Measurement
How Accurate Is Your Machining Center?
Virtually every machine tool builder lists, as part of a machine's specification, accuracy and repeatability figures. What's generally not given is the method used to arrive at the figures. Though these methods are defined in linear positioning standards, not all builders use the same standards.
Read MoreGaging Distance Between Hole Centers
Many of the gaging applications we've considered over the years involve size inspection of a single feature, that is, the diameter of a hole, depth of a groove, height of a gage block, and so on. Many parts, however, contain multiple features that establish dimensional relationships between two or more other parts.
Read MoreAir Gaging For Itty-Bitty Holes
Conventional air gaging for measuring inside diameters is typically limited to a minimum size of about 0. 060 inch/1.
Read MoreFully Automatic CMM For Machine Shops
Called the Cordax Discovery, the fully automatic CMM is made to operate on the shop floor near CNC machine tools.
Read MoreFlexible Scanning Gage Is Designed For Shop Floor
While CMMs are extremely flexible as measuring systems go, and certainly provide the means to acquire a lot of dimensional data quickly, most shops have a hard time justifying more than one or two machines, even if they are designed for the shop floor. If Carl Zeiss IMT Corp. (Minneapolis, Minnesota) has its way, however, these same measurement capabilities will be found all over the shop, though not quite in the form of a conventional CMM.
Read MorePortable Measurement Arm Cuts Digitizing Time In Half
A portable measurement arm is helping a West Virginia firm manufacture pump replacement parts that, in many cases, are more accurate and thus, perform better than the original OEM parts they replace.
Read MorePredictive Maintenance And Machine Tool Calibration Techniques
Here are some of the tools and techniques for making sure machine tools stay at peak performance levels.
Read MoreAuto OEM Grinds 8,000 Parts Per Hour To +/-2 Microns
A new industrial controller this company is integrating with its high-precision centerless grinders is helping a Big 3 automaker turn out precision parts at 8,000 per hour.
Read MoreDown To The Micron, Up To The Stars
A souped-up CMM helps this shop machine to tolerances measured in single-digit microns. And the machine tool they're using is out of this world.
Read MoreSwitch From Mechanical To Laser Measuring Cuts Inspection Costs In Half
To anybody running a manufacturing operation, inspection productivity is certainly desirable. To the founder and CEO of an independent metrology service center, it is his lifeblood.
Read More