innovations CASTING
Taking Inspection to a New Level
the portable measuring arm does not require a homing procedure before starting measurement. It accurately measures part dimensions and, when equipped with laser scanning technol- ogy, produces high density “clouds” of 3D points in minutes. Casting design- ers can use point cloud data to com- pared a part to a CAD model, create a CAD model, or reproduce a physical 3D model of the part. CAD-to-part comparison of scanned data can be viewed as a colored “weathermap”
T
he Roemr Absolute Arm always “knows” the posi- tion of its joints. Propri- etary absolute encoders in its primary axes ensure
showing areas of deviation from nomi- nal across the entire part at a glance. It is designed to be the lightest
yet stiff est Romer arm yet built, with carbon fi ber tubes and simplifi ed dual yoke joint housings. T e base model weighs 17 lbs., and users can add, remove or change features as required, adding mobility with a rechargeable battery and WiFi transmitter, or con- necting to laser scanning systems. Seattle-based Morel Industries
recently acquired a Romer portable arm coordinate measuring machine (PCMM) for precision manufacturing and inspection. “T e arm does two things for us. It allows us to reduce our prototyping
time while increasing our preproduc- tion accuracy, and to more accurately measure our post-production accuracy,” said Mark Morel, Morel Industries vice president. He noted this technol- ogy raises the bar for the industry and positions his company as a leader in technological advancement. Morel Industries is a nonferrous
metalcasting facility that also pours small weighted iron and ductile iron parts. In addition to spot checking the parts machined in-house, Morel explained, “Our goal is to spot check tooling that we buy out.” Designed with 6 axes of infi nite
rotation, the arm is designed to allow access to diffi cult-to-reach places, enabling multiple applications on a wide array of work pieces. T e avail- able range of confi gurations incorpo- rates internal or external scanners, as well as a magnetic base for increased portability. T e Kinematic Probe Joint provides repeatable probe connection without recalibration. Automatic probe recognition enables users to store hundreds of cali- brated probe profi les for instant recall. T e 6 Axis Arm comes with PC-
DMIS Portable software for tactile or scanning inspection. Laser scanning produces high density “clouds” of 3D points. T e optional PC-DMIS Reshaper software applies the scanned data to a variety of applications including point cloud processing, meshing, 3D control and inspection, and reverse engineering. Precision manufacturing is required
for robotic assembly lines where parts must be accurate, sometimes within 1/10,000th of an inch. “We try to stick with typical casting tolerances, which for most dimensions across the parting line are anywhere from +/- ten thousandths to thirty thousandths per inch,” Morel said. “When competing globally, especially with China, we must reduce waste as much as possible while never compromis- ing the integrity of our alloys,” Morel added. “T e ROMER Arm will help us be more effi cient, which in turn helps us be more competitive for our customers.”
The ROMER 6 Axis Absolute Arm improves accuracy at Morel Industries. 50 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | Sept/Oct 2012
Visit
www.morelindustries.com and
www.romer.com for more information.
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