Why Metrology Matters In The Digital Era
Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning are increasingly important to the manufacturing industry. Just imagine the implications for metrology—the science of measurement.
Substantiating Quality With CMM
Here’s how ZEISS coordinate measuring machine has brought mechanical component manufacturer, Karl Reim Werkzeugbau GmbH production steps back under its own control.
Karl Reim Werkzeugbau GmbH is well known for the exceptional quality of its mechanical components. Located in Kirchheim unter Teck at the foot of the Swabian Jura, things were getting tight. The facility’s available space was occupied entirely by metalworking benches and machines.
“Every time we purchased a new machine, we had to take an old one out of service to make room for it,” says Stefan Reim, who, together with his brother Andreas and his father Dieter, is the third generation to run the company. In 2019 the company completed a facility expansion which provided additional floor space not only for production, but also for a metrology room.
Proven Quality
Karl Reim Werkzeugbau GmbH‘s components have always been of exceptional quality. “But we were unable to substantiate this with data,” says Andreas Reim.
With ZEISS CONTURA this is no longer an issue: the coordinate measuring machine clearly shows how large workpiece measurement deviations really are, and whether or not they lie within specified tolerances.
For some of Reim‘s individual parts and small-series production components, the tolerances are extremely narrow. This is the case with preset adapters, used by tooling machine operators to visually gauge their tools, which must be inspected in terms of their perpendicularity down to just a few arc seconds. Performing measurements with the CMM helps to further reduce the already very low rejection rate. And since the quality inspection is integrated early on in the manufacturing process, delivery times can be reduced by several days.
The plan to purchase a CMM first entered the minds of the company’s two managing directors two years ago. A customer had informed them that ZEISS was looking for pilot users to work closely with them to test the latest ZEISS CONTURA, to provide initial feedback and to help develop the newly constructed machine into an optimal solution. The collaboration proved beneficial for both parties: Andreas and Stefan Reim provided ZEISS with valuable feedback about the device, and ZEISS in turn ensured that Reim received exceptional levels of support in the months following commissioning of the machine.
Small Space Requirements Paired With a Large Measuring Volume
The fifth generation of ZEISS CONTURA machines was made for operations like Reim Werkzeugbau. The machine was redesigned from the ground up and is now so compact that it provides a 30 percent larger measurement volume when installed in an area of the same size and with a noticeably reduced device height. The managing directors at Reim were given an introduction to the new machine over the course of three days. “This device offers so many possibilities — for first-time users this is astonishing at first,” says Andreas Reim. But thanks to the on-site training provided by ZEISS, the two CMM newcomers were able to quickly learn how to operate the device.
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Precise Measurement Technology Directly On The Shop Floor
When specialists work together: Klostermann fulfills several requirements at once—precision in measurement, integration in production and convincing price-performance ratio—with the help of WENZEL.
The new measuring machine from CNC-Technik Heil GmbH is located in the middle of production—exactly what it was developed for. The SF 87 CNC coordinate measuring machine from WENZEL needs neither its own room nor a compressed air connection due to its intelligent machine concept. At the same time, it offers a high measuring volume and efficient measuring technology.
“Our customer was looking for a flexible solution that allows not only reliable measurement results but also their documentation,” says Christian Klostermann. He assisted Thorsten Heil in the acquisition of his first own 3D measuring machine.
As an experienced sales company for 3D coordinate measuring technology, Klostermann GmbH works as a factory representative for leading companies. With more than 900 measuring machines already sold and a wide range of services and training, Klostermann GmbH sees itself as a competence center for quality assurance and measuring technology.
For CNC-Technik Heil GmbH, Christian Klostermann recommended a measuring concept from the manufacturer WENZEL. In addition to the sale of measuring machines, the Remscheid-based specialist offers turnkey quality solutions for individual requirements and its core tasks include the project planning of measuring rooms and the assembly of clamping systems for component mounting.
Wide Range of Applications
The SF 87 is a 3D coordinate measuring machine for measuring small to medium-sized production parts. Its compact design is a solution especially in the metal cutting and forming industry, when precise measuring results are to be achieved. For Torsten Heil’s, the device offers the possibility to be retrofitted with additional sensor technology. For example, touch trigger probes or optical laser line sensors can be easily retrofitted. This means that the SF 87 offers a wide range of future-proof applications.
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SHINING 3D And TechMed 3D Offer All-In-One Solution For Human Body 3D Scanning
SHINING 3D, a leading global provider of technologies for 3D digitisation and TechMed3D, a leading provider of software measuring solutions for the human body, has announced the collaboration on a powerful duo: The EinScan H by SHINING 3D and MSoft by TechMed 3D.
“We are excited that, together with TechMed, we are now able to offer an all-in-one body scanning solution for medical applications. For us, working with proven software partners not only is enriching the potential of our 3D scanners, but far more helping our customers to continually progress in their 3D digitising endeavours,” said Rebecca Khoo, Product Manager EinScan , SHINING 3D.
“At Techmed 3D, we are impressed to see the evolution of the products that Shining 3D can bring to market. The Einscan H, by its ease of use and its speed, allows us to expand our digitisation offer and access to other growth markets,” said Michel Babin, Founder and CEO, TechMed 3D.
The EinScan H is a handheld 3D scanner that human body 3D acquisition can be performed efficiently and safely. This scanner in combination with TechMed 3D’s MSoft solution unlocks the potential for clinicians to get access to clean scans within minutes. The scanner has been integrated with white light technology, which makes 3D acquisition secure and eye-safe. The scanner has a Body Scan Mode ideal for orthotics and prosthetics applications. This mode offers high movement tolerance and its alignment algorithm is set to process non-rigid objects. That being said, clinicians can 3D scan all body parts including the head with the EinScan H. This versatile and portable scanner weighing only 703 g and is easy to operate for clinicians at any level of 3D scanning expertise, including first-time scanner users.
In combination with TechMed 3D´s MSoft software, EinScan H is able to deliver powerful results. MSoft is specially designed for 3D scanning of the human body. With this solution, clinicians can easily and quickly obtain ready-to-use files to modify, carve, 3D print, design and fit. Using the software with the EinScan H allows clinicians to see what they are scanning in real-time directly in MSoft due to the built-in camera on the scanner.
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Addressing CMM Challenges With Automated Quality Control
Creaform introduces a different approach to quality control—automated 3D scanning solutions, which eliminates the limitations of traditional CMM.
In today’s hypercompetitive market, manufacturing companies face a multitude of challenges on their production lines. Many of those are connected to the quality control process, which aims to ensure the quality of the products being manufactured and sent out to the clients.
A solution often brought forward to tackle this task is the use of a coordinate measurement machine (CMM). However, traditional CMMs come with their own set of issues such as delays in productivity, difficulties in recruitment and challenges in measuring complex parts, to name a few. And in such a high-speed environment, the smallest productivity slowdowns, added expenses or simple mistakes can take its financial toll on a business, and can translate into loss of contracts and customers’ trust.
How to Detect Assembly Problems Earlier, Reduce Scrap and Down Time
While traditional CMM can be very precise, its complexity of use and limited speed can delay important information-based decisions. As only a few experts and professionals can execute these tasks and the measurements are taken outside the production line, it can create significant delays in applying corrective measures, which can generate scraps and down time.
A different approach to quality control aims at addressing these specific challenges—automated 3D scanning solutions.
Is Automation an Option to Increase Productivity?
Over the past few years, global manufacturing industries have come up with increasingly complex parts and assembly designs to address hypercompetitive markets. However, the diversity of such intricate components requires more advanced quality control processes.
What causes bottlenecks?
Too often, quality control inspections are performed in a room isolated from the production floor where temperature and humidity variations and vibrations are limited. Quality control experts must take samples from the production floor to the quality control lab to perform dimensional inspection with a traditional CMM. These part movements have several major negative impacts. For one, it requires a considerable amount of time and effort to move the parts back and forth from the production line to the lab, often creating unmanageable bottlenecks at the various measurement stations and extended delays in decision-making.
Inspection on the production line
To mitigate these issues and along with the increasing implementation of Industry 4.0, manufacturers are requiring that quality control inspections be conducted right on, or very near the production line to maximise efficiency and streamline communication throughout their entire manufacturing processes.
As a result, there has never been a greater need to perform dimensional inspections within the production cycle using automated near-line or in-line metrology solutions.
However, if inspections are carried out on production lines, the inspection pace must follow the production pace to avoid affecting productivity. A stop of production due to inspection bottlenecks cost a lot of money. Therefore, the return on investment of an automated quality control solution is very high.
Solution: Automated 3D scanning
Thanks to new technology and advances in science, manufacturers are using next-generation 3D scanning solutions with unprecedented data acquisition speeds of up to 1.5M measurements/second and faster mesh generations. A mix of high-performance cameras and computer components helps to increase data acquisition and processing speeds. In other words, 3D scanning measuring machines provide a solution that can scan parts continuously, faster than ever. Scanners can even adjust their settings during the scan process to optimise surface acquisition according to different textures and colors. This is a major enhancement since we can scan shiny black and matte white surfaces on the same part.
Increasing Automated Inspection Productivity
By using automated 3D scanners, quality control teams can perform more inspections per hour. Problems, defects, and irregularities can be detected earlier for immediate or future actions. In addition, equipment maintenance and corrective measures in the manufacturing process can be identified and planned ahead. With the possibility to be connected directly with production databases, the information can be automatically synchronised to save even more time.
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Freedom To Measure With Volvo
An automotive production plant for Volvo has boosted its productivity and efficiency with advanced measurement systems. Article by Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.
With some 2400 employees, Volvo Car Body Components (VCBC) in Olofström is an automotive production plant that produces millions of car body parts every year. From hoods and roofs to doors and subassemblies, the facility is dedicated to pressing sheet metal into vital car components that are shipped whole or partially assembled to Volvo car factories around the world for final assembly and finishing.
The earliest production stages of the car design process at Volvo rely heavily on the development of the sheet metal stamping tools designed and manufactured by the Tool and Die team at Olofström. The team is first responsible for producing tool prototypes, and with up with up to 80 tools needed for a vehicle project this can be a four-to-five-month task. Each project typically runs for a year, and the remainder of the time is dedicated to producing the final tooling that will be used to press hundreds of thousands of car body components.
In 2018, the team decided it was time to introduce a modern metrology solution to their tool prototyping and production with the goal of improving productivity. They identified several key steps in their design, production and validation process that could potentially benefit from the introduction of advanced measurement devices. Having a large and well-equipped quality room already in place, the team was already familiar with a wide range of metrology hardware. One of their key considerations was identifying a solution that would be as at home on the shop floor as it was in the quality room.
Improving the Initial Casting
The first step in producing a designed prototype or final tool is the precision milling of a casted block of raw material. Casting is not a precise process, and the casted part is typically delivered with a lot of excess raw material that must be subsequently milled down to the correct size and shape.
A key step in setting up a casted part for milling is ensuring there is no collision between the milling machine and part as they are both moved into position. Such a collision can result in expensive and time-consuming damage to the CNC milling machine. Therefore, the operator must introduce a safety factor when setting things up – positioning the machine far enough away from the material that they are sure no collision will occur. Doing this by eye is not easy, and often means that the milling machine spends a significant amount of time at the beginning of its program milling nothing.
“When you can optimise the milling program to the actual size of the material, that’s the big time saving, because it doesn’t matter if the machine goes through the air or through the material, it’s the same speed,” said Kim Tingstedt, Tool and Die Operator at VCBC Olofström.
This optimisation was already being performed, but with the comprehensive data provided by a scanner, things could be much easier. This casting scan data can be used in other ways to improve production. Tool castings are extremely heavy and difficult to move, so any possibility to make them lighter improves their usability and reduces the amount of raw material required to make them. This means they have to be as small as possible – but not too small; if not enough material is left between the outside of the tool and the inside of its precision mould, it won’t be strong enough to withstand repeated high-power stamping.
Using scan data taken after casting, the casting of subsequent prototypes and final tools can be refined to ensure the minimum weight and raw material usage is achieved without diminishing the structural integrity of the tool. This also has the benefit of allowing the milling machine to begin its work closer to the final part shape with each iteration, compounding the time savings at every step.
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Hexagon Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre Opens In Singapore
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has opened the doors of its new Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Singapore – fitted with a wide array of advanced hardware and software technologies aimed at enabling an autonomous future.
Hexagon’s flagship facility in Southeast Asia will showcase an unparalleled portfolio of smart digital manufacturing technologies and autonomous connected ecosystems. This includes Hexagon’s latest advanced Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) solutions for design engineering; Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software for production applications; precision metrology, superior sensors, automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, data management and analytics solutions.
The centre, currently resourced with more than two dozen people, is committed to strengthening and accelerating the development of smart manufacturing and autonomous solutions by improving design quality and production efficiencies.
Lim Boon Choon, President for Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, Korea, ASEAN, Pacific, and India said that, “This centre marks our on-going drive to bring Hexagon’s smart solutions into this region for the benefit of businesses here. It offers an environment for innovators, design engineers and manufacturers to test proof their inventions for quality, safety and productivity with access to our latest offerings which are a part of Hexagon’s Smart Solution portfolio.
“We are the only provider in the world with the end-to-end connected capabilities – from design, production, quality assurance, data analysis, digital twin, shop floor connectivity, to Artificial Intelligence and machine learning.
“Hexagon’s Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre allows us to move closer towards creating an autonomous future where business, industry and humanity sustainably thrive,” enthused Lim.
He hinted at exciting updates on the horizon. “More of Hexagon’s revolutionary smart technologies including the latest advanced non-contact sensors fitted on-machine, on coordinate measuring machines (CMM) as well as on Laser Trackers, to elevate quality and precision to the highest level possible will soon be featured at the centre. This is a pioneering achievement, one that the industry has not seen to-date.”
Meanwhile, Paolo Guglielmini, President of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division said, “As a global leader of advanced technologies and smart manufacturing, Singapore is a strategic location for Hexagon’s innovation centre in the ASEAN region.”
Industry research points to a shifting tide towards autonomous smart manufacturing in the next five years in Southeast Asia, especially with many industries and governments pushing for digitalisation.
The region has also seen the rapid rise of new innovations and start-ups and unfolding of 5G technologies which are expected to spur the growth of many industries from electronics to semiconductors, medical technology, eMobility, clean energy and more.
Lim highlighted that the aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical technology as well as energy industries would stand to especially benefit from this facility.
The new Innovation Centre offers design and production engineers the very best environment to learn, experiment, interact, and facilitate deeper learning and knowledge transfer in areas such as reverse engineering, additive manufacturing, shop-floor automated inspection and digitalisation of operations.
Solutions at the Hexagon’s Smart Manufacturing Innovation Centre include:
- Advanced CAE solutions for design engineering, for simulation such as Cradle and [virtual manufacturing / manufacturing process simulation] tools such as the Simufact portfolio
- CAM software for production solutions like NCSIMUL and VISI Reverse
- Asset management and connected shopfloor digital solutions like SFx Asset Management,
- Quality analysis solutions such as Q-DAS, VGSTUDIO Max and Laser Trackers
- Statistical Process Control to collect data for analytics.
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Operating In The Single-Digit Micron Range
Peter Mösle of Blum-Novotest talks about the trends happening in the automotive manufacturing industry, and how the company has kept up with manufacturers’ new requirements.
Going Further In 3D Metrology: SHINING 3D Introduces The FreeScan UE
SHINING 3D has introduced the latest addition of the proven FreeScan series of handheld Metrology 3D scanners: the FreeScan UE.
We are living in challenging times, the definition of “normal” has changed fundamentally within a glimpse and “business as usual” looks much different than at the beginning of last year. Cutting edge technology that questions old fashioned and outdated work processes and accelerates engineering, product development and inspection processes has always been SHINING 3D´s specialty. Providing solutions answering needs and requirements of industries and going further, setting new technology standards is what SHINING 3D stands for.
The FreeScan UE has been developed to cater to the needs and requirements of industry professionals and at the same time provide efficient and reliable solutions to tackle the challenges they are facing in their everyday working life. The SHINING 3D Team has thus developed the latest FreeScan handheld laser 3D scanner to foster excellency and high performance even in complex and difficult operation environments, suitable for expert users and beginners alike.
“Innovatively adapting blue laser 3D scanning technology, convincing with high accuracy and stable repeatability capacities rounded off by easy and convenient hardware and software handling, the FreeScan UE will empower professionals across industries to effectively and precisely upgrade their digital workflows in engineering and inspection tasks,” said Sunny Wong, Product Manager Metrology Scanning, SHINING 3D.
Main features of the FreeScan UE include:
High Accuracy & Stable Repeatability
Freescan UE boasts 0.02mm accuracy and impresses by stably delivering highly precise results independently and in many diverse application environments.
Portable & light weight
The device weights only 670g, facilitating handheld scanning more easily and avoiding fatigue due to long working time.
Wide range of material adaptions
Supporting the scan of black and reflective surfaces to accommodate a wider range of scanning applications.
High efficiency
The scan area can reach 510*520mm, providing larger field of view for a smoother and more efficient scanning experience.
Easy operation
Totally new UI software provides a user-friendly operating system with simple software setup and guidance through the whole workflow process, allowing users to master the operation at ease.
Seamless docking to inspection software
The scan data can be imported into inspection softwares like Control X, Verisurf Inspect and Einsense Q with one click, increasing the inspection efficiency.
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