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.
A programmable alternative to hard gages, the Equator system brings a CMM’s precision to the shop floor by measuring parts against a CMM-inspected master. This photo shows the system in use at Meyer Tool.
The unit features a parallel kinematic structure, permitting fast and repeatable dimensional measurement.
Using a continuous-contact scanning probe with the Equator makes it possible to define a feature by quickly capturing thousands of data points.
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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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