dusseldorf, the global leader for the supply of automotive door lock systems operates in nine countries around the world, with a total of around 5,000 employees. Six of these locations

are production centres, five are involved in R&D, and there are three sales & distribution centres.

With more than 1,200 patents, Kiekert AG is the uncontested leader of innovations in this challenging field of technology. Here at Kiekert AG, central locking and electromotive power servo locking were invented. This is also where engineers are hard at work developing various solutions to make driving even safer and more comfortable in the future.

And it’s a place where the quality assurance processes offer very special guarantees. With foam gasket seals, only completely healthy specimens are released, up to 20,000 a day in the plant in Heiligenhaus alone.

The challenge: quality to last for decades The body of the caterpillar-like bead is made of a special, malleable dual-component foam which is applied to the shell of the lock by a robotic spray system, in a serpentine shape about as thick as a pencil. As a compressed sealing lip between the lock and the door panel, the foam gasket seal prevents any moisture from entering the lock system.

Because door locks and rear compartment locks are not generally replaced or serviced during the life-cycle of the average car, the foam gasket seal has to function reliably for several decades. In order to do so, it has to be shaped with utmost precision. Because even the smallest deviation in the profile, surface outline or position, could cause acute longterm damage to the locking mechanism.

It’s hardly surprising therefore, that Kiekert has singled out the foam gasket seal as a part which most definitely has to pass a quality assurance inspection, and which is treated accordingly with great attention.

Quite independently of the verification Kiekert demands for the quality of the part.

When production of the foam gasket seal began, Kiekert initially approached the issue, in agreement with the customer, via touch-trigger probing on CMMs (coordinate measurement machines). This solution was completely viable, and customers were certainly satisfied. But Kiekert’s highly critical quality assurance team

The Cross Scanner digitizes complex multi-material assemblies in an easy and fast inspection process.

was nonetheless sure there was room for optimisation.

not impossible to maintain the desired overview.

Even using the lowest force of 0.2 Newtons, the contact probe’s tip made a slight indentation in the soft foam material. This deformation righted itself again naturally but it caused a small amount of inaccuracy.

The optimum probing angle with early triggering was ascertained following a long series of tests. This minimised the effect but there were other aspects of contact (tactile) measurement which proved to be less than ideal.

Time was a rare commodity in the Kiekert Quality Assurance department, for BMW door locks with attached foam gasket seals.

More and more components were arriving in the central measurement room for sampling inspection and the limit had almost been reached - but fortunately there was also an exciting solution to hand.

The limits of tactile measurement The most disadvantageous: the foam gasket seal is a complex 3D surface profile, so measuring one dimension only is not sufficient. Information is required regarding its height, cross-section, profile geometry and position. Ultimately, tactile measurements cannot portray all this, due to the limited points measured on a bead.

To gain a complete overview using tactile measurement, the process would be extremely time-consuming. Not to mention the laborious evaluation of so many tactile inspection points, that are often presented in tabular numerical reports.

However, by cutting down on the number of inspection points, it would be difficult if

This involved a complete paradigm shift: from contact to non-contact measurement, and also for foam sealant inspection. Goodbye probes, welcome scanners.

Decisive laser advantages Kiekert had already gained intensive experience with single line scanners, particularly in the component qualification of so-called “prototype parts”. As soon as laser scanner technology came on to the market at the beginning of the millennium, the potential of this measuring technology was recognised in Heiligenhaus, and it was implemented step by step in the quality assurance process. Hence for some time, 3D laser scanners made by the measuring equipment manufacturer Nikon Metrology, have been used not only in the German production site in Heiligenhaus, but also in Kiekert’s largest plant in the Czech Republic as well as at the site in Mexico. >>

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holes, slots etc. This can also be applied to the complete, complex profile of the touch-sensitive foam gasket seal in Kiekert’s latch closing systems. Notably, this all done in a single scan, with the foam sealant passing through just once. Thanks to the fact that the laser lines come from three different angles, this also reduces the repositioning of the scanner during the scan. The field of vision covered by the three laser lines is 65 x 65 mm, whilst the precision level of the sensor is 12 µm.

At all these locations, the enormous advantages offered by non-contact laser scanners are impressive: • Creation of high-density point clouds for quickly identifying form and features • Initial and detailed analysis of surfaces and sections considerably simplified due to colour charts • Fast measurements of free-form surfaces possible • CAD characteristics tests • Complete digital copy of parts acquired in just a couple of minutes • Reduced measuring times, hence increased throughput • Simplified processing of measuring data to be passed on to existing processing and evaluation software • Reverse engineering possible With the introduction of the newest evolutionary phase in Nikon technology, the XC65Dx digital Cross Scanner, Kiekert has now drawn foam gasket seals into the crosshair of the laser.

Cross scanning with three laser lines The crosshair comparison hits the mark. With its three lasers positioned crosswise to each other, Nikon Metrology’s XC65Dx digital Cross Scanner is able to digitise not only surfaces, but also to focus on features such as pockets,

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Three scans in one pass equates to a huge saving in time. The XC65Dx Cross Scanner, which operates on a Nikon bridge coordinate measuring machine, takes comfortably under four minutes to measure the entire foam gasket seal. During this time the highperformance data processing generates a high-density 3D point cloud from a scanning speed of up to 75,000 laser points per second.

Thanks to the comparison colour reports of the Nikon measurement software, the operator receives an evaluation of the test and deviation results which is meaningful even at first glance. Even those who have not received explicit metrological training only need to look at the colours to interpret the deviations.

This is certainly an important aspect when measurements are not only taken in the measurement room (as with Kiekert) but also close to production or alongside production.

Additionally, specific characteristics from the 3D point cloud are extracted and statistically monitored to regulate the foaming process.

This way process trends are corrected before the agreed tolerances are exceeded.

Nikon Metrology’s XC65Dx. It individually configures up to 75,000 points per second, thus guaranteeing a homogenous, complete point cloud picture without flare.

Changes in the testing process, i.e., for different lock types, are not a problem either. This is because the necessary scanner movements can be generated automatically offline, based on CAD data. Using Nikon Metrology’s Focus Scan software, inspection programs can be run directly as required, even by operators without advanced metrology programming skills.

Kiekert AG is also ahead of the game when it comes to passing new and successfully implemented technology on to its international locations. The foam gasket seals to be inspected are now not only drawn into the line of vision of cross laser scanners in Heiligenhaus, but also in the SPC measurement room in the company’s largest production site in Prelouc in the Czech Republic.

Pinpointed precision for laser intensity Shorter measuring times, high precision, complete 3D view, simple to operate, fast analysis of results: These advantages alone are convincing arguments in favour of Nikon Metrology’s Cross Scanner technology for inspecting foam gasket seals. And the advantages don’t end there.

Parts don’t have to be sprayed with matt spray in a time-consuming process to rule out unwanted reflectivity. The basis for this is the permanent, automatic point-to-point adjustment of laser source intensity of

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Case study

Spring S.r.l. uses laser scanner for quality control of additively manufactured products Nikon Metrology 3D scanner adapts laser intensity to suit reflectivity and colour Italian rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing bureau, Spring srl (www.springitalia.com), based in Monteviale, near Venice, decided to reverseengineer components in-house instead of subcontracting the work. After a thorough market analysis, the company bought a 7-axis articulated measuring arm and a digital laser scanning head from Nikon Metrology. The equipment not only allows Spring’s customers’ parts to be digitised quickly and accurately for reverse-engineering and 3D printing, but also greatly enhances the capabilities of the bureau’s quality control department.

Large as well as small parts can be measured using the portable MCAx arm, which carries a ModelMaker 3D laser scanner. Sourcing both elements from Nikon Metrology ensures perfect compatibility and means that Spring can rely on a single supplier for advice and service, the exclusive Italian reseller, Leonardo 3D Metrology, Turin.

The supplier’s input was invaluable in the early days for providing applications expertise, as the technology was new to Spring.

Roberto Toniello, the company’s co-founder and head of the Engineering Department, said, “The Nikon equipment allows us to meet even more efficiently the needs and demands of our customers, so we can offer a more integrated, comprehensive, accurate service in shorter lead-times and ensure maximum reliability of results.”

Reverse-engineering as the input for additive manufacturing If a product needs to be reproduced but the CAD model does not exist or the original part has been modified, it is necessary to reverseengineer an actual component. Processing of scan data is carried out

by Spring’s technical office using Geomagic Studio, which imports the raw point cloud data acquired using Nikon Metrology’s Focus Handheld software. The point cloud data is reverse-engineered into accurate surface, polygon and native CAD models. These are exported to one of Spring’s 10 CAD seats of Pro Engineer and Unigraphics >>

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The Nikon equipment allows us to meet even more efficiently the needs and demands of our customers, so we can offer a more integrated, comprehensive, accurate service in shorter lead-times and ensure maximum reliability of results.”

Roberto Toniello, the company’s co-founder and head of the Engineering Department

Spring srl uses FDM 3D printing technology to produce end-use armrests in a number of aircraft. It enables the company to reduce its turnaround time by 66 % and costs by 50 % compared with traditional methods such as CNC machining.

NX, where STL files are generated for driving six Stratasys Fortus FDM (fused deposition modelling) additive manufacturing machines on site. Two are large 3D printers with build volumes of 900 x 600 x 900 mm, making Spring one of the few Italian companies that can produce objects of that size by FDM. The machines produce components from thermoplastic materials, layer by layer. They range from standard ABS through weatherresistant ASA to Ultem 9085, a flame retardant material with high strength-toweight ratio certified for aerospace use. It is also ideal for marine, Formula One and other motorsport applications.

Enhanced quality control of printed parts Once parts have been built, they are inspected using the scanning equipment to determine their accuracy, using either the laser head or an interchangeable touch probe, or both in a mixed measuring routine. Software from Nikon Metrology provides the measurement and analysis environment, with intuitive tools for both laser and tactile scanning applications. The scanner is in fact used for two-thirds of the time as a metrology tool.

The quality control data collected is analytically compared on-screen to the original CAD file, whether supplied by

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the customer or derived from reverseengineering. Any out-of-tolerance features are observable and measurable. Part-topart comparisons can be similarly made to determine the reproducibility of a production process. Nikon Metrology’s Focus software underpins these activities, managing the acquired point clouds, performing the comparisons, carrying out advanced feature inspection and producing reports.

It is essential for Spring to control component quality closely in this way to verify the accuracy of parts and to generate corroborative reports for its discerning customers. Aerospace and F1 in particular require full traceability of production back to the raw materials, but it was difficult for Spring to provide that level of service before its in-house metrology had been enhanced. A particular area of growth is the provision of 3D-printed thermoplastic cores that are soluble, which are used by its aerospace and motorsport customers for producing laminated composite structures.

Early appreciation of the importance of additive manufacturing Spring was established in 1998 by Fabio Gualdo and Roberto Toniello to combine their mould and component design expertise with the emerging additive manufacturing technology. They were among the first

to recognise that it would allow mass customisation of products tailored to customers’ wishes, as an alternative to mass production.

Today, the research, design and development bureau serves both ends of the market, manufacturing prototypes and batches of components by 3D-printing, while also designing and supplying moulds for plastic injection and die casting for longer production runs. Italian customers account for 80 per cent of the company’s business, the remainder being spread across other European countries.

Fabio Gualdo, Spring’s co-founder commented, “In series additive manufacturing, it is often necessary to optimise the design of a component. A piece originally intended to be made by chip removal frequently has to be completely remodelled, especially if it is in a new material, to provide it with the required mechanical characteristics or to reduce weight.

“A good example is our recent manufacture of a helicopter part in Ultem 9085 thermoplastic, instead of the previously used aerospace grade aluminium. Traditional manufacture required a lead-time of four to six weeks and cost around €500 per piece. This has been halved by 3D printing and the time scale has also been cut by one-third.”

The need for a metrology upgrade Mr Gualdo explained that for the past few years, he and his colleagues had felt the need to offer customers the ability to produce parts of more complex shape.

However, the firm’s manual measuring methods using traditional metrology equipment had significant limitations, hence the deployment of the Nikon Metrology digital scanning arm.

He stated, “Of all the suppliers we reviewed, Nikon Metrology offered the best product in terms of technical specification and service. The MCAx arm, unlike a coordinate measuring machine, is convenient to transport and allows us to examine all sizes of component we produce, up to the very largest.

“The ModelMaker laser scanner has the versatility to inspect all of the thermoplastic parts we print in-house, as well as components we buy in made from different materials. Other scanning systems we investigated were not able to process all of these materials, which is why we decided in favour of Nikon Metrology as a supplier.”

A cable guide for an aircraft modified and printed in Ultem 9085 by Spring srl using FDM technology (right), and the original aluminium version (left). The weight was reduced by 60 per cent, while both cost and time were saved. The Nikon Metrology scanner was used to assist in the redesign and to control the manufacture of the part.

High quality data from all surfaces

Faster turnaround of customer orders

The cost-effective yet powerful ModelMaker MMCx laser scanner, as with higher-end Nikon Metrology heads, features adaptation of the laser source intensity, allowing any surface to be scanned without the need for spraying or other pretreatment. The unit features enhanced sensor performance (ESP3) that avoids the operator having to manually tune parameters when scanning different surfaces, even those with varying colour, high reflectivity and transitions.

Roberto Toniello concluded, “The laser scanning arm has made a big difference to our business. Previously we would 3D-print a customer’s parts and outsource them for dimensional inspection. It took two to three days for the components and reports to be returned.

The digital camera has a fast scan rate and offers a measuring accuracy down to 24 microns, more than adequate for inspecting parts on the Monteviale site, which have drawing tolerances typically down to 0.2 mm. Moreover, the scanner has true noninterpolated resolution, allowing freeform surfaces and features to be scanned accurately and efficiently. Laser stripe width is 160 mm and density is 800 points over the stripe width.

The lightweight yet robust design of ModelMaker allows trouble-free use in production environments and the scanner’s Ethernet connection enables easy connection to a laptop. The MCAx arm on which the head is mounted is also lightweight, as it is of carbon fibre tubular construction that is also counterbalanced and thermally stable.

Infinite rotation of all principal axes makes for effortless operation and absolute encoders eliminate referencing and warm-up time.

Now we can easily use the Nikon Metrology scanning arm to check parts the same day as they come out of the FDM machine, which saves a lot of time and obviously a lot of money as well.

It enables us to quote more competitive prices and also to turn around orders faster, so our customers win twice over.

Similarly, we save time and money in other areas, inspecting tools, jigs and fixtures, for example, as well as plastic injection and die casting moulds.”

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Case study

Automated video measuring speeds inspection by a factor of 60

Dawn Carter inspecting a spark eroded nickel-copper alloy component for a decoy missile on the Nikon Metrology iNEXIV VMA-4540 CNC video measuring system at Microtec.

EDM subcontractor and toolmaker installs Nikon Metrology CNC video measuring to speed accreditation to AS9100 aerospace quality management standard What does an orbiting telescope currently mapping the Milky Way have in common with the first all-English wristwatch to be produced in half a century? UK subcontractor Microtec EDM, Basildon, supplied prototypes and components for both ventures, as well as for a host of other innovative and high profile projects. The company recently raised the capability of its metrology department significantly by purchasing a powerful CNC video measuring system, an iNEXIV VMA-4540 from Nikon Metrology.

Until the machine was installed at the end of 2014, Microtec relied on manual video measuring using another make of instrument. Owner and managing director, Graham Cranfield advised, “We are currently seven years into an 18-year contract involving electro discharge machining (EDM) and centreless grinding of nickel-copper alloy tube to produce a decoy missile component.

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“A complete inspection of the part using our manual video measuring system used to take 20 minutes. Now that the job has been programmed on our new Nikon machine, the same inspection cycle is completed automatically in just 20 seconds. We find that time savings of this magnitude are typical and have revolutionised the productivity of our metrology department.�

He explained that it took them only a few hours to create the inspection cycle for this fairly complex job, based on a CAD model of the part. The process will become even shorter as company employees become more familiar with programming. For contracts that frequently repeat, the automated measuring approach saves a lot of time in the long term.

Even after measuring a dozen of the missile

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A complete inspection of the part using our manual video measuring system used to take 20 minutes.

Now that the job has been programmed on our new Nikon machine, the same inspection cycle is completed automatically in just 20 seconds Graham Cranfield, Owner and managing director of Microtec Close-up of a mould cavity ring. Inspection is possible by video measurement or tactile probe

tubes, the programming time had been justified. The component is actually required in quantities of a few thousand every year and even though only one in 12 needs to be inspected, the saving in measuring time during 2015 alone will be more than double the programming time.

By the same reasoning, prototypes and components needed in small batches are more productively inspected manually on the pre-existing video measuring machine, or indeed on the iNEXIV VMA-4540 operated in manual mode.

Wide range of component sizes Work carried out by Microtec for space missions includes making parts for the joint ESA / JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) BepiColombo mission to Mercury, which will set off in July 2016 on a seven and a half year journey to the smallest terrestrial planet in our solar system. Another project involves the manufacture of prototypes and components for an orbiting telescope.

In both cases, the telescope parts are relatively large. Many other components that the Basildon subcontractor produces go down to 20 microns in size, however, placing the firm in very select group of such specialist providers of wire-cut EDM and spark-erosion services in the UK.

A current project in the micro area is the wireerosion of 70-micron wide vanes in copper and molybdenum grids, required in quantities of 50 per year for an electron beam gun.

Somewhere between these extremes in size lie the components Microtec machines for Charles Frodsham & Co, clockmaker to the British Royal family. In 2015, managing director Philip Whyte plans to launch the first all-English-made wristwatch to be produced on a production basis in half a century. It will be manufactured from start to finish under one roof at the company’s workshop near Heathfield, East Sussex.

Close association Charles Frodsham has a longstanding business relationship with Microtec. The subcontractor regularly wire-erodes gold watch cases and produces springs for the clockmaker, which in turn carries out micro-scale turning, milling and drilling that is beyond the capabilities of Microtec’s production equipment.

A smaller Nikon Metrology CNC video measuring machine has been in use at Charles Frodsham’s Hastings workshop for about five years. Mr Whyte recommended this make of instrument to Microtec due to its reliability and precision, as well as the strength of after-sales support.

Mr Cranfield benchmarked other potential suppliers’ equipment but could not see a better option. In the process, he discovered that some other makes of machine on the market for video metrology actually incorporate Nikon’s apochromatic lens, which has better correction of chromatic and spherical aberration than conventional achromatic lenses. It helped him to come to the conclusion that the Nikon Metrology offering was optimal.

Multiple target markets led by aerospace Aerospace and defence contracts are the mainstay of Microtec’s business, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Selex Galileo and Astrium being regular clients. It is the principal reason for Microtec seeking AS9100 accreditation, a process that will be assisted by the purchase of the Nikon Metrology iNEXIV machine. It will be especially important for speeding production of first article inspection reports.

The Nikon Metrology VMA AutoMeasure software automatically compares measured results against CAD models and allows such reports to be produced quickly and in standardised format.

Motorsport, closely related technologically with aerospace, is becoming an increasingly important target market for the subcontractor.

Medical and dental industry work, which is often defined by complex machining in >>

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Microtec’s managing director, Graham Cranfield inspecting a much larger part on the iNEXIV, in this case a steel mould cavity ring.

difficult materials, is another specialism.

A current contract involves producing very small tweezers with serrations that are eroded with 20 µm wire, five times thinner than an average human hair.

Another medical job requires a plastic filter mould to be produced with 0.25 mm ribs.

Mould and tool manufacture in the 1990s accounted for 80 per cent of Microtec’s turnover, dropping to 20 per cent in subsequent years as China absorbed much of the business. Recently, however, the percentage is increasing as mouldmaking is reshored due to an increase in the cost of production overseas as well as problems with quality and logistics.

Projects are also carried out in other industries, such as for premium vehicles including Mercedes and for top-end hifi equipment manufacturer, Rega Research, Southend, for which Microtec manufactures parts for a moving coil cartridge.

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Production continues 24/7 at the Basildon factory in a range of materials from aluminium, copper and steel to titanium and exotic alloys. Eight Agie Charmlles EDM machines provide a majority of manufacturing capacity, assisted by Hurco vertical machining centres, a Ghiringhelli centerless grinder and various manual machine tools.

Non-contact 2D and 3D measuring Most wire-cut EDM work requires 2D inspection, for which video measuring is ideal. However, some spark eroded components need to be measured in 3D and one of the advantages of iNEXIV video inspection is the ability to measure heights using the instrument’s generous 73.5 mm working distance.

Inspection in 3D extends to mouldmaking.

Early in January 2015, Microtec was tasked with refurbishing a plastic injection mould

for producing electrical plug sockets for the British manufacturer, MK. No drawings or CAD model were available, so the mould’s broken upstands were remanufactured in tool steel by measuring the height and width of the relevant sections on the iNEXIV. A similar procedure allows reverse engineering of legacy components for which no data exists, such as parts for classic cars.

In this case, after the data has been collected, a DXF file is output that can be used directly in a machine tool’s CNC or in a CAD/CAM system to generate the cutter paths. Nikon Metrology’s part-to-CAD software provides the capability to compare the machined component with the DXF file to ensure that it is within tolerance.

Touch probing capability Some features on components, such as sloping faces and undercuts, do not lend themselves to optical measurement. In such

The iNEXIV VMA-4540’s PC screen shows an image of the area of the component under inspection, current point coordinates, a list of the features inspected, any that are out of tolerance, and more.

Close-up of the wire-eroded, molybdenum grid for an electron beam gun on the table of the iNEXIV.

cases, the iNEXIV VMA-4540 has the facility to accept a Renishaw TP20 or TP200 touch probe to capture the point data. The probe is offset from the optical axis but works in the same 450 x 400 x 200 mm coordinate space, with only slightly reduced operating range. A stylus changer is provided.

Mr Cranfield continued, “We always use vision if we can, as in general it is quicker and more accurate. However, if parts are not the right shape or not scrupulously clean, touch probing is the better option.

“On the other hand, some features would be difficult to inspect with a touch probe, such as the curved surface of a dome, as calculations to compensate for the stylus tip diameter at each measurement point across the surface would be impractical.

“Using the auto focus (AF) feature of the iNEXIV, we can accurately capture heights very quickly. There is also a laser AF option

that we are thinking of retrofitting that is very good at highly repeatable Z-axis measurements on flat surfaces.”

It is even possible to mix optical and tactile measurements in the same cycle, which is another option that Microtec will be using.

For example, the BepiColombo telescope parts require mainly 2D optical inspection of apertures, but there are arrays of 2 mm diameter tapped holes whose positions will need to be probed during the same program.

It is noteworthy that this job will benefit from image stitching within the Nikon Metrology software, as the aluminium components are 550 mm in diameter and will need to be scanned in four quadrants under the 450 x 400 mm X / Y travels of the iNEXIV’s moving column. Additionally, stitching of multiple images at different Z-axis heights allows deep components to be rendered all-in-focus.

The instrument’s versatility is further enhanced by a variety of illumination options.

It has episcopic, diascopic and eight-segment ring LEDs. Combining these enables accurate detection of low-contrast edges.

Even when a workpiece is misaligned, an intelligent search feature automatically locks on to it based on a target image recorded in a teaching file. Detection is assisted by the wide field of view, measuring 13.3 x 10 mm at 0.35x magnification, while zooming in to 3.5x in five steps delivers accurate measurements as well as high resolution images.

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Case study

Printed circuit board manufacturer embraces X-ray inspection for QA of next-generation devices

Newbury Electronics’ managing director, Philip King (right) and Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician, with the XT V 160.

Nikon Metrology X-ray machine cuts the price of placing BGA devices by 70 per cent

Subcontract manufacturers of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) for applications such as electric motorbike control, ground movement detection and touch-sensitive sound generation, generally use a number of different tools for quality control. These include flying probe testers, camera-based automated optical inspection, and X-ray equipment. Very few manufacturers in the UK, however, can boast such sophisticated X-ray inspection capability as Newbury Electronics, following the company’s purchase of a Nikon Metrology XT V 160.

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Ball grid arrays (BGAs) and quad-flat no-lead (QFN) interconnections are two features of PCBAs that require close inspection. A challenge when inspecting modern BGAs in particular is that they have become very complex, with tighter pitches and smaller ball diameters. It means they are mounted so close to the body of the PCB that there is little space between them to enable visual inspection.

Newbury Electronics (www.newburyelectronics.co.uk) previously used an endoscope to access and view areas of interest, which was effective for small, basic devices, but time-consuming. Unfortunately, the technique was becoming ever more impractical, as it was increasingly difficult to position the endoscope without it being blocked by the components that invariably surround a BGA. In addition, the smaller sizes sometimes meant that the inspection equipment could not be used at all.

Even if the device could be positioned well, seeing far enough down the rows of balls was also becoming more challenging.

In some instances, faulty boards would be returned by a customer and had to be sent

by Newbury Electronics to a bureau for X-ray analysis. This typically took three days and cost around £100 for the board to undergo X-ray inspection, the fault to be fixed and another X-ray analysis to confirm that the board was fully corrected.

Philip King, managing director of Newbury Electronics commented, “As a subcontractor, we handle 10 to 15 different product lines every day and often do not know what we will have to produce next. PCBAs should be designed for easy inspection, but they rarely are”.

“Accurate inspection is important not only after repair, but also during series manufacturing so that results can be used for process control to maintain quality. The larger the production run, the more potential there is for faulty boards, wasting time and money.”

While one-off prototype boards are frequently produced at Newbury and five-off is typical, recent contracts received by the company have involved much larger volumes.

For example, Bare Conductive is a design and technology spin-off from the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, which has developed Electric Paint. Multichannel PCBAs are needed to enable human interaction with the paint and Newbury

PCBA assemblies positioned above the X-ray source, ready for inspection

Electronics is producing 15,000 boards this year for the product launch. For Senceive, a University College London (UCL) spin-off producing radio-linked sensors that detect movement in the ground and buildings, used extensively in the construction of Crossrail, PCBAs are needed in annual quantities of 1,000s. An X-ray machine was the only realistic solution for quality control of these larger volumes of boards and Mr King had been researching the market for several years. It was the manufacture of a particularly problematic batch of PCBAs with BGAs that triggered the investment in the XT V160 from Nikon Metrology (www. nikonmetrology.com), following a visit to the factory in nearby Tring, Hertfordshire. This X-ray machine provides a generous 400 mm x 400 mm scan area, large enough for most PCBAs, and its comprehensive specification included control and analysis software.

Mr King continued, “Low-end X-ray equipment, while cheap, provides such a poor image as to be virtually useless, especially given the increasing miniaturisation of BGAs. “We knew we would only buy one X-ray machine in the foreseeable future, so decided to select a very capable model from Nikon with variable magnification, a tilting flat panel detector and a powerful, 160 kV / 20W X-ray source, which is at the higher end commonly used for PCBA inspection.”

The machine has to be operated at the highest power to generate a useable image only on the densest multi-layer PCBAs, such as those with multiple copper layers or high copper weight. An example is the backplane board manufactured by Newbury Electronics for controlling the hydrogen fuel cells on an electric motorbike being developed by an >>

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“

Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors, has reduced its in-house overheads and allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 per cent.

Philip King, managing director of Newbury Electronics

R&D firm. With 2,500 parts, the boards are particularly sensitive to quality issues and are 100 per cent inspected using the Nikon Metrology system.

Although it has a high performance-toprice ratio, this was not the only factor that needed to be considered before the machine was purchased. The X-ray output also had to be exceptionally stable, otherwise noise degrades the image. One of the reasons Mr King chose the XT V160 was its nanofocus X-ray spot source and advanced image processing capabilities.

Focus of the electron beam is maintained by a computer-controlled, electromagnetic lens that ensures the target does not overheat whilst maintaining a nanometer spot size, even at high kV settings. In his view, these features are essential if potential defects are to be identified, especially in next generation interconnects and packaging technology.

BGA inspection assisted by locked region-of-interest movements When looking at BGA solder joints, an operator needs to gain a clear view of the ball interconnect under inspection. This is

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normally achieved by combining tilt and rotate movements and scanning down the rows, ball by ball. The XT V 160 enables this function using single-axis control rather than the usual method of having to manipulate three axes. The operator can therefore concentrate on the inspection process rather than on guiding the machine. True concentric imaging makes it easy to rotate the view point through 360 degrees around the area of interest, which is intelligently locked onto.

Once a region on the PCBA has been identified and positioned in the centre of the screen, it remains fixed in position no matter what tilt, rotation or magnification is applied.

This is a great benefit when inspecting BGA balls and requires no special skills or training.

Excellent resolution and magnification lead to superior defect identification. The X-ray source is designed for a PCBA to be placed within 250 microns of the focal spot, allowing magnification up to x2400. The board can be viewed at steep angles of up to 75 degrees, enabling clear views of solder joints and through-holes while maintaining sufficient X-ray energy. Special analysis functions are available for inspection of semiconductor package voids, wire bonding and BGA solder bumps.

Low cost of ownership Once the level of capability that was required by Newbury Electronics had been established, the search was narrowed down to just a handful of potential X-ray machine suppliers. The feature of the Nikon Metrology equipment that clinched the choice of the XT V 160 was that although it is a high power machine, it is of open-tube design. The latter means that the electron beam-producing filament can be replaced every six to nine months for a cost of under £10 each time.

With closed-tube designs, the manufacturer has to be called in to renew the tube every couple of years at a potential cost of up to £15,000, which was unacceptable considering the lifetime cost. Carrying out filament replacement in-house reduces downtime to a matter of minutes rather than days.

Mr King said, “We have been pleased with this aspect of the XT V 160. It is no problem to replace the filament, which takes five minutes and requires little training.

“Nikon Metrology’s business model is not to lock the customer in to repeatedly replacing an expensive tube and we calculate that our

Dave Roe checking the X-ray results. The dual display facilitates combined measurement and real-time analysis.

machine will have very competitive lifetime costs.”

Not only are the PCBA manufacturers costs reduced, but so too are those of its customers.

Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors, has reduced its in-house overheads and allowed the company to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 per cent. To prove his point, he drew attention to the company’s online PCBA cost calculator at www.PCBtrain.co.uk

Computed Tomography extends versatility The XT V 160 X-ray machine’s flat panel was supplied fitted with optional CT (computed tomography) inspection capability. CT reconstructs a 3D image from multiple 2D X-rays taken from a controlled angular rotational scan, allowing the operator to virtually rotate and slice the 3D image.

The extra functionality future-proofs the investment in case full 3D graphic displays are required, or if PCBA complexity

becomes so high that a standard 2D image on the screen is not sufficient for quality control purposes. In other words, with this investment, Newbury Electronics is ready for the next generation of electronics devices and packaging technologies, regardless of complexity.

Zero-fault PCBA deliveries

for X-ray and CT inspection of a variety of small components, such as micro-electromechanical systems used in consumer electronics including smartphones, as well as accelerometers, pressure sensors and gyroscopes. Inspection of small cables, harnesses, plastic parts, LED lights, switches and medical parts is also straightforward.

Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician at Newbury Electronics said, “We have not had a single board with a mounted BGAs returned as faulty since we started using the XT V 160.

“The system is just as good at picking up QFN solder joint faults and shorts, which are difficult to check as the leads are hidden under components.”

Mr King added, “Our engineers were initially sceptical but became converts very quickly, as they were able to see results in seconds rather than spend days waiting to get results from a bureau.”

Non-destructive testing applications for XT V systems extend beyond surface mount technology to include through-hole boards, integrated circuit bonding and wafer level interconnectivity. Besides electronics inspection, the machines are also suitable

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Case study

X-ray inspection shifts a gear higher at SGC - SwitchGear Company!

A line of medium voltage Switchgear cubicles.

SGC - SwitchGear Company has installed a Microfocus CT system from Nikon Metrology to accelerate product development and to maintain high quality standards for incoming components from suppliers. The 225 kV X-ray equipment is installed on the production floor and is used to non-destructively inspect the quality of various components used in their medium voltage cubicles and the integrity of welded assemblies of SF6 filled enclosures.

SGC - SwitchGear Company is a fastgrowing, independent producer of medium voltage switchgear. With a history dating back over 35 years, SGC focuses on the design and production of medium voltage switchgear from 3kV to 36kV, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, that excel in quality and safety. The SwitchGear cubicles can be compared to switchboards for domestic applications but operate at much higher voltage and currents. The products have a wide application range and are used in electrical distribution centers, transformer stations, wind turbines, production

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plants, etc. The driving forces for product development at SGC - SwitchGear Company are customer satisfaction, ease-of-use, safety and low environmental impact. SGC is a global player with headquarters in Belgium and a worldwide network of partners, e.g. in the US, Russia, Africa, China, Australia, etc.

Exports have grown dramatically in recent years.

Patrick De Clercq, technical Project Manager at SGC explains, “SGC products are high standard and have a lifespan of more than 30 years. In order to guarantee this lifespan,

product quality needs to be 100% under control.�

The copper connectors for high power cables are sealed in an isolating epoxy material and reside in a pressurized, SF6 filled enclosure (SF6 = sulphur hexafluoride, an inert gas used as insulating material in electrical systems). Porosity or air inclusions in the epoxy components need to be avoided at all costs, as these can cause internal arcs that can result in explosions and permanent damage to the equipment. SGC cubicles are also known for minimum loss of power

The X-ray XT H 225 ST system is installed on the shop floor and matches the brand colors of SGC,with Frederik Delobelle (right) and Patrick De Clercq (left)

throughout their lifetime. One of the critical elements here is the high quality welding of the enclosures around the connectors to avoid SF6 leaks. As such, the quality control of these components and processes (e.g. the welding of the joints) is a crucial step in the production process.

Time-consuming destructive test methods Until recently, SGC used destructive test methods to inspect these epoxy components for internal imperfections and to verify the perfect fit of the copper tube to the resin, where the part under test was sliced. Such tests were not only time-consuming, but it was also difficult to draw the right conclusions as to whether the imperfections were caused by the destructive tests or already present due to the production process. To gain better insight into the quality of the epoxy components, non-destructive X-ray inspection was considered as a benchmark.

After consultancy work to solve some long-standing difficulties with one specific problematic component, SGC was convinced that X-rays were the right tool to investigate the problems in the connectors and defined a project to deploy an X-ray system.

Epoxy components filled with copper are ready for inspection in the CT system.

with the X-ray results. The fact that Nikon Metrology also offered a 225 kV source while other vendors offered a 180 kV system was an important reason to decide in favor of the Nikon Metrology XT H 225 ST system.” By applying a higher voltage, users can penetrate thicker materials or higher density materials.

The 225 kV source can easily penetrate 12 cm epoxy. For metal parts, an even higher voltage can be necessary to irradiate the metals. For very specific X-ray scans, it is possible to use the 450 or 750 kV systems that Nikon Metrology has available in its technical demonstration center.

X-rays help to achieve high quality standards

Selection of the CT system

In the meantime, X-ray inspection and CT have proven highly effective in many applications. The recently installed system is used to inspect the quality of products delivered to SGC from external suppliers. For parts in series production, X-rays are used to verify quality by testing samples from the batch. As SGC is ISO 9001:2008 certified, it is important to constantly monitor product quality. Correction measures are implemented when shortcomings in the process occur.

For different parts, SGC was able to prove the presence of internal voids in components, or low quality seals for 100% sealed enclosures.

Before deciding to invest in X-ray equipment, SGC performed several benchmarks with different X-ray/CT manufacturers. As the CT images of Nikon Metrology revealed what SGC expected to see in the components, a decision was easily made. Patrick De Clercq comments “We immediately were impressed

X-ray inspection also helps to accelerate product development. The SwitchGear cubicles consist of many parts including plastic injection molded components, rubber, and metal parts. As almost all components are engineered and designed in-house,

X-ray inspection has accelerated the product development process by providing internal insight in the prototypes. Mr. Frederik Delobelle, R&D engineer comments, ”With one specific component we had been looking for years for a solution to optimize the production of the part. Thanks to the X-ray and CT images it became clear what the real issue was, and corrective action was taken within a few weeks. Another important advantage of CT is that for assembled components, CT enables us to verify whether the assembly is accurate (e.g. if contacts are perfectly aligned) without having to destroy or dismantle the part.”

Future plans SGC is currently deploying a completely new facility to assemble a new switchgear product. The X-ray system will play an important role in product engineering, incoming quality control and production improvement. Also for SGC customers it is reassuring to know that SGC applies the most modern technology to guarantee the high quality standards and safety of its switchgear products.

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Case study

Video Measuring System Ensures Diamond Quality for Waterjets A CNC video measuring system helps Diamond Technology Innovations produce a more accurate diamond waterjet orifice Combining pumps, intensifiers and articulated cutting heads capable of producing 3D parts, CNC waterjets are highly engineered pieces of capital equipment. At the heart of the process though, is the waterjet orifice an assembly often built around an industrial ruby, sapphire or diamond to concentrate and maintain the strength of the waterjet cutting stream. “Without the orifice, the entire system is essentially useless,” says Ted Jernigan, president of Diamond Technology Innovations located in Olympia, Washington.

These DTI Core diamond waterjet orifices are measured and inspected using Nikon Metrology’s NEXIV VMZ-R3020 CNC video measuring system.

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A magnified scanning electron microscope is used to show this image of a DTI Core diamond orifice. Accuracy is important, because the company must measure geometry features down to the micron

And with the right orifice, the entire system can be more productive. With 30-plus years in the waterjet cutting industry, Mr. Jernigan’s company manufactures diamond waterjet orifices. To guarantee circularity and other internal geometry features, DTI invested in a CNC video measuring system from Nikon Metrology (Brighton, Michigan). Using the system has shortened measurement times and increased accuracy, which helps eliminate geometric discontinuities of the diamond orifice.

This is because diamond orifices can contain sharp edges known as stress risers.

Other problems that diamond orifices can face are inferior diamond material, poor retaining materials and retention methods, misalignment with the cutting head, and inconsistent internal geometries if they are not manufactured correctly. All of these issues can lead to degraded jet streams, early wear on the surrounding cutting head equipment, less effective cutting and ultimately premature orifice failure.

According to DTI, diamonds are the most effective orifice for the waterjet industry because they are at the top of the Mohs scale, which measures mineral hardness from one to 10. Talc is at the bottom of the scale at one.

Ruby, which has been used for manufacturing waterjet orifices for years, is a nine, and diamonds are a 10. Even though diamonds are only one step from rubies on the Mohs scale, they are actually more than four times harder, Mr. Jernigan says. “Compared to a diamond, ruby is like talcum powder.”

To prevent these problems, DTI uses Nikon Metrology’s NEXIV VMZ-R3020 CNC video measuring system to inspect its diamond orifices. The system combines highmagnification zoom optics, LED illuminators for micron-level inspection, computer-speed image processing, and automated measuring and processing routines. Nikon’s VMZ inspects, measures and reports, enabling DTI to set up programs that accommodate a range of parts and their inspection requirements. Prior to using the NEXIV system, DTI was inspecting the orifices using a high magnification microscope, and they utilized a Scanning Electron Microscope at a local University on a small percentage of the diamonds to determine how accurate the manual measurements were.

The hardness of the orifice is important because cutting super hard materials requires waterjet streams entrained with abrasives to be expelled at pressures ranging to 100,000 psi and at speeds approaching Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound). Yet the combination of the abrasives, high pressure and force can damage poorly designed orifices, even those incorporating diamonds.

With any imaging system, it all starts with capturing a superior image, says Dennis Fenn, district manager for Nikon Metrology. The Nikon NEXIV series combines optics with a

A close-up of DTI’s diamond orifice.

According to the company, diamonds are the most effective orifice for the waterjet industry because they are at the top of the Mohs scale, which measures mineral hardness

through-the-lens (TTL) laser system and edgedetection algorithms. The TTL laser enables quick and accurate focus for determining height measurements, and can be used for surface scanning and generating point clouds, gathering up to 1,000 points per second, Mr. Fenn says. The laser can detect top and bottom surfaces of a transparent layer for measuring the layer’s thickness or the depth of the surface beneath it.

According to the company, the LED light sources provide a more stable high-color temperature that does not change with intensity, resulting in more accurate images and shorter measurement times. Separate inner and outer illuminator rings in the light source have varying degree angles to the optical axis for defining edges that are almost invisible to coaxial top light. An image auto-focus feature helps quickly determine surface height and depth of small holes or steep surfaces.

Once inspection programs are run, images can be saved to a teach file, enabling Nikon’s VMZ video measuring system to search for these features on subsequent jobs. Users can preset rules for selecting the correct edge from multiple edge candidates with a filter to avoid abnormal points, minimizing errors. Reports with inspection results and graphics can be created automatically every time the program is run.

DTI inspects and measures down to the micron (one millionth of a meter, or about 0.000039 inch). “We supply a range of orifice >>

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sizes,” says Adam Miranda, diamond division manager. “Each customer has different cutting requirements with different tolerances, and certainly each OEM has its own standards.

Every product we supply has to be as close to perfect as possible.”

Hole circularity is not the only orifice feature that needs to be measured. The company incorporates an inlet flare on each orifice’s inside diameter enabling even distribution of force over the entire area of the diamond during operation, eliminating geometric discontinuities. Without an inlet flare, stress fields could increase, leading to chipping or cracking. Not only producing, but inspecting, measuring and confirming flare characteristics using the Nikon VMZ video measuring system, helps guarantee product performance.

DTI’s Core diamonds are engineered and manufactured with a process designed to ensure flawless raw diamond material, eliminate sharp edges, use high-grade support materials and retention methods, incorporate alignment procedures for effective cutting, and ensure exact internal geometries for precise flow rate control. For example, in a 40hour glass-cutting process for a telescope lens, an orifice failure in the middle of the cutting process means scrapping the entire part.

In cutting titanium parts for the aerospace industry, one of DTI’s customers says ruby waterjet orifices had to be replaced every two

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days. By comparison, the Core diamond orifice had a service life of five years.

DTI emphasizes quality control throughout the manufacturing process, says General Manager Perry Hanchey. “We inspect as we manufacture, and each orifice undergoes final testing. Orifice outer diameters can be between 0.040 and 0.070 inch while inner diameters range from 0.003 to 0.020 inch.

We have to have a process that guarantees hole circularity and other internal geometry features down to the micron.”

DTI has been pleased with its video measurement system, but even more so with Nikon’s service. “Mr. Fenn is always showing us the newest ways to set up things or incorporate new features, such as a laser that determines where the surface really is in space, as well as analyzing it,” Mr. Miranda says.

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According to Mr. Hanchey, DTI’s level of design and engineering processes set it apart from the competition. “The ability to inspect, measure and certify our compliance is integral to that effort,” he says. “The training we receive continues to help us be more efficient in our own production and quality control processes, and as business continues to grow, so does the credibility of our products.”

Flexible inspection, unbeatable productivity

Laser Radar next-generation shopfloor CMM It is important for automotive assembly plants to continuously monitor process quality during the manufacturing process. Locations of holes, slots, studs, welding lines and other features need to be measured on the vehicles in Body-in-White (BIW) assembly. Flush & gap of doors and other hangers also need to be monitored and verified. These inspections ensure that vehicles are built within the stringent tolerances set by automotive manufacturers.

Today’s inspection methods during automotive assembly These measurements in the past have been primarily performed offline by either horizontal arm CMMs or on the production line using dozens of sensors individually aimed at each of the features that are to be inspected.

Although CMMs provide highly accurate absolute measurements, they tend to be slow and require an expensive metrology lab which limits their use to offline applications. A large amount of time is required to remove the vehicle from the line, fixture and align it on the CMM and then perform the time-consuming measurements. At best, two vehicles can be inspected per shift on a CMM. This is a very small sample considering that over 1.000 vehicles can be built each day in a single automotive plant.

Traditional inline systems can have over 100 fixed sensors that are all individually aimed at features on the vehicles. These fixed sensors are demanding to install and maintain and do not provide ‘absolute measurements’ of >>

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Dual horizontal arm setup for body-in-white inspection

the features in the car’s coordinate system.

In addition, most assembly lines now are ‘flexible’, meaning that they can produce more than one type of vehicle. Fixed sensors cannot be used between different vehicles styles; every vehicle requires it’s own custom set of sensors.

Recently inline inspection systems have been moving towards robotic based solutions which are flexible but rely on the robot for positional accuracy which limits their performance.

Nikon Metrology’s Laser Radar

In each robot position, the Laser Radar can inspect dozens of features

range (up to 50m for the MV350), allowing it to easily measure objects that have the size of cars, trucks, and other large vehicles.

Line side inspection with the Laser Radar Laser Radar inspection stations can be installed line side. A station consists of one or more laser radars mounted on 6-axis industrial robots. This type of robot is common place in automotive production facilities, is very robust and can easily handle the payload of the Laser Radar.

The robots are used to automatically reposition the Laser Radar so it can inspect areas that are hidden from the line-of-sight of a single Laser Radar location. For example the door frame or other body panels could be blocking the lineof-sight to some features on the floor pan; repositioning the Laser Radar to an alternate location will make these features visible again without the need for multiple sensors.

After the robot repositions the Laser Radar, the Laser Radar automatically measures alignment points on the vehicle or pallet. This occurs each time the robot moves the Laser

The Laser Radar provides a unique alternative to the shortcomings of the traditional inspection methods.

The Laser Radar performs automated, highly accurate, contactless measurements by using a focused laser that is controlled by precision azimuth and elevation drives. To perform a measurement, the Laser Radar only needs a fraction of the laser’s signal to be returned giving it the ability to measure almost any surface, including highly reflective bare body panels as well as shiny painted surfaces.

This robust measurement ability means that the Laser Radar can be used for both BIW and end of line flush & gap inspections on finished cars.

The Laser Radar also has a large measurement End-of-line flush & gap measurements

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Features such as holes, slots, pins, studs can be quickly inspected using the Laser Radar

Dimensions and location of features are measured in absolute coordinates

Radar, guaranteeing that all measurements are collected in vehicle coordinates and ensuring measurement accuracy is independent of the robots ability to repeatably position the Laser Radar.

It can be fully automated and can directly measure holes, studs, bolts, along with many other features accurately from a large standoff, eliminating the risk of ‘crashing’ into the vehicle.

In each location the Laser Radar can measure dozens of features on the vehicle.

These measurements are preprogrammed in the inspection software directly from the vehicle’s CAD model. After the initial programming, data collection and reporting is fully automated. Unique inspection scripts can also be written for each vehicle style and model made on the production line making the Laser Radar inspection station completely flexible. Adding vehicle styles in the future only requires re-programming of the inspection plan and does not require any physical changes or new hardware.

The interaction of the Laser Radar, robot, and analysis software are fully integrated; the inspections are completely automated and do not require manual intervention during runtime, improving both the speed and quality of the measurements over traditional methods.

The Laser Radar measures up to 2.000 points / second making it suitable to not only measure features but also scan surfaces. The ability to offline program the Laser Radar makes it ideal for inline inspections; different vehicle models on the same assembly line are simply a new inspection program.

The Laser Radar is proven in industry as a reliable precision measurement instrument and is used in aerospace, renewable energy, as well as automotive applications.

Laser Radar features The Laser Radar is a programmable contactless measurement system and has an accuracy <0.1mm over the volume of a car.

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