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Measurement on a huge scale
Flexible laser tracker system helps process large cast and steel components. Andreas Petrosino reports.
W
ind energy changes politics and industry, and both are reacting to these
changes differently. With funding being provided
by governments, industry is looking at
manufacturing possibilities. The sheer size of modern wind energy installations presents new challenges; manoeuvring steel and cast iron components weighing 80 tonnes takes time and is expensive - therefore, it pays to keep transport to a minimum.
At DMR Produktionsgesellschaft mbH, Rostock, Germany, there blows a fresh
wind: previously, traditional measuring methods which were used had limitations; success is now guaranteed with the Leica Absolute Tracker AT901 and Leica T-Probe. Now when the component can’t get to the CMM, the CMM will go to the component. At DMR Produktionsgesellschaft
mbH large components are an everyday occurrence. The company, which evolved from Dieselmotorenwerk Rostock, specialises in turnkey manufacturing, with special skills gained in manufacturing housings for wind turbines, industrial gearboxes, various components for gas and steam
With large components, manual methods are very limited. And if you also have to provide evidence of compliance with form and position tolerances, these methods are inadequate anyway.”
DMR Produktionsgesellschaft mbH required a new method enabling measuring that was easy to operate, mobile and compatible with the software of an existing stationary coordinate measuring machine. The Leica Absolute Tracker AT901 in combination with the wireless Leica T-Probe tip turned out to be the ideal solution. Ralf Steinke, DMR specialist for metrology, says: “The Leica T-Probe makes measuring and marking much easier, especially when we are working with very large components and have to climb up to the measuring points. Furthermore, we can operate the Leica T-Probe with one hand, which is perfect.”
Errors not acceptable
The company use the Leica Absolute Tracker
AT901 and the Leica T-Probe primarily
Fig. 1. Leica Absolute Tracker AT901.
turbines and spare parts for two-stroke crosshead engines.
Lofty heights Holger Radanke, Quality Manager at DMR
Produktionsgesellschaft mbH, is responsible for identifying suitable measuring procedures. He is particularly concerned about the increasing size of components: “As we are only manufacturing to order, we are not able to focus solely on measuring instruments and methods. With very large components we have often asked ourselves in the past how we could save valuable time, both with measuring
Fig. 2. Leica T-Probe. 24
www.engineerlive.com and marking.
for checking incoming
goods, then
during and after machining and finally during marking- up for technical control. Ralf Steinke: “When
we notice that an error has occurred during casting, we have to react immediately to ensure that we can still produce the component in accordance with the drawing by adjusting the casting appropriately. We are extremely careful with our own work to ensure that we don’t exceed the tolerances in either way. Any such error would mean an enormous financial loss to us. With machine supports for wind turbines, a large part of the value is
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