QMT May/June 2015

QUALITY MANUFACTURING TODAY

www.qmtmag.com May/June 2015

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CONTENTS

May/June 2015 News and Comment

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Events 5 Diamond Quality for Waterjets

CNC video is the answer to a hard measurement application

Boosting Britains measurement skills

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Investing for growth

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Hexagon lends a hand to northern UK manufacturings

Front cover: Nikon Website: www.nikonmetrology.com Email: Sales.UK.NM@nikon.com Telephone: +44 1332 811 349 Editor Andy Sandford Email: editorial@qmtmag.com Director/Publisher Dawn Wisbey Email: dawn.wisbey@qmtmag.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8289 7011 Mob: +44 (0)7974 640371 Design and Production Manager Rob Tremain Email: studio@qmtmag.com IT Director Pat Coyne Email: pat.coyne@qmtmag.com Website: www.qmtmag.com Media enqiries media@qmtmag.com QMT Magazine is a multi-media business magazine for the quality, measurement, inspection and test industries, supported with a fully searchable interactive website www.qmtmag.com.

QMT Mobile: website is available in mobile-optimised form. Log on with your phone and you will be directed automatically to the mobile pages.

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@QMTMAG Quality Manufacturing Today is published by Cranbrook Media Ltd. Registered company No. 06048241 Registered office: N.J. Ruse Associates, Eagle House, Cranleigh Close, Sanderstead, South Croydon, CR2 9LH Printers: Circle Services Ltd © Cranbrook Media Ltd

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Manchester Metrology puts £500k into developing services

Hot measurement for rolling optimisation 14 An innovative scanning system cuts rolling mill setup times

Reset your geometry

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51 new ways to inspect an airfoil

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Focus on ISO 9001:2015

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Moulding precision

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How to meet your measurement needs in 2015

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Specialist lenses for machine vision

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Konecranes uses a laser interferometer system for its machine tool alignment service

Capture 3D stepped up to the mark to meet GE’s challenge

Capture 3D stepped up to the mark to meet GE’s challenge

An injection mould maker uses measuring microscopes to product quality

The second in our series of aricles from the NPL

New types of lenses can address challenging measurement problems

Automatic batching gives Red Bull wings 32 Controlling the ingredient mix at a new Thai drinks factory

Back to basics on laser trackers Chapter and verse on laser trackers from the expert

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Products 36

QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com

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NEWS

Bloodhound on show Materials Testing 2015 will take place from 8-10 September in Telford, UK. Taking centre stage at the exhibition will be the full-size Bloodhound SSC Show Car. The Bloodhound SSC vehicle, which is currently under construction in the UK, is due to undergo low-speed trials later this year before being shipped to South Africa in preparation for an attempt to break the world land-speed record of 763 mph.

Visitors will have the chance to learn about the challenges involved in inspecting the vehicle, which will be powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 1000 mph.

Materials Testing 2015 is organised by the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) and will run alongside its annual conference, NDT 2015. The event will have over 70 exhibitors and visitors can also take part in a programme of seminars covering the practical aspects of NDT and related technologies. www.bindt.org

Queen’s Award for Third Dimension Third Dimension, which supplies handheld precision measurement systems, is one of the 2015 winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category - the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

Representatives of the company will be attending a reception at Buckingham Palace in July to recognise this achievement.

These awards are a result of exponential increases in overseas sales in recent years. In 2012 exports ac-

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Summer school As the nights get shorter, the sun builds up its strength and we start to move into summer, welcome to an edition of QMT with a strong educational theme – or more correctly an edition with a practical focus on everyday metrology.

One article I found particularly useful was the back to basics article on laser trackers. It’s often easy to make assumptions about what you think you know – and good to have a chance to put yourself right without admitting what you don’t know.

And of course we have the second in our series of articles from NPL on meeting your measurement needs – as well as a guide to help you get to counted for 64% of total sales, and this has increased to 84% this year; and exports have grown five-fold in the past 6 years.

Third Dimension exports to over 25 countries worldwide with local support provided by its network of distributors.

It also works with leading multinational companies such as Airbus, Volkswagen, Lockheed, Mitsubishi and Embraer.

Peter Marchbank, CEO at Third Dimension said: “Exporting is now the lifeblood of our business. In the last five years we have invested heavily in our systems, processes and people to enable our exports to increase substantially. This award is recognition of this, but especially celebrates the hard work of all our staff and international partners.” www.third.com.

2015 CMSC Measurement Zone This year’s Coordinate Metrology Society Conference (CMSC) will see the return of the popular Measurement Zone with a combination of educational and competitive zones.

QMT is a media partner

grips with changes to ISO 9001:2015.

If that wasn’t enough we also have some pretty unusual application stories – including a way to measure red-hot steel during the rolling process and how you check the size of holes in diamonds for waterjet cutting nozzles.

I hope that you find this issue an enjoyable and useful read.

Andy Sandford Editor QMT of the annual event which this year takes place on 20 to 24 July in Hollywood, Florida, USA.

The Measurement Zone contains five sub-zones covering a broad spread of topics and activities.

Zone 1 will contain educational workshops, fun and learning. Over the 3 days of the conference workshops on laser trackers will be presented by Ben Hughes of the National Physical Laboratory.

Zone 2 will contain educational E-Learning modules on tablets covering metrology, measurement uncertainty and dimensional measurement.

Zone 3 will contain three educational activates with 3 devices following a series of scripted processes. Participants will be invited to come and try these devices and partake in not only learning different measurement methods, but understanding how the CMS

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certification and ELearning zones support their knowledge to complete the tasks.

Zone 4 will contain one educational activity with a scripted process for participants to follow for the duration of the conference.

Zone 5 will contain an advanced user’s competition with the option to use a range of multiple device types to complete task. www.cmsc.org

Engineering Fellowship for metrologist Mr Mohan Sangha of Sangha Metrology has been elected as a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Mr Sangha, who is a Chartered Engineer, founded Sangha Metrology, which manufactures and supplies 3-point and 2-point standard and special internal diameter bore gauges, 25 years ago. The company also has an investment casting facility in India.

Before setting up his own company, Mr Sangha worked for many years for Bowers. He has also been involved in setting up a factory for B&Q to supply free standing bath tubs from India and started the company Clearwater Collection in 1999. Under his Chairmanship Clearwater achieved a turnover £7m and Mr Sangha’s world-wide patent attracted a £72,000 innovation grant.

Still time to enter If you want the chance to use state-of-the-art opto-digital technology on your project there is still time enter the QMT Olympus Technology Grant Competition.

Find out how you could get access to a cutting edge opto-digital microscope or X-ray fluorescence analyser on the QMT website. www.qmtmag.com

QMT May/June2015

Mr Sangha has also had a 20-year association with Mitutoyo – his company was the first outside Japan to supply a major product for world-wide distribution to Mitutoyo. www.sanghametrology.biz

Hexagon event Over 3 500 people and 60 sponsors from more than 70 countries attended Hexagon’s annual international conference, HxGN LIVE. The event brings together Hexagon’s global brand network, customers and partners.

This event took place at the MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas. QMT attended the event and plans to publish some of the cutting edge application stories presented there in future issues. www.hexagon.com

Testing for additive manufacturing The ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing Technologies is working on a standard that will be used to evaluate mechanical properties for additively manufactured materials.

The standard (WK49229, Guide for Anisotropy Effects in Mechanical Properties of AM Parts) will serve as a guideline for using currently available standards for measuring mechanical properties, such as fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth, specifically within the realm of additive manufacturing.

The focus of the proposed standard will be guiding users to adopt or apply current available standards but with considerations and guidelines unique to additive manufacturing.

Vendors and manufacturers will use the standard to partially qualify parts and components to meet certain load bearing capability, damage tolerance, fracture and fatigue properties. www.astm.org

QMT May/June2015

Surface inspection acquisition AMETEK Inc, whose brands include Creaform, MicroPoise and Taylor Hobson, has agreed to buy the surface inspection systems division (SISD) of the Cognex Corporation for approximately $160 million. The business has annual revenues of $60 million.

SISD develops and manufactures software-enabled vision systems used to inspect surfaces of continuously processed materials for flaws and defects. Its inline image processing technology detects, classifies, filters, and accurately maps specific defects over the entire area of the surface.

End markets served include metals, paper, nonwovens, plastics and glass.

The SISD business joins AMETEK as part of its Electronic Instruments Group (EIG). www.ametek.com

EVENTS 20 – 24 July CMSC Hollywood, Florida, USA

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www.cmsc.org 26 – 28 August Control China Shanghai, China www.control-china.cn

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18 – 20 November HxGN Live 2015 Hong Kong www.hxgnlive.com 4 – 5 November Advanced Engineering NEC, Birmingham, UK www.advancedengineeringuk.com 9 – 11 November EPMC Manchester, UK www.epmc.events 18 – 20 November HxGN LIVE Hong Kong www.hxgnlive.com

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• QMT is a media partner • QMT is a media sponsor • QMT is a headline media partner

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VIDEO METROLOGY

Diamond Quality for

Waterjets A CNC video measuring system from Nikon Metrology helps Diamond Technology Innovations produce a more accurate diamond waterjet orifice.

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

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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.

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. Using the system has shortened measurement times and increased accuracy, which helps eliminate geometric discontinuities of the diamond orifice.

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. 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.

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. Yet the combination of the abrasives, high pressure and force can damage poorly designed orifices, even those incorporating diamonds.

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.

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 it utilised a scanning electron microscope at a local University on a small percentage of the diamonds to determine how accurate the manual measurements were.

With any imaging system, it all starts with capturing a superior image, says Nikon Metrology. The Nikon NEXIV series combines optics with a through-the-lens (TTL) laser system and edge-detection 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

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QMT May/June2015

Providing world-class metrology products, services and solutions With over 80 years’ experience and representation in over 100 countries, Mitutoyo are recognised as the world’s foremost manufacturer of precision measuring equipment and a provider of related services.

Visit us online at www.mitutoyo.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE DIMENSIONAL METROLOGY QUALIFICATION Mitutoyo alongside City & Guilds exclusively offer the first National Qualification in Dimensional Metrology QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com 7 Find out more, or book your place at www.mitutoyo.co.uk/education

VIDEO METROLOGY 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 far right is 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

Using Nikon’s NEXIV video measuring system to inspect, measure and certify its compliance has helped Diamond Technology Innovations grow as a company and set it apart from the competition

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second. 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-colour 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 autofocus 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. “We supply a range of orifice 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 40-hour 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 days. By comparison, the Core diamond orifice had a service life of five years.

DTI emphasises 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.

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.” www.nikon.com

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QMT May/June2015

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The first name in materials testing. www.TiniusOlsen.com

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1/28/2015 8:41:28 AM

Materials Testing 2015 8 - 10 September 2015

| The International Centre, Telford, UK

The place to meet and do business The international exhibition for all concerned with NDT, testing for quality, materials testing, condition monitoring and diagnostic engineering.

The Institute’s Annual Conference, NDT 2015, is to run alongside the Materials Testing Exhibition, giving delegates many opportunities to visit the show.

Cost-effective participation packages are available.

Materials Testing 2015 will present companies with a major forum for promoting their products and services and interfacing with their markets; a unique opportunity to: l Review the latest technologies l Source new contacts l Meet industry colleagues l Keep up-to-date l Get new business l Participate in the development of the industry.

Organised by The British Institute of NDT Newton Building, St George’s Avenue, Northampton NN2 6JB, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1604 89 3811; Fax: +44 (0)1604 89 3861; Email: mt2015@bindt.org

www.materialstesting.org

SKILLS

Boosting Britains measurement skills

Hexagon Metrology is working with the UK’s National Measurement Institute to help British industry develop new products and advanced manufacturing processes

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The measurement solutions provider has supplied a range of equipment to the National Physical Laboratory based at Huddersfield University to support its projects with businesses in the Yorkshire and Humber area.

NPL Huddersfield has added a pair of Hexagon Metrology co-ordinate measuring machines and a ROMER portable measuring arm to its busy facility in a bid to boost research and development capabilities, CMM part programming and training services.

The high accuracy, bridge-style DEA Global Silver 7.10.7 Performance CMM with Tesastarsm automatic indexable probe head was selected mainly because of its 700 x 1000 x 700mm measurement volume and powerful PC-DMIS CAD++ software for direct CAD file translation.

The OPTIV Classic 321GL tp multi-sensor CMM offers both a traditional touch-trigger tactile probe and non-contact vision sensor so that two different principles of CMM measurement can be performed.

The equipment is already proving to be a valuable asset to the laboratory’s team of engineers who have used the DEA Global Silver 7.10.7 Performance CMM to improve the measurement accuracy of a precision component for industrial centrifugal fan maker, Halifax Fan Ltd. The Brighouse-based company has been able to refine the design, which is an integral part of its fan systems supplied worldwide.

Meanwhile, the OPTIV Classic CMM has undertaken some important investigative

work for a leading engineering construction organisation. TEi, headquartered in Wakefield, enlisted the help of the laboratory to check the integrity of a stainless steel bolt.

The CMM’s optical measurement capabilities were used to inspect the thread for any unexpected deviations caused through loading in service. The high accuracy and zoom lens of the OPTIV system were ideal for the dimensional process assessment thanks to its quick and simple set-up, fast scanning and rapid evaluation of the measurement data. The results formed part of a wider investigation, which ultimately revealed no evidence of any variation in the thread pitch.

“Hexagon Metrology is a trusted supplier whose equipment can be relied upon. It is a company, which is not only extremely supportive of the NPL’s objectives, but also shares our passion for assisting manufacturers in this region,” commented Andy Morris, NPL Huddersfield laboratory manager.

In a recent customer survey, NPL estimated it had directly helped organisations achieve benefits in excess of £100m a year through good measurement practice.

The NPL Huddersfield facility is based in the Leeds City region, which has the most people (139,000) working in manufacturing in the UK. Thanks to a strategic partnership with Huddersfield University, NPL plans to create a new purpose-built research facility and a centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing metrology. www.hexagon.com.

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QMT May/June2015

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METROLOGY SERVICES

Investing for growth Manchester Metrology has seen rapid growth following a £500k investment

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n investment of £500k into new equipment has resulted in rapid growth for Manchester Metrology. Since its inception in 2008 Manchester Metrology has become a leading player in the inspection of engineered components with a turnover of £1.4m in 2014.

Over the next three years Manchester Metrology aims to maintain sustainable growth and predicts a turnover of £3.4m by 2017. The company’s long term partnership with equipment supplier Faro will allow Manchester Metrology to stay ahead of the competition in providing the latest technology and training services.

In 2015 alone Manchester Metrology has already invested over £200k in new equipment. This is in addition to the £300k invested in Faro equipment in 2014.

This significant investment has enabled Manchester Metrology to become a UK leader in the inspection of engineered components, offering an extensive range of equipment hire packages and on-site services.

Manchester Metrology’s extensive client base includes global machine manufacturer JCB, engineering giant Babcock and world water speed record project Quicksilver. More recently Manchester Metrology provided three employees to work alongside Rolls Royce in Derby following the win of a major £1.6bn contract.

Employee development is another key area of investment, with three new employees this year and the possibility of an apprenticeship scheme in the near future, Manchester

Metrology is dedicated to creating new opportunities in the local area.

Paul Bulman, Managing Director said: “We have employed staff from the local community and invested in training to provide opportunities for the younger generation to enhance their skill level and introduce them to new and exciting roles within the metrology sector. There is a definite shortage of skilled metrologists and we have taken it upon ourselves to invest in the right training to ensure our workforce has the knowledge and skill to represent the company and maintain our strong reputation.”

Export is a growing side of the business and there has been a significant increase in the volume of products being shipped across Europe. Manchester Metrology attended its first European trade show last year in Stuttgart which has resulted in several big contracts for measurement services in Portugal, Qatar, France and Norway. www.manchester-metrology.com

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QMT May/June2015

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IN-LINE MEASUREMENT

Hot measurement for rolling optimisation

Calipri Hot prototype in operation

Nextsense has developed a process to measure hot rolled steel between passes without having to cool it down – thus speeding roll setup*

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efore producing a new hot rolled profile the roll stand set-up has to be optimised.

The ideal parameters are established by the repeated separation, cooling and measuring of the profile shape between passes – a very time and resource consuming process.

Even in modern rolling mills with a high level of automation you often meet very simple and sometimes time-consuming methods for verifying shape and dimension of rolled product especially in the intermediate state between roll passes. In many cases, cutting samples and comparing the shape on a profile projector is still state of the art.

For checking the pass filling of the rolls some mills still use the techniques of watching the burn-off of wooden boards held onto the hot product.

Multiple laser lines overcome errors due to pitch and roll angles

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On the other hand there are big profile measurement systems which are accurate and quick, but expensive and inflexible in terms of quickly changing to different position in the rolling mill Working with hot-rolled special steel profile manufacturer Mannstaedt GmbH, the Austrian metrology company NextSense GmbH has developed a device for measurement of hot rolled profiles between single passes. Using laser light section technology this enables the measurement of a complete profile (360°) of variously shaped objects within a few seconds, regardless of temperatures above 1,000°C, dust, steam and vibrations.

The Nextsense Calipri Hot system significantly shortens the set-up time per rolling and these time savings directly translate into a higher utilization of the rolling mill. In addition to the reduced set-up time, the measurements provide more information due to the hot measuring method. Previously, hot state dimensions could not be measured. Calipri Hot now makes it possible to measure them directly, allowing for a more precise adjustment of the rolls.

Thus, it is no longer necessary to wait until the sample has cooled down to calculate its dimensions. This gives substantial benefits, especially for the development of new roll pass designs.

Mannstaedt produces special steel sections for diverse industrial applications. Compared to rolling mills for commodity steel production, these specialised applications call for very small production lots, leading to frequent profile changes on both of its rolling mills. Consequently, the mills very often have to be completely reset. For example,

QMT May/June2015

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IN-LINE MEASUREMENT

Manual comparison of profiles with the profile projector

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in 2014, a total of 479 campaigns were rolled on the smaller, the light-section mill.

Whenever a new campaign is started, samples had to be cut from the rolled billet after each single pass to check the product quality. These samples must be cooled, sawed, deburred and inspected by means of a manual inspection device and/or a profile projector. This is a very time-consuming procedure.

Using Calipri Hot eliminates these processes because the instrument is placed around the section directly in the rolling mill at the position to be measured. The expectation was that by placing the instrument around the rolling stock, it should be possible to capture the complete contour with a laser-based system and measure a closed contour of the section at any intermediate stage. The measured results could be directly compared with the nominal values and used to correct the roll gap, if necessary.

Thanks to its mobile design, the Calipri Hot system can be used anywhere in the rolling mill.

Hence, measurements can take place at any intermediate rolling stage. As it is possible to make a virtual cut through the rolling stock to be measured and display the quality-relevant data in a matter of seconds, approx. five minutes of time could be saved in each campaign. With almost 500 campaigns rolled on the light-section mill every year and based on the calculated five minutes of saved time per campaign, the annual time saving would amount to approx. 50 hours. Multiplying these hours by the costs per hour of rolling mill operation would provide appreciable savings.

The fact that the assessment of the dimensional accuracy is available in much less time means the operators can react faster and initiate any corrective measures more quickly. This not only applies to

measurements after a changeover to a new size, but also to general quality monitoring along the production chain. Using Calipri Hot, for example, at the cooling bed for checking the final contour would make it possible to recognize out-of-spec contours at an earlier stage and reduce the amount of unusable material.

In addition to reducing the test times and the amount of set-up material, Calipri Hot provides previously unavailable information about the current rolling process. This new information helps optimize the rolling process. For example, the available data could be used to investigate all roughing passes of the pass designs. In this case, the instrument would serve not only as a measuring but also as a development tool.

NextSense is a young company founded in 2007, which offers laser-based profile and surface measurement system in the rapidly growing market for optical sensors. One of its most important products is a hand-held laser based profile measurement system for measuring wear of railway wheels for the periodic maintenance of railway vehicles called Calipri. The new Calipri Hot system is a further development of the Calipri System.

Calipri is based on the well-known laser light sectioning technique whereby a laser projects a line onto the profile to be measured. This laser line is observed by a camera under a triangulation angle ι. The shape of the section to be measured can be reconstructed from the image of the laser line. Using this method in a small hand-held device raises two fundamental problems. The problem of positioning errors, particularly if the laser plane is not exactly perpendicular to the section to be measured, is overcome by using multiple laser lines – if the orientation of the measurement head changes, then

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QMT May/June2015

IN-LINE MEASUREMENT

this causes a shift in the lines relative to each other.

The second problem is that it is not possible to to cover the whole section to be measured with one laser and one camera.

Using two cameras and two lasers in a fixed relationship would end up in a device which is not operable anymore as a mobile device.

This is solved by scanning the object to be measured dynamically and thus producing a multitude of measurements with unknown geometric relationship, each showing just a part of the whole section. From these measurements, an automatic selection of those sections needed for a good reconstruction is done. These sections are

aligned to each other in the next step using a best fit approach.

The aligned measurements are smoothed and sampled equidistantly, thus providing a closed contour of the cross section to be measured. Based on this contour arbitrary dimensions like length, angles or radii can be measured either interactively by mouse or by pre-defining measurement rules for a certain cross section and applying automatically to each measurement.

Since it isn’t convenient to perform measurements of sections above 1000°C using a hand-held sensor, Nextsense and Mannstaedt developed a simple mechanical system to move the sensor around the rolled profile automatically.

In contrast to previous profile measurement systems there is no special demand for precision or thermal stability, so the mechanical system can be very simple and light construction. This is because measurements are not aligned to each other by using calibrated sensor positions, but by aligning the data by best fit methods to adjacent datasets.

The picture shows the first prototype in operation.

The C-Frame allows to move the device in and out while the bar is running through the line. The measurement is started by pushing a button on the outside of the housing. This forces the sensor to move around the bar forwards and backwards again, which takes approximately 10 seconds.

During this movement approximately 70 single images are taken by the camera from different directions and preprocessed on the sensor. The sensor itself (in the figure in top right position) is protected with a heat shield and is moved along a 270° degree circle track by means of a gear wheel.

The whole time needed for one measurement is less than 30 seconds.

The Calipri technology can be applied to nearly any arbitrary cross section. The only precondition is the need for some distinct features on the contour, which allow the software to match each new measurement unambiguously to the previously recorded ones. Profiles such as rails, beams and so on meet this requirement. For rectangular profiles, the edge radius suffices. The only critical sections are round bars, since the profile shape looks exactly the same from all directions. To overcome this limitation, static reference objects can be mounted in the field of view of the sensor which allow to align subsequent measurements by means of these pass points.

The Calipri Hot system is currently under development and the first prototypes are being tested in different mill environments. Successful tests on hot rectangular billets with 140 x 100 mm have been performed in a rolling mill in Austria.

The first system used permanently under production conditions will be installed at the rolling mill of Mannstaedt GmbH in Troisdorf probably in the fourth Quarter of 2015. It is planned to market the system in different sizes for different measurement ranges starting with 2016.

Top, Scans of single measurements without geometric relationship, middle, Automatically aligned measurements, bottom, Final result with measured dimensions

* Based on a paper by A. Niel, NextSense GmbH, Austria; Ch. Trappmann, Mannstaedt GmbH, Germany. www.nextsense.at

QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com

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CALIBRATION

Reset your geometry Konecranes uses a selftracking interferometer to inspect and calibrate its machine tools – bringing them back to their original specifications

What are geometric errors?

These are error motions between the machine and the workpiece. Each movement of a machine axis can be described by six degrees of freedom: three translations and three rotations. The notation of an axis movement is standardized in ISO 841: X, Y, and Z denote the linear movements, A, B, and C the rotations around X, Y, and Z respectively.

For a nominal linear movement, the six component errors are the position error, two straightness error motions, roll error motion and two tilt error motions, which are called pitch and yaw error motion for horizontal axes.

Under the assumption of rigid body behavior, these errors are functions of the nominal movement only and do not depend on the location of the other axes.

For a nominal rotational movement, the six component errors are two radial error motions, one axial error motion, the angular position error, and two tilt error motions.

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Konecranes Machine Tool Service (MTS), headquartered in Finland, is one of the world’s largest providers of machine tool servicing. With hundreds of service specialists based in many locations including China, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the UK and USA, the company is able to offer a full range of preventive maintenance, rebuild, remanufacture, retrofit and repair services as well as onsite support for all types and brands of machine tools.

“We encourage our customers to do proactive maintenance in order to enhance productivity and minimize downtime,” explains Jukka Penttinen, Manager at MTS Finland.

“For succeeding in a highly competitive environment, it is imperative for all businesses to have machine tools that are operating within optimum geometrical and positioning specifications. Noncompliance can lead to severe production inaccuracies and out-oftolerance parts.”

Originally, Konecrane’s Finnish branch had outsourced the measurement service, but with increased requirements for machine accuracy, and as the highly-precise measurement of machine tool geometry has become an integral part of machine maintenance, Konecranes decided to bring 3D metrology in-house.

“Our subcontractor used a traditional laser interferometer for linear positioning measurements. At first glance, this seemed to be the perfect solution. However, when screening the market for an adequate laser interferometer, we came across Etalon’s LaserTRACER, an advanced, self-tracking laser interferometer with sub-micron accuracy,” reports Juhana Moisio, MTS Support Manager at Konecranes.

“With the help of the LaserTRACER, we are able to return any machine to original specifications very quickly. Konecranes is also the first machine tool service provider who can do volumetric measurements and compensations including a direct transfer of correction data into the control software of the machine tool. This is a great advantage for our customers.”

Nanometer resolution

Etalon’s LaserTRACER was developed for calibration, monitoring and accuracy enhancement of measuring machines and

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machine tools. It automatically tracks a reflector, and so allows for the high precision identification of geometrical deviations. A key feature is that it gives extremely high accuracy of the centre of rotation thanks to a patented measurement technique: a sphere with a form deviation of just 50 nanometers is used as an optical reference for the interferometer. As a consequence, the mechanical errors of the rotation and swivel axes are fully compensated.

Fast error tracking

The system fundamentally simplifies geometrical error tracking on machine tools.

With conventional measuring equipment such as ballbars or traditional laser interferometers, the determination of all geometrical deviations of machine tools requires extraordinary efforts – in case of a 5-axis machine, the entire process can take several days. But, says Juhana Moisio: “Geometry verification with the LaserTRACER is normally performed during one day, depending on the complexity of the particular machine tool.”

Combined with sophisticated software, the measuring system analyses the entire working space of the machine tool. It delivers a measuring uncertainty for spatial displacement (95%) of 0.2 µm + 0.3 µm/m and determines position deviations, straightness deviations, rotational deviations (pitch, yaw, roll), and the squareness of axes to one another. Angular positioning deviations, axial and radial movements, and wobbling of the rotational axes are recorded too.

Easy data transfer

To carry out the measurements, the LaserTRACER is placed stationary at several different positions inside the working volume of the machine. The application system specialist mounts the reflector to the tool. In the following automated measuring process, the LaserTRACER tracks the actual path of the machine in its entire working volume.

QMT May/June2015

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Our technical committee from the UK and Germany provides a value-added programme generated by experts representing end users, systems manufacturers, universities and standards labs. The conference is a unique event offering both newcomers and experienced end users: • Insights into current portable 3D metrology systems and their application • Meetings with expert users • Networking with like-minded professionals from their own & other technology areas Exhibitors have the ideal opportunity to present their products to this interested audience which is exclusively focused on portable 3D metrology.

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CALIBRATION

The required NC programs are automatically generated by Etalon’s software, and the respective distances to the tool centre point determined via interferometer. The Etalon system transfers the recorded measured data to the connected Trac-Cal measuring software, which automatically processes the measured data. The compensation data obtained such can be visualised and then directly imported into the control software of the machine tool.

“Compensation is easily done with modern Fanuc, Siemens and Heidenhain controls,” says Sami Lehvonen, the system specialist of LaserTRACER at Konecranes. “Yet, as far as our experience goes, also other brands are possible in most cases.”

Manual data processing by the application system specialist is not necessary as Etalon has been closely cooperating with controller manufacturers to ensure problem-free transfer of the correction data to the controller software.

Etalon has done a great job on training our staff...

“We have two technicians trained on the LaserTRACER,” clarifies Juhana Moisio. “They are skilled in machine tool service providing and geometric measuring. We believe that the user of the LaserTRACER system should have a good technical background to operate the system smoothly. You need specific knowledge and experience to use the system efficiently. Etalon has done a great job on training our staff in a target-oriented and sustainable way.”

Konecranes has split the 3D measurement services with the LaserTRACER into four modules, allowing for tailor-made measurement execution according to the customer’s needs: From ‘simple’ geometry verification with axial or diagonal measurement according to ISO 230-2 and ISO 230-6 to extensive geometry calibration, from fast rotary axis calibration to circularity verification according to ISO 230-4 – every need can be fulfilled without generating overhead measurements.

‘The one and only’

24 months, Konecrane’s Support Manager Juhana Moisio says: “When you measure a machine for the very first time with the LaserTRACER, it takes you a bit longer because you need to plan and check a lot of things before conducting the measurement.

But the second time, it is much faster because all basic information is already available.

Therefore, we intend to make long-term contracts with our customers for periodic machine checks and re-calibration. We depict the advantages of such systematic action of preventive maintenance, including minimum downtime and maximum compliance with workpiece geometries.

Most customers are aware of the potential and make use of this convenient productivity boost.

“To sum things up: When environmental conditions are alright, when the machine tool is suitable for the measurement, and when you are familiar with the system, it’s very precise, very fast, reliable and a quite easy tool for demanding and versatile measurements. I would even say: It’s the one and only for volumetric measurements at the moment.”

The next generation: LaserTRACER-NG

Whereas Etalon’s LaserTRACER relies on good environmental conditions with respect to cleanliness, stability, temperature etc., the follow-up model LaserTRACER-NG, which premiered at the AMB show 2014, is an entirely redesigned system that consolidates Etalon’s experiences gained during the last ten years of machine calibration. Shop floor suitability was a major aspect when redesigning the measurement system. To prepare the new LaserTRACER-NG for this challenging environment, it is equipped with a closed housing, just two connectors and a more flexible cable.

Moreover, the LaserTRACER-NG is 40% smaller, weighs less and offers a larger angular range. Thus, it facilitates the measurement in limited machine space. It can also deal with highly dynamic machine movements: the machine accelerations that are allowed during measurement have nearly doubled. www.etalon-ag.com

After having applied Etalon’s system for

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INSPECTION

51 new ways to inspect an airfoil

Responding to a challenge from GE Aviation, participants competed to show the best way to measure airfoils A GE Aviation open innovation challenge designed to uncover new methods of conducting high-speed, automated inspections of turbine airfoils garnered 51 entries from 48 different participants in 18 countries. The winning entry was submitted by Capture 3D, of Costa Mesa, CA. “The challenge was a fantastic way to broaden our exposure to potential new players and new technologies,� said Wayne Spence, Chief Manufacturing Engineer. “Only two of the organisations that participated were previously known to us, and it’s inspiring—and eye-opening— to see such a broad variety of submissions from around the globe.�

Capture 3D used its ATOS Triple Scan III non-contact blue light 3D scanner, capable of measuring up to 8 million points per scan, to complete the challenge. “We were excited to have the opportunity to participate,� said Capture 3D Sales Engineer Marc Demarest. “Innovation advances a current state. By innovating and sharing that knowledge, we are pushing each other to continually thrive for progression, improvement, and optimisation.

Participants entering the challenge had to demonstrate the ability to automatically inspect the blade portion of an off-the-shelf Victorinox paring knife in three minutes or less with accuracy of 10 microns and repeatability of 5 microns. The paring

knife was selected as a low-cost proxy for turbine blades. In addition to accuracy and repeatability, participants also had to demonstrate their system would work in a manufacturing environment with dust, vibration and variability in lighting and temperature.

As winner of the challenge, Capture 3D receives a $15,000 cash prize, and is eligible for a $35,000 developmental grant to aid in collaborative development and refinement of their winning inspection technology.

GE sponsors open innovation challenges across its industrial businesses as part of its embrace of entrepreneurial thinking, collaboration and commitment to accelerating outcomes. “We are constantly challenging ourselves to be faster and simpler while putting the customer first,� said Lisa Ralph, Open Innovation Leader at GE Corporate. “Innovation challenges are a unique way to rethink what’s possible by collaborating with entrepreneurs, universities and the broader global community to ideate, test and commercialise promising new technologies. It is an exciting and inspiring process that celebrates cognitive diversity and taps into the spirit of innovation that has been at the core of the company since its founding by Thomas Edison.� www.ge.com/aviation www.capture3d.com

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STANDARDS

Focus on ISO 9001:2015 *Author: Dr David Scrimshire is Managing Director of TEC Transnational Ltd which specialises in implementing manufacturing and quality systems

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Dr David Scrimshire* gets to grips with the changes to the ISO 9001:2015 When ISO 9001:2015 is released this September, organisations will have three years to implement the changes required to their Quality Management Systems (QMS).

This sounds like a long time, but it’s never too early to plan for a change of this magnitude.

Leaving it to the last minute would be a very risky strategy indeed.

As with all management system standards (MSS), ISO 9001 is reviewed periodically to ensure that the standard continues to meet the needs and demands of interested parties.

What’s particularly different about the current review is that the new standard will adopt the new HL (high level) structure laid down in Annex SL of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 – Consolidated ISO Supplement – Procedures document.

Previous MSS differed in structure, terminology and requirements, and this has led to confusion and difficulties in the way they’re implemented. Annex SL (previously known as ISO Guide 83) overcomes these difficulties by imposing a generic management system structure with a common high level structure, identical core text and common terminology and core definitions for use in all MSS. Individual MSS will add further “discipline-

specific” requirements as required, provided that these additions do not affect harmonisation or contradict or undermine the intent of the high level structure. A major consequence will be the development of integrated management systems which will address multiple disciplines (e.g. quality, environmental, etc.).

This article focuses on the next revision of ISO 9001 to help organisations fully to exploit the opportunities offered by the adoption of a visual, process-based approach. The following commentary is based on the recently published ISO 9001:2014 Draft International Standard and addresses the key changes only.

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QMT May/June2015

Summary of key ISO 9001 changes

The new ISO 9001:2015 standard will make risk-based thinking more explicit and incorporates it in requirements at all stages of the QMS. Clauses 4.1 and 4.2 are new, relating to the context of the organisation, which require organisations to determine the issues and requirements that can affect the planning and development of the management system.

As anticipated, the MSS requirements make

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STANDARDS

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the adoption of a process approach an explicit requirement (clause 4.2.2) across all disciplines.

In order to remove the existing bias towards organisations dealing with physical commodities the MSS has adopted the term products and services (i.e. products and services intended for, or required by, a customer).

It is important to emphasize that organisations are not required to follow an identical clause-by-clause sequence when defining their quality management system, and they are encouraged to use the process approach when describing and documenting their unique systems. This should decrease the emphasis on documentation and re-focus on delivering value to the organisation and their customers. Be careful though – there are still more than 30 mandatory requirements for maintaining and retaining documented information which can refer to traditional ‘documents’ and ‘quality records’.

There is no “exclusions clause” as such, but the “scope requirement” (Clause 4.3) must clearly state when a requirement cannot be applied, and justification for this.

The recent revision of the Quality Management Principles (QMPs) has led to a change in ISO 9001:2015 of one of the principles from “continual improvement” to just “improvement”.

Preventive action as a requirement has been replaced with “risk-based thinking” as outlined above, and the need to understand risk in the context of the management system.

The rationale behind this is because one of the key purposes of a formal management system is to act as a preventive tool, therefore ‘preventive action’ is addressed throughout the development and implementation of the quality management system.

Clause 5, previously “Management Responsibility”, now becomes “Leadership” so an organisation’s top management are required to demonstrate that they engage in key QMS activities, as opposed to simply noting they happen! All references to the role of “management representative” (aka the Quality manager) have gone, to encourage embedding of QMS into routine business operations.

The phrase “externally provided products and services” replaces “Purchasing” to underline the fact that the new standard is applicable to all suppliers – not just those that provide physical products.

Clause 7 termed “Support” introduces a new clause 7.1.6 “Organisational knowledge” which requires that organisations take steps to capture and preserve knowledge and learning, which is necessary for the effective operation of their processes and for ensuring their products and services conform in the future.

Clause 8.1 “Operational planning and control” requires the organisation to plan,

implement and control its processes needed to meet product or service requirements. It must additionally plan how it will address any risks and opportunities that may impact these processes and, therefore, its ability to achieve these requirements. This could be addressed

by Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) or Project Management.

Both 8.3 “Design and development of products” (if contained in the organisation’s scope) and services and 8.4 “Control of externally provided products and services” retain their own specific requirements while 8.5 “Production and service provision” defines the requirements for actually producing the product or delivering the service.

9.1 “Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation” requires an organisation to define what needs to be monitored, and how to collect the necessary information.

9.1.3 “Analysis and evaluation” requires the organisation to analyse data to provide inputs to management review.

10 “Improvement” requires that organisations proactively look for opportunities for improvement and then implement the necessary actions.

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Next steps

It is essential that companies think about their “purpose”, and focus on external and internal issues that need to be addressed so that they can agree on a “strategic direction”. Start by agreeing on Mission and Vision statements and then set “Values” to define how their company operates. This will help in articulating goals and targets, and how the company intends to achieve these goals – which will be documented in the Quality Policy and quantified in Quality Objectives.

Rather than volumes of narrative-base procedures (that nobody every reads – let alone complies with!) companies must now think “process” and should adopt a visual approach to the documentation of their quality management system (QMS). Their QMS will then be a system of value-added activities, performed by their relevant. ‘owners’ and ‘users’, to purposefully achieve the common business goal – i.e. their strategic direction, Quality Policy and Quality Objectives.

These processes are critical to any company as they generate revenue and often represent a significant proportion of costs!

The ‘process approach’ considers processes to be a company’s strategic assets that must be understood, managed, and improved to deliver value added products and services to customers.

As there will be a 3-year transition for ISO 9001:2015 certification – let’s get it right first time, and exploit the benefits offered by the new requirements. www.tectransnational.com

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Whether attending as an exhibitor or a visitor, each of the 5 co locating advanced engineering shows provides you with a business forum and supply chain showcase within its own sector, and those of its co-locating sister events.

Automotive – Aerospace – Composites – Motorsport – Marine – Consumer – Energy – Electronics and more . . .

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OPTICAL MEASUREMENT

Moulding precision A maker of precision injection moulds uses advanced measuring microscopes to ensure the quality of its products To ensure the highest standards of dimensional accuracy, toolmakers at Precision Moulds & Tools Services inspect manufactured components using Mitutoyo Toolmakers Measuring Microscopes located in dedicated, climate controlled inspection areas. On completion, each tool undergoes detailed final inspection. If requested, comprehensive inspection reports can also be created and submitted with delivered tools.

Sales Director Joe Boscarini explained: “As well as our ability to design and manufacture on-time and at the right price, our international reputation is based largely on the consistent, premium quality of the mould tools that we produce. The use of stateof-the-art inspection technology helps to ensure levels of consistency that give our customers the confidence that replacement inserts or repeat orders will be absolutely identical to those originally supplied.

“The use of Mitutoyo’s binocular stereo measuring microscopes provides us with advanced optical inspection and measuring capability. Extended depth of focus, long working distances and wide field of view minimise operator eye fatigue whilst increasing our inspection efficiency and productivity.”

Initially serving the domestic connector market, the quality of Precision Moulds & Tools Services Ltd soon attracted clients from other equally demanding industrial sectors, such as the medical, pharmaceutical, automotive and electrical, industries. The procurement of contracts for the production of single and multi-cavity plastic injection mould tools, for use in conventional, twin-shot, strip fed and overmould applications, has

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allowed the Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire based company to grow rapidly.

The ISO 9001:2008 certified business now boasts more than 38,000 sq. ft. of purpose-built manufacturing space. In addition to closed-cell climate controlled tool manufacturing, the Stoke Mandeville facility accommodates administration functions, design & development, a dedicated climate controlled inspection facility and a mould shop that houses advanced moulding machines that are used for first-off sampling and initial batch runs.

Clients are also able to deliver their own machines for closed cell tool validation.

Joe Boscarini continued: “As our first Mitutoyo Toolmakers Measuring Microscope proved to be the perfect measuring instrument for ensuring the accuracy of our tools, as our business has expanded and our workload has increased we have purchased additional models and located them in strategic locations throughout our Stoke Mandeville site. Our recently purchased unit means that we now have 6 Mitutoyo Toolmakers Measuring Microscopes.

The Mitutoyo MF Toolmakers Measuring Microscope, as used by Precision Moulds & Tools Services Ltd, is a high power, multifunctional measuring microscope offering monocular or binocular observation with a clear, non-flare image and a wide field of view. Measuring accuracy is said to be the highest in its class. The ML series, highNA objectives provide a long working distance and the illumination source, reflected or transmitted, is selectable between high-intensity LED or halogen, with a variable aperture diaphragm to suppress diffraction. A quick-release mechanism allows the stage to be moved around quickly and coarse/ fine feed handles on both sides allow precise focus and observation regardless of handedness.

Optional eyepieces enable observation up to 2000X magnification. www.mitutoyo.co.uk

QMT May/June2015

Inspection, Digitising & Measurement Seminar organised in conjunction with

TRAINING

Keith Bevan (right) is the Delivery Manager for Training at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) All images courtesy NPL

How to meet your measurement needs in 2015 The second of a series of articles designed to help QMT readers in their everyday measurement needs from Keith Bevan, the Delivery Manager for Training at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). This series aims to help readers understand the value of metrology, and particularly dimensional metrology in the workplace

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In our introductory article (published in April’s QMT) we looked at the broad principles of metrology good practice. In this article I want to look at the measurement considerations that will allow you to make better measurements in the workplace.

Issues need to be addressed throughout the measurement process but I want to look just at the preliminary stages, and the advice we give to any professional looking to make a measurement.

Before starting any measurement there are two critical questions you should ask yourself, to ensure you are ready to plan your measurement task.

1. Have I understood all the design requirements?

2. Have I identified all the measurement requirements?

Taking an example from dimensional metrology, when dealing with the first question there are many things to consider... Are you sure you are using the correct technical drawing to inspect the part, or has there been an update to a tolerance or dimension? Also, what standards do you need to refer to (ISO, ASME, BS, etc.)? For example, drawings will make reference to the standards, tolerances, material specifications, and surface texture. In addition, are you interpreting the projection

and the units correctly on the technical drawing? Are there any specific statements or standards that require further investigation?

Understanding this information is critical to ensure you are able to develop an accurate measurement strategy. The next step will be to associate the dimensional and if appropriate, the geometrical tolerances with the available measuring equipment. For example, should you measure a length with a calliper or micrometer; or a depth with a height gauge or depth micrometer and so on?

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QMT May/June2015

Are there any specific statements or standards that require further investigation?

In some instances the measurements and associated equipment can be defined by the use of a documented procedure or plan.

Once you have, read through the procedure in detail. Make sure you are comfortable with the content and fully understand how to implement it. If not, make sure you seek assistance from either the plan’s author or a colleague who has worked to it before.

If you haven’t been advised on an existing procedure, are you in a position to design one yourself? If not, seek assistance from someone who can help you.

TRAINING

Now you have confidence in the approach to the task, check everything been identified to move to the next step of the measurement process.

Let’s look at co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) as an example. Hundreds of thousands of measurements are made every year to check that components meet their designated tolerances, and many of these measurements are made using CMMs. It is important that the measurement uncertainty of the measurements made on the CMM is known so that you have a better understanding of how this relates to conformance/non-conformance decisions.

This is where NPL can help. We work with a range of businesses across the UK to provide information that enables people making measurements to interpret the requirements of the international standard relating to CMM measurement uncertainties. This includes supporting documentation available from the NPL website, such as the Good Practice Guide to co-ordinate measuring machine task-specific measurement uncertainties.

What NPL has found from the businesses we engage with is that operators can have a tendency to rely on manufacturers specifications. These specifications are based on ISO 10360, only relate to measurements made of the distance between two points on an artefact and are only a sample of the machine’s performance. The error associated with a real world measurement could be larger because of factors such as the choice of stylus configuration, probing strategy and environmental effects.

Equipment like CMMs should periodically undergo a performance verification exercise such as that described in ISO 10360 to ascertain the performance of the machine to manufacturer’s specifications. Performing weekly interim checks is also a recommended way to check that your CMM has not deteriorated between periodic performance verification tests. In addition, checking and validating your part programmes is good practice to support your measurement strategy and programming methodology.

This will give you confidence in your part programme to provide sound measurements.

So what else can people making

measurements do to ensure they have confidence in the measuring equipment they are using? NPL recommend developing a process to check measurement consistency.

There are many tools and techniques available to do this such as measurement systems analysis (MSA) where the capability of the equipment to repeat and reproduce results can be calculated and monitored. The consistency of the measurement is crucial to making informed decisions about the capability of the equipment. You need to know the capabilities of your equipment to be able to take an evidential approach to the jobs you can confidently take on and also be confident in your measurement capability to support audit requirements.

Businesses working within the automotive, aerospace and medical sectors already have to supply MSA data including gauge reproducibility and repeatability, to prove to companies at the top of the supply chain that their measurement systems can measure their components to their requirements. NPL recommends the use of consistency charts to help identify potential issues in the equipment.

Once the measuring systems are proven to be capable we can have confidence in the capability of our equipment to move to the next stage of the measurement strategy.

Ensuring a standardised approach to measurement across a business is critical.

Companies need to be confident that their staff work in a consistent manner, have a strategy for measuring a datum or features for example, and make sure staff are fully aware of the risks of a lack of consistency. NPL is helping companies to think about this methodology, and how to document this methodology to ensure quality and consistency across their operation.

For example, NPL’s product verification programme enabled Suffolk-based Brafe Engineering to develop an action plan focused on a number of key improvement areas. This included improved CMM verification arrangements and a system to demonstrate capability to Brafe’s customers and third parties.

To help companies improve their systems and drive their profitability NPL can provide training, advice and consultancy. For example, we have recently published and updated a number of CMM good practice guides including the Good Practice Guide to CMM Verification, and developed an accompanying training course, CMM Verification to ISO 10360.

At NPL we work with a variety of companies, from SMEs to multinationals, to find ways to improve their productivity and reduce waste through the implementation of better measurement processes, practices and techniques. In the next issue I will look at the next stage of the metrology process – how you prepare to make a measurement. www.npl.co.uk

QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com

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OPTICAL SYSTEMS

Specialist lenses

for machine vision

Tuneable polymer lenses from Optotune AG

New types of lenses can help solve challenging measurement problems says Mark Williams of Stemmer Imaging

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ll machine vision systems rely on the production of an image of sufficient quality to allow the required measurements to be made. Clearly the lens or lens combinations used in the vision system play a crucial role in determining the quality of the image produced as well as its magnification. This article looks at some novel lens types that have become available and others that help solve otherwise challenging measurement applications.

Polymer tuneable lenses Polymer tuneable lenses (Figure 1) are an interesting recent development. These are shapechanging lenses, based on a combination of optical fluids and a polymer membrane, which basically copy the principle of the human eye. A circular ring pushes onto the centre of the membrane and the shape of the lens (and hence its focus) can be changed by moving the ring, or exerting a pressure on the outer part of the membrane, or by pumping liquid into or out of the membrane. A change in lens radius of several microns can have the same optical effect as moving the entire lens several centimetres.

The liquid lenses do not replace conventional optics in a machine vision system. However, when being used with the appropriate optics they allow a much faster change of the focus than would be possible by moving the conventional lenses using mechanical actuators. Users therefore benefit from smaller, cheaper and faster optical systems. They are particular useful where objects of different height need to be measured. Lens response times of the order of just milliseconds means that they can accommodate high throughput inspections.

Telecentric imaging and illumination

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The use of telecentric lenses is well-established in machine vision applications. Telecentric lenses collimate the light entering the lens across the whole field of view meaning that all objects in the image have the same magnification irrespective of their distance from the lens, removing perspective distortion and making it easier to make measurements. Applications involving the measurement and inspection of flat surfaces and their defects place greater demands on the illumination system. For such applications, which

An integral built-in LED source can provide excellent illumination include recognition of silicon wafer patterns and inspection of LCD displays, polished metal surfaces, plastic and glass panels among others, telecentric lenses are available with integrated coaxial light sources to homogeneously illuminate uneven surfaces and detect small surface defects such as scratches or grooves. An integral built-in LED source can provide excellent illumination stability and homogeneity with a reduction in the backreflections often associated with conventional coaxial illumination systems. They are especially suitable for use when imaging highly reflective flat surfaces with reflectance > 30%. For applications where objects need to be back illuminated, such as high accuracy measurement of round or cylindrical parts, there are high-performance telecentric illuminators specifically designed for use with telecentric lenses. These offer higher edge contrast when compared to diffused back light illuminators and therefore allow higher measurement accuracy.

QMT May/June2015

OPTICAL SYSTEMS

Imaging using pericentric lenses from Opto Engineering

360˚ view optics Imaging of complex image shapes frequently requires the use of more than one camera.

However some novel lens designs that go under an umbrella description of 360˚ view optics have been introduced to allow viewing of every surface of an object with as few cameras as possible. Here the top and side views of an object or the bottom and inside views of an object with a hole in it, or multiple side views of an object can be captured in a single image. Applications come from a variety of market areas, such as the beverage, pharmaceutical and automotive industries.

Cylindrical objects such as bottles, jars, batteries, bolts etc can be imaged using special pericentric lenses. The specific path of the light rays through the lens means that light from the part of the object closest to the lens is imaged in the centre of the camera sensor while light from further away is imaged further out on the detector. This means that a single image can show detail from the top and the sides of the object simultaneously. Common applications in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries include bottle neck thread inspection, and datamatrix code reading – the code will always be correctly imaged no matter which direction it is facing.

The smaller the object diameter, the larger the object height which can be inspected, while thin objects can be inspected over a larger diameter.

For small objects (down to 7.5 mm diameter) catadioptric lenses are available. This lens design results in the sides of the object being inspected being observed over a wide viewing angle, approaching 45° at its maximum, which makes it possible to inspect complex object geometries under a convenient perspective.

A special range of hole inspection optics have been designed for viewing of objects containing holes, cavities and containers to allow imaging of both the bottom of a hole and its vertical walls.

With a large viewing angle (>82°) and innovative optical design, these lenses are compatible with a wide range of object diameters and thicknesses.

Hole inspection optics can be used to inspect a variety of different object shapes such as cylinders,

cones, holes, bottles or threaded objects.

Another novel optical configuration is offered by polyview lenses. These provide eight different views of the side and top surfaces of an object. The wide perspective angle (45°) enables the inspection of the side features of an object (for example the threads of a screw or a nut) which would otherwise be impossible to acquire with a single camera. Both the external walls of an object and its top can be imaged at the same time, while internal surfaces of holed objects can be completely inspected from the outside. A combined view of the internal and external surfaces is possible and an image displaying both the inner walls and the bottom of a cavity can be obtained.

Choosing the best lens for the application

Polyview imaging from Opto Engineering

This article highlights just some of the multitude of optical configurations available to provide inspection solutions using machine vision. Choosing the most appropriate lens and indeed all of the other components needed for a machine vision system such as illumination, cameras and frame grabbers, right up to the software requires detailed understanding of the application requirements and technology capabilities.

As Europe’s largest independent supplier of vision technology and services, Stemmer Imaging is constantly validating these and other new techniques so it can offer its customers vision technology that’s right for the job. www.stemmer-imaging.co.uk

QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com

31

WEIGHING

Automatic batching gives Red Bull wings

Mettler Toledo terminals control the mix of product ingredients at a new Thai factory

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A major manufacturer of non-alcoholic beverages, including Red Bull brand energy drinks, has selected Mettler Toledo IND780Batch terminals to control batching of high-value produce concentrates from its tank scales in its new Thai facility. The terminals’ easy operation and excellent accuracy are helping it maintain production schedules and enhance profits.

T.C.Pharmaceutical Industries Co., Ltd. manufactures antibiotics, energy drinks and ready-to drink teas. The company, which has a nearly 60-year history, currently operates production facilities in Bangkok, Thailand and Austria. Its product portfolio includes brands that enjoy regional popularity such as Krating Daeng, Ready, Puriku, Sponsor and Sunsack.

It also includes the worldwide energy-drink phenomenon Red Bull.

T.C.Pharmaceutical exports its products to more than 150 countries worldwide and processes tons of produce concentrates each year. These materials are carefully stored in hygienic tank scales for batching and mixing into proprietary formulations. Loss of product or formulation errors can have serious cost ramifications.

When bringing a new production facility online, T.C.Pharmaceutical turned to Mettler Toledo for help designing an automatic batching system without process logic controllers (PLC). The system needed to be accurate to protect formulations and raw materials. It also needed to be able to record all batch

weighing transactions for tracking and tracing to adhere to international and local foodhandling codes.

The solution was outfitting four of T.C.Pharmaceutical’s new speciality ingredient tank scales with Mettler Toledo weigh sensors attached to IND780Batch terminals. Housed in stainless steel control boxes, the IND780Batch terminals connect via pneumatic tube to specialiased tank-control valves. Sensors applied to tank stabilisers use gravity to determine when the right amount of ingredient has been applied to the current batch according to saved formulations.

IND780Batch also gives T.C.Pharmaceuticals excellent flexibility with an ability to store 1,000 different formulas and 999 ingredients. As its beverage portfolio develops new tastes, flavours and functions, T.C.Pharmaceuticals will be able to keep up and make changes using existing equipment.

Even without a PLC, T.C.Pharmaceuticals has achieved semi-automatic batch control and excellent traceability. Records are being kept both through printed transactions and PC-based software. Password protection via programmed management codes at the terminals themselves are also making sure operators remain faithful to patented formulas, protecting brand identities and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Mettler Toledo was also able to provide a turn-key service by wiring the system, as well as providing junction boxes, control boxes, printers and control valves.

T.C.Pharmaceuticals is enjoying being able to keep costs down with the easy-maintenance, self-contained set-up. www.mt.com

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QMT May/June2015

PRACTICAL METROLOGY

Back to basics on laser trackers It’s always easy to assume you understand a subject and sometimes hard to admit when you don’t – Dr Bob Bridges of Faro gives us chapter and verse on laser trackers

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any industries, including the automotive and aerospace industries, must precisely measure the three-dimensional features of large objects. An increasingly popular way to do this is with the laser tracker, a device first introduced in the late 1980s. As its name suggests, the laser tracker measures 3D coordinates by tracking a laser beam to a retro-reflective target held in contact with the object of interest.

Some laser trackers can measure object features up close and as far away as 80 meters. Some have typical single point accuracy of about 0.001” (0.025mm) at distances to several metres. Trackers collect coordinate data at high speed and require just one operator. They offer improved methods of coordinate measurement and make entirely new manufacturing methods possible.

Competing coordinate measuring instruments Today, many instruments can measure coordinates. Each is best suited for certain applications. Traditional fixed coordinate measuring machines carry out repeated measurements rapidly and accurately but are immobile, limited in measurement range, and expensive for large applications. They are most popular for inspecting small to medium-sized (under one metre) production components where speed and accuracy are important.

For medium to large parts, portable CMMs are preferred. Until the advent of laser trackers, portable coordinate measurement was done mostly with theodolites, total stations (theodolites equipped with electronic distance measurement), articulated arm CMMs and photogrammetry systems. Due to their high accuracy, high speed, and ease of use, laser trackers have replaced many of these earlier systems.

How laser trackers work The operation of a laser tracker is easy to understand: It measures two angles and a distance.

The tracker sends a laser beam to a retro-reflective target held against the object to be measured. Light reflected off the target retraces its path, re-entering the tracker at the same position it left.

Retro-reflective targets vary, but the most popular is the spherically mounted retro-reflector (SMR).

As light re-enters the tracker, some of it goes to a distance meter that measures the distance from the tracker to the SMR. The distance meter may be either of two types, interferometer or absolute distance meter (ADM).

A laser tracker contains two angular encoders.

These devices measure the angular orientation of the tracker’s two mechanical axes: the azimuth axis and the elevation (or zenith) axis. The angles from the encoders and the distance from the distance meter are sufficient to precisely locate the centre of the SMR. Since the centre of the SMR is always at a fixed offset distance with respect to any surface being measured, the coordinates of surfaces or points measured with the SMR are easily obtained.

Distance measurement, an important function of the laser tracker, can be either incremental or absolute.

Incremental distance measurement is made with an interferometer and a frequency-stabilised, heliumneon laser.

The laser light splits into two beams. One travels directly into the interferometer. The other beam travels out of the tracker, reflects off the SMR and, on the return path, passes into the interferometer.

Inside the interferometer, the two beams of light interfere, resulting in a cyclic change each time the SMR moves closer to or farther from the tracker

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PRACTICAL METROLOGY

by a distance equal to one quarter of the light’s wavelength (~0.0158 micron). Electronic circuitry counts the cyclic changes (known as “fringe counts”) to determine the distance travelled.

In a typical measurement sequence, the operator places the SMR in the tracker’s home position and resets the interferometer to the known (home) distance. As the operator moves the SMR to the desired location, the laser tracks along, remaining fixed to the centre of the SMR. This procedure works well as long as the beam from the tracker to the SMR isn’t broken by an obstruction in the beam path. If the beam is broken, however, the number of counts is no longer valid and the distance isn’t known.

When this happens, the tracker signals that an error has occurred. The operator must then return the SMR to a reference point, such as the tracker’s home position.

Absolute distance measurement capability has been around for a long time.

Within the last ten years, however, ADM systems have undergone dramatic improvement, offering accuracy comparable to interferometers. The advantage of ADM measurement over incremental distance measurement is the ability simply to point the beam at the target and shoot. The ADM system measures the distance

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to the target automatically, even if the beam has previously been broken. In a tracker with ADM, infrared light from a semiconductor laser reflects off the SMR and re-enters the tracker, where it’s converted into an electrical signal. Electronic circuitry analyses the signal to determine its time of flight, multiplying this value by the speed of light in air to determine the distance from the tracker to the SMR. Absolute distance meters first appeared in laser trackers in the mid-1990s. At that time, ADM units measured too slowly to permit scanning of surfaces.

Because of this, all early laser trackers contained either an interferometer alone or an interferometer and an ADM. Today some absolute distance meters have been made fast enough to permit high speed scanning with negligible loss in accuracy. Hence some modern trackers contain only an ADM with no interferometer.

Another tracker function is beam steering and control. One type of tracker launches the laser beam directly from its rotating structure. Another type of tracker reflects a laser beam off a rotating mirror. In either case the tracker points the laser beam in the desired direction by rotating the mechanical axes. In many applications, the tracker keeps the beam centred on a rapidly moving SMR. It accomplishes this by splitting off part of the returning laser beam to a position-sensing detector (PSD). If the laser beam strikes the SMR off centre, the split-off beam also strikes the PSD off centre, creating an error signal. This signal controls the mechanical axes’ rotation to keep the beam centred on the SMR.

Measuring coordinates with the tracker Trackers collect three-dimensional coordinate data, which can be ‘fit’ by software to geometrical entities such as points, planes, spheres or cylinders. Usually, the data is displayed within a local coordinate system tied to an object’s features. A flat surface on the object, for example, may represent the x-y plane. Alternatively, the local coordinate system may be established by features that represent points or lines. Points may be represented by tooling holes, into which target nests or tooling balls are inserted.

Sometimes it’s necessary to move the tracker to a second location to measure all the features which are of interest on an object.

A convenient way to do this is to position three or more SMR nests on or near the object. The tracker measures the coordinates of the SMR in each nest before and after the tracker is moved. Data collected

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PRACITCAL METROLOGY

after the move is automatically transformed into the local coordinate system by the tracker software.

A number of accessories add to tracker capability.

Remote control allows an operator to make tracker measurements without walking back and forth to the computer. Target-tooling accessories help speed difficult measurements. Air temperature sensor accessories compensate for temperature fluctuations in the environment.

Material temperature sensors help compensate for thermal expansion of the objects measured.

An inclinometer (level) measures the tracker’s orientation with respect to gravity.

Trackers in the manufacturing environment Trackers are used in all stages of manufacturing: inspecting large milling machines and the parts they produce; building and periodically inspecting manufacturing tools; and carrying out many other tasks. The tracker checks the accuracy of a milling machine that executes arbitrary movements by measuring the position of an SMR attached to the mill’s collet. Parts manufactured by the mill are also inspected by the tracker, either before or after production.

A tracker with ADM capability can perform ‘point and shoot’ measurements to monitor the relative position of large components...

Manufacturing tools are also known as fixtures or jigs. Examples are assembly tools, which aid in assembling the final product, and forming tools, which aid in forming metal parts. The tracker assists in the construction of a manufacturing tool by locating alignment features such as holes, pins and edges. Afterwards, it helps perform periodic inspection of the tool’s dimensions, contours and

features.

A tracker with ADM capability can perform ‘point and shoot’ measurements to monitor the relative position of large components that are being joined together. This is done by measuring the positions of multiple small retro reflector targets mounted on the components.

As a specific example of tracker use, consider the creation and inspection of a die in the automotive industry. Designers first create a model of the automobile in clay. The tracker digitises the model’s surface, and a computer converts the cloud of points into a smooth surface. From this information, a die is milled and then modified as needed to produce the desired part.

During this process, the tracker measures both the die and the stamped part. An emerging application for trackers in manufacturing is directly controlling mechanical devices such as milling machines. By controlling the motion of such machines, the tracker ensures that the final manufactured parts meet specifications, thereby speeding the manufacturing process, reducing waste and eliminating redundant testing.

Non-manufacturing applications for trackers include precisely aligning and fabricating largescale structures such as electrical turbine generators and particle accelerators. Laser trackers’ accuracy and speed distinguish them from other portable coordinate measuring instruments.

Because an operator can make rapid measurements with a minimum of advance preparation, trackers are among the most versatile of the coordinate measuring instruments. Tracker software analyses tracker data and presents the results in a useful form. Trackers are becoming increasingly popular, especially for large scale manufacturing, where they assist in every stage of the manufacturing process. www.faro.com

QMT May/June2015 www.qmtmag.com

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PRODUCTS

Laser scanner for productivity and accuracy Nikon Metrology, which 20 years ago introduced non-contact laser scanning on a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), has introduced the new Nikon InSight L100 scanner featuring superior optics and innovative camera technology.

Suitable for measurement of both surfaces and features, even on shiny or multi-material parts, the equipment is said to quickly deliver accurate data and intuitive part-to-CAD comparison reports.

Nikon says the InSight L100 offers speed, accuracy and easeof-use on a CMM and is ideal for high-accuracy inspection of larger components where productivity is key. The 100 mm wide field of view (FOV) combined with data acquisition speed of 200,000 points per second results in measurement productivity that was not previously achievable on a scanning CMM. To facilitate manual scan path programming, a new FOV projector ensures good part coverage.

The machine is equipped with a high quality glass Nikon lens optimised for laser scanning.

Combined with the high definition camera, it results in a point resolution of 42 microns, enabling the capture of fine detail and measurement of sharp edges. The InSight L100 has a small probing error of 6.5 microns, which is a measure of the scanner’s low noise level, resulting in smooth meshes with high levels of detail. Combined with the high point resolution, feature measurement accuracy approaches that of a touch probe.

A greater range and mix of surface materials, finishes, colours and transitions can be measured more efficiently without user interaction for manual tuning or treatment of the component surface. Nikon Metrology’s fourth-generation Enhanced Scanner Performance

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(ESP4) technology adapts the laser intensity to varying colours or materials for each point in the scan line faster than ever.

The patent-pending, integrated mount rotation allows the scanner to rotate around its autojoint axis in 30-degree increments up to 90 degrees. This saves the use of autojoint adaptors and is particularly well adapted to measuring turbine blades or parts with vertically orientated features and edges. The InSight L100 also allows the use of an extended 105-degree PH10 A-angle, allowing better access to measure beneath or behind parts.

Laser scanning allows manufacturers to gain full insight into the dimensional quality of their products without compromising on cycle times. As the entire part is checked to the CAD model, any areas of concern are immediately highlighted by colour mapping.

Further investigation and analysis is possible using fly-outs, sections and a GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) library. The easy-tointerpret graphical reports facilitate exchange of results with internal or external colleagues and suppliers, leading to easier decision-making, faster corrective actions and shorter time-to-market.

The InSight L100 scanner can be combined with tactile probes and a change rack to create a versatile, automated multi-sensor CMM. Depending on the application, both technologies can be used independently or together within the same inspection program. The scanner can be fitted to Nikon Metrology’s extensive range of CMMs and to many other makes as well. www.nikonmetrology.com

Multi-sensor, multiple sizes Zeiss showed new models of its O-INSPECT multi-sensor measuring machines at Control, with a greater selection of machines, configurations and options that allow customers to have a more flexible choice for a wide range of application.

Customers will now be able to choose from several sizes, load capacities and contact probes, says product manager Christoph Stark.

He says: “All this with increased dynamics and the option of adding a chromatic focus sensor at any time.

We are thus providing our customers

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with considerably more flexibility when they select the right system for their specific requirements.”

Zeiss O-INSPECT can be used for a wide range of activities, including the measurement of dental implants, tiny vehicle parts and sensitive smartphone components. For workpieces that are either too small or delicate, or when large quantities have to be measured, users can simply switch on the camera sensor.

For 3D characteristics, the benefits of the contact sensor come into play.

The chromatic focus sensor closes the gap between the contact and camera sensors.

In the extended range the smallest model measures 300 by 200 by 200 mm – a measuring range of 12 cubic decimeters. The next size up measures 500 by 400 by 300 mm or 60 cubic decimeters. ZEISS also offers an XXL model for large or heavy workpieces, or large pallets which hold many parts. It features a measuring range of 144 cubic decimeters and is designed to accommodate loads of up to 100 kilograms.

Users also get flexibility in their choice of contact sensor, with a choice of the VAST XXT TL1 and VAST XXT TL3 scanning probes available.

The TL1 features minimal measuring forces and is therefore ideal for scanning sensitive workpieces such as components for camera lenses and thin-walled, injection-molded plastic parts for smartphones. The TL3 can be used flexibly for larger workpieces.

All sensors (white light) are now available on all sizes of O-INSPECT. For example, the three-point fixture for pallet systems or the chromatic focus sensor, which can also be retrofitted because ZEISS equips all O-INSPECT models with the required mount, light guide cable, etc. without any additional costs.

In addition to numerous customization options, the new ZEISS O-INSPECT product family

QMT May/June2015

PRODUCTS also features considerably higher dynamics. This applies to both the travel speed in manual operations as well as CNC runs. www.zeiss.de

Robotised 3D infrared scanner Aimess now offers its R3Dscan 3D infrared scanner as an automated system that can be directly connected to an industrial robot. This makes it possible to integrate infrared scanning into production lines in order to inspect dimension, shape, and position of objects in manufacturing cycles.

The R3Dscan was specifically developed for inspecting objects with transparent, black, or reflective surfaces. Such parts are difficult to measure with normal white light fringe projection systems where they need the surface to be prepared with anti-reflective matting spray and measurement targets to be placed on the workpiece. This is time-consuming and not feasible for 100% inspection in mass production.

The R3Dscan overcomes this using a completely new measuring principle. In contrast to conventional fringe projection systems the Aimess 3D scanner does not analyse the reflection, but the energy absorbed by the object to be measured. This energy is converted into heat, which is captured by the system using an infrared detector.

A typical application in the automotive industry is the fitting of headlamps to the front end module.

This is a crucial step in the production process and it is imperative that the headlamps are positioned accurately in the complex assembly. Until now, no optical measurement system has been able to scan the ‘transparent’ headlights on the production line, and to automatically generate the result within seconds. So to minimise the error rate nonetheless, tactile measurement devices are often

used for acquiring at least a few measurement points.

The application of the R3Dscan fundamentally improves the inspection of the assembled front end module.

For the very first time, it is possible to measure the integrated headlamps automatically inline. The robotmounted system scans the headlamps and examines their position in the vehicle coordinate system. The result of the measurement is available within 60 seconds.

The R3Dscan is also suitable for robot-assisted inline inspection of light weight material such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, and fiber reinforced plastics. “In the majority of cases, our customers strive to replace metal parts by lighter materials in order to develop more efficient and futureproof products,” reports Olaf Krüger, Product Manager R3Dscan at Aimess. ”Due to this trend, manufacturers and component suppliers are facing new challenges as current production processes need to undergo a radical change.” www.aimess.de

Multi-mode ultrasonic thickness gauges Cygnus has incorporated two additional measuring modes in its latest range of thickness gauges.

Single-Echo and Echo-Echo modes, both using twin crystal probes, can assist in obtaining measurements in areas of extreme corrosion or back wall pitting. The single-echo measuring mode is suitable for measuring uncoated surfaces with heavy front face and/or back-wall corrosion and attenuative materials such as cast metals, plastics and composites. The Echo-Echo measuring mode is used for measuring painted metals but with heavy back wall pitting for improved back wall detection.

The range consists of 5 new models offering features that include A-scan and B-scan displays; hands-free units for climbing or rope access;

simple sequential data logging or comprehensive data logging with features including Grid Format, offering 16 directional formats; vibrate alert to warn the operator when the measurement is out of tolerance; Bluetooth data transfer capability; and the MSI (Measurement Stability Indicator).

Cygnus says MSI is both clever and simple. Used in Single-Echo and Echo-Echo modes, this trademarked technique samples returning echoes to ensure they are all identical. If the returning echoes are identical the display changes colour or format which indicates the reading is stable and reliable.

There are two data logging models in the range, one offering simple sequential measurements to be recorded while the other offers comprehensive data logging where the user can add defined text comments, create templates and add radial measurements around a last logged measurement point.

Both models record up to 5,000 measurement points, including A-scans. www.cygnus-instruments.com

QUINDOS 7.10 launches Hexagon Metrology has launched a new release of QUINDOS, the dimensional inspection software for coordinate measuring machines and gear inspection centres. QUINDOS 7.10, focuses on usability while also adding support for the latest Hexagon Metrology non-contact sensors, including the HP-L laser scanning sensor, the PRECITEC LR optical sensor and the HP-O interferometric solution.

In future, this optical technology will be complemented by tactile roughness measurement options,

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PRODUCTS and the new QUINDOS roughness module is already prepared for such inspections. With standard-compliant evaluation in accordance with ISO 4287 and ISO 1356, it gives the ability to determine and automatically log the mass, shape and position of a component in a single process.

Also integrated into QUINDOS 7.10 are the current ISO 14405-1 linear length dimension size elements as per the latest geometric production specification (GPS), and completely new evaluation algorithms. Users benefit from intuitive controls for entering the dimensions and modifiers, and direct control of the implemented drawing specification via an instruction dialogue.

To aid measuring program creation, the basic QUINDOS package now includes probe visualisation functions for designing moving paths and enables the integration of security bodies (box and cylinder) for automatic path generation which simplifies programming.

As well as the integration of new technologies, QUINDOS’ core competency in special geometries has been expanded to include several substantial gearing packages.

These options support standardised measurement and standard-compliant evaluation of Hirth gearings, metric ISO threads and gear racks, with step-by-step guides helping users from parameter entry to selecting evaluation strategies and automated report creation. www.hexagonmetrology.com

Roundness, roughness and form measurement Bowers Group has announced a partnership with Accretech GmbH that will add high-end roundness, roughness and form measurement to its UK product range.

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Through Bowers Group, UK customers will have access to the entire range of Accretech products, including the Surfcom 2000SD3; a high-performance surface texture and contour integrated measuring instrument.

With its large measuring area and hybrid detector, the SURFCOM 2000 enables the capture of contours and surface roughness in a single measurement. This saves the user from changing the probe, and is therefore highly efficient.

Evaluation of roughness, especially on small chamfers and fillets, can be performed simply, quickly and accurately. It features a roughness and contour detector with 5mm displacement – 10mm with double probe length – straightness accuracy of 0.05+L/1000 µm, Z accuracy of +/- 2.5+2H/100 µm for contour measurements and high resolution of the touch probe of 0.8nm Also available in the range is the Rondcom Touch which offers highaccuracy roundness measurement in the workshop. Due to its compact form, it can easily be used on virtually any work bench. Operation is simple and intuitive using the TOUCH Screen interface. It can measure workpieces up to 15kg. www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Intuitive 3D inspection software Launched at Control, Ametek Creaform’s VXinspect is said to be powerful and intuitive 3-D inspection software that includes all the tools for first article inspection (FAI) and quality control.

VXinspect provides simple integration for contact (probing) and non-contact (scanning) measurement in numerous manufacturing applications. The dimensional inspection software is designed to be used in combination with the company’s HandyPROBE, MetraSCAN 3D and HandySCAN 3D portable measurement devices.

The software features all the functionalities required to set up a high-efficiency measurement sequence to inspect multiple parts. Its intuitive interface assures efficient inspection workflow with no compromise in measurement quality or Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) requirements.

VXinspect supports rapid part-toCAD inspections for pre-production

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adjustments and production part approval to control critical part dimensions. It is fully integrated in VXelements, Creaform’s 3D software platform and application suites.

At Control Creaform also released two products to enhance performance and reliability of its dimensional inspection solutions on the shop floor.

The Creaform Shop-Floor Workstation is a dedicated work and secure storage unit offering increased mobility with on-the-go access to 3D scanning, probing and photogrammetry systems.

The C-Track Shop-Floor Stand facilitates the mobility of the C-Track dual-camera sensors around the part to be inspected. www.creaform3d.com

Measuring RTJ ring grooves

Engineering cutting and measuring tool supplier Cutwel has released a new digital RTJ (Ring Type Joint) ring groove calliper for both inside and outside measurements.

It can be difficult to measure an RTJ groove, especially with the valve still on the machine however Cutwel says its new addition will make struggling to measure these grooves a thing of the past. The design of the calliper eliminates the need to remove the valve from the machine and the need to reset the job if any reworking is required.

The callipers are manufactured by Insize and are applicable for RTJ Ring grooves with a 23o angle. www.cutwel.net

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GREAT STORIES CONTINUE AT HxGN LIVE 201 2015 JOIN US ON LOCATION IN HONG KONG Join Hexagon Metrology for the Metrology track at HxGN LIVE, as we bring the event to Hong Kong for the first time. HxGN LIVE is Hexagon’s international event dedicated to helping customers harness the power of Hexagon technologies.

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THE ONE STOP METROLOGY SHOP FARO ARM, GAGE, LPP AND LASER TRACKER HIRE

PROBES, PROBE KITS & ACCESSORIES

Training on all Faro software, Delcam, Aberlink, Geomagic, onsite inspection services using arms and laser trackers www.manchester-metrology.co.uk Manchester Metrology Ltd Unit 12,Greenside Trading Centre, Greenside Lane, Droylsden, Manchester. M43 7AJ Tel:-01616378744 Fax:-01614250944