| | Jun 29, 2010 — CMM Technology, not a luxury anymore – it is essential to winning and retaining business.
Offices were relocated, and walls were knocked away in Quality Lab 2 to make room for the LK Metris G-90C last month. Larger production runs and higher quality standards in manufacturing have lead us to the purchase of another co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM).
Highly machined parts took considerable time to measure with our portable Romer Arm CMM that is a manual device.
The LK G-90C works on the same premise as a computer numeric controlled (CNC) machining center (its automatic). You program it; it measures the part from the same point every time, using the same X-Y-Z grid as CNC’s to determine a position on the worktable. The LK CAMIO software allows development of programming inspection routines directly from CAD models, running off-line so as not to disrupt operation of the CMM. The LK G-90C takes our Quality Department to the next level, faster inspection times, higher accuracy, and it will free up quality staff.
Quality control is improving all around. Last Fall Quality Lab 1 was the recipient of new Inspec software, up-grading the Micro-Vu (video optical comparator). An optical comparator is an instrument that projects a greatly magnified image of a part feature onto a screen for examination, to compare the shape, size, and location of its features. The new software enables a part, when layed-out, to be seen on a separate monitor that makes checking distances and true positions more accurate. Files can then be saved or emailed directly to customers. Print file can also be imported for simultaneous comparison to part. In addition, the ability to write programs increased accuracy and saves time. | |
