Using walk-up metrology stations like this Oasis system designed for fast, easy operation brings quality checks to the shop floor.
bility down to 2 µm. A product they like to use near machinery on the shop floor is an IM-6500 Series image dimensions measurement system from Keyence (Itasca, IL). Useful for 2-D measurements, the integrated measuring
system with display is designed for convenience, to operate fast, and with no fixturing. It adjusts automatically for location and orientation of parts. With optional software, the machine is programmed with actual parts, prints, or off-line using CAD. “It is especially good for measuring parts where contact might af- fect the result,” says Sergie Shirokov, project manager for Key- ence. “Parts that are very thin or have precise etchings, where you cannot get a stylus into. These include soft parts that are difficult to fixture.” Measurement accuracies are between 2 and 5 µm. He notes typical medical parts inspected with IM series machines include needles, sutures, stents, or syringes. The perspective from Micropulse (Columbia City, IN) is a bit
different from that of a general job shop. “We decided long ago to focus our expertise on medical manufacturing alone, which is quite challenging all to itself,” says Brian Emerick, president and CEO. While acknowledging that cost pressures are becom- ing more important in an industry once solely dedicated to quality, he predicts growth across the board of 5–10% annually. It is especially promising to be a contract manufacturer. “Some contract manufacturers are better than the medical OEMs at making things,” he says. “OEMs are outsourcing 60–70% of their products and we are seeing a new trend with some OEMs that have no manufacturing capability at all.”