Coordinate measuring machines, also known as CMMs, continue to play an important part in the manufacturing industry because they are the tool of choice when it comes to verifying the dimensions of high-precision manufactured components. Visits to the showrooms that have taken place over the past few months have brought this to light. The multi-sensory CMM platform received more attention, despite the fact that there were not many technological advancements made in the core CMM machine framework.
Simple and quick measurement that only requires one click. The practice of moving part inspection from the laboratory to the production floor has resulted in the widespread adoption of a single measurement station that incorporates multiple sensing technologies as the optimal solution for a variety of applications. As a result, this guarantees that each and every stage of the part geometry measurement cycle is captured in a single measurement. When creating a full-part inspection report, using multiple inspection methods necessitates multiple measurement setups, which cannot be done quickly enough for many lean manufacturing processes.
The various sensor technologies are combined onto a single measurement platform by multi-sensor coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). This enables the topology as well as the geometry of a part to be inspected in a single inspection sequence by using a common reference system as the basis for the inspection. These platforms could be integrated in-line or even near-line as measurement becomes an increasingly automated and integral part of the production process in smart factories.
Typically, multi-sensor machines are equipped with tactile, optical, CMM Inspection Companies and laser sensors that either work around the part by utilizing a combination of machine and motorized head motion (CMM) or present the part to a sensor video measurement machine (VMM) by utilizing a combination of linear and rotary mechanical motion. This allows the part to be measured in a variety of different ways. Some of the larger and more complicated VMMs have an integrated motorized probe. This motorized probe enables the machine and sensor to move more closely together, allowing for the inspection of even the most complex of parts.
Because of the proliferation of multi-sensor device configurations, there is also a growing demand for more sophisticated metrology software. This software should be able to integrate the various sensing technologies into a unified user experience while also being managed by a single inspection part application.
In the past few years, nearly all CMM manufacturers have added multisensory capabilities to their traditional tactile CMMs, and VMM manufacturers have added more sensors to their machines to make them even more accurate at measuring. Both of these developments have been made possible thanks to advancements in technology. As a result of the addition of multi-sensor VMMs to their product lines, many global CMM suppliers are now able to offer multi-sensor solutions to their customers regardless of the specific application requirements those customers may have.
We have witnessed the addition of a number of new sensing technologies to the multi-sensor CMM that was just recently made available. Surface finish evaluation is a feature that can be added using one of these. Finding surface contours is simplified and accelerated when using Hexagon's PROFILER R within the CMM inspection program. The PROFILER R is able to measure all of the standard roughness parameters and can switch automatically between a variety of scanning sensors in order to check the surface profile of the part without requiring the part to be re-clamped. When additional measurement functions are added to the normal measuring and evaluating that a CMM performs, contour inspection eventually becomes a standard component of the inspection program. Because of this, it is guaranteed that all of the vital parameters of each component can be examined.
The PROFILER R offers the greatest degree of maneuverability and accessibility thanks to its capacity to rotate through a full 360 degrees and pivot through an angle of 180 degrees. As soon as the supported adapter makes contact with the component, the stylus extends and begins to move along the surface in order to collect measurement data. The PROFILER will remain immobile throughout the entirety of this process.
The REVO system's capability of using multiple sensors has been significantly improved thanks to the recent addition of the RUP1 ultrasonic probe. This is due to the fact that the RUP1 probe now has the capability of performing ultrasonic thickness inspections. The RUP1 does not require a water tank or coupling gel for effective signal transmission, in contrast to a significant number of other types of ultrasonic systems. In its place, it employs a cutting-edge ball tipped with an elastomer to achieve a very effective connection between the probe and the material. Since this is the case, the RUP1 probe eliminates the requirement for skilled operators to interpret the information displayed on the oscilloscope screen. When it is difficult to access the interior of a part, using ultrasound to measure the thickness of the part from one side is a significant improvement over the more traditional method of tactile probing.
Users are able to measure components using scanning probes, telecentric optics, and TeleStar interferometric lasers without having to stop the machine and without having to re-calibrate each time a sensor is utilized. In order to measure complex parts without actually touching them, the video probe makes use of a one-of-a-kind lens system that was developed by QVI as well as a high-resolution camera that has integrated light. This assembly is a powerful sensor assembly that makes use of QVI's extensive experience in cmm inspection services optics and imaging. It is designed to be used with articulating probe heads. When it comes to scanning points or surfaces, the TeleStar Probe is an interferometric laser sensor with a high resolution that has a small spot size.
Traditional tactile CMMs and optical VMMs are both being transformed into full multi-sensor measurement solutions that can assist with quality control and manufacturing process monitoring as a result of the increasing intelligence and automation of manufacturing. It's possible that a single size won't work for everyone, but a CMM inspection system with multiple sensors just might.
