Inspection System Brings Programmability to Shopfloor Gaging
Gaging device extends the reach of the CMM out to the production floor, and provides an alternative to dedicated gaging.
In the machining process for a complex and valuable production part, the workpiece is often removed from a flexible, programmable CNC machine tool, only to be inspected using a custom gage that is not flexible or programmable at all. “Hard” gaging—meaning measurement devices on the production floor designed and built for specific parts—provides a way to quickly inspect a workpiece near the machine. Yet hard gaging can also be costly. For jet engine component maker Meyer Tool in Cincinnati, Ohio, designing, building and maintaining a hard gage could cost $20,000, according to quality manager Beau Easton. If a design change to the part necessitates a change to the gage, then this could add thousands of dollars more.
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