Six Sigma Concepts Updates Video Metrology Systems for Simplified Integration

Six Sigma Concepts showcases the InGage Discovery line, a family of backlit video metrology systems. The perpetual license sold with the Discovery includes all updates to the InGage platform, with those updates releasing at a near monthly rate. Updates are often driven by customer feedback. Aside from increasing reliability and performance, specific requests often lead to the development of tools that increase capabilities for a wide range of applications, according to the company.

One focus of the product line is integration. For data handling, InGage has formatting compatible with Prolink and 1factory, with additional control over saved data. The latest InGage update can improve the controls over user input fields to help with traceability. I/O capabilities are also enhanced, which can enable more automation integration. Previously, the Discovery’s I/Os were limited to a set of preset functions. Now, the user is able to set the inputs and outputs, and the library of functions has expanded.

Another focus is in increasing the capabilities of the Discovery’s rotary stage attachment. The rotary stage is indexable, which can enable measurements at set angles. UI and software controls have been added to simplify inspection programming at discrete angles. Software tools have also been added to increase inspection capabilities, including a thread start tool that can locate the earliest or latest point where a thread stops or starts.

InGage is also able to find the center axis of a thread’s pitch diameter, providing geometrical dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) measurement references, such as runout, to the pitch diameter. Tool dependencies have been added as well, meaning users can set specific conditions for when a particular tool operates. Enabling consistent measurements of features that only appear at certain facings during rotary inspection has found uses for many different inspection tasks, such as on-the-fly measurements of chamfers on hexes and heights of notches.