FEATURE INSPECTION, TEST & MEASUREMENT
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE with 3D automated inspection
Rapid three dimensional first part inspection is enabling manufacturers to gain the advantage by reducing scrap, increasing quality, cycle time and improving OEE up to 20%
W
hether manufacturers pursue lean production, Six Sigma or their own
quality assurance program, measuring is at the heart of quality and foundational in Six Sigma’s goal to Define Measure Analyze Improve and Control (DMAIC) production processes. Yet excess waste remains when the measurement is completed manually including traditional hand gauges and optical comparators which can lead to errors in production processes. First part inspection can take up to 45 minutes, incoming inspection audits hours, the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) days and accuracy less than desired. “Even if micrometers and calipers are
calibrated properly measurement will vary from one person to another depending on how they are held, squeezed and interpreted,” says Rocky Pinheiro, vice president of quality, North American Operations at Acument Global Technologies, a manufacturer of screws, bolts, nuts and cold formed components for the automotive, industrial, aerospace and defence markets. Inspection equipment that provides a two
dimensional (2D) or cross sectional view of parts can be insufficient for today’s demanding quality control requirements. “Parts do not exist in a 2D world,” says
Pinheiro. “Every part manufactured must properly mate and function with other components in three dimensions.” Consequently, proactive manufacturers are turning to precise, objective, 3D inline inspection that can measure and record dozens of part features in a fraction of the time it would take to do this manually. This enables them to turn automated 3D part inspection into a competitive advantage capable of significantly increasing quality and cycle time, reducing scrap and improving OEE by up to 20%.
AUTOMATED 3D PART MEASUREMENT “With LaserLab we are completing up to 20 measurements per part in three dimensions within 30 seconds for first part, hourly and final inspection,” says Pinheiro. “It gives us feedback on 90% of the elements we want to measure. From length, diameter, radius and head height to corners, shoulders and other dimensions it is very accurate.” LaserLab, a 3D laser gauging system that
10 JULY/AUGUST 2016 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
can measure over 20 critical part features within 20 seconds down to 2 microns in diameter is offered in laboratory and shop floor versions by General Inspection, a developer of high-speed measuring and fastener inspection sorting systems. “We are seeing a 10-20% improvement
in OEE for set up and changeover and making parts much faster,” continues Pinheiro. “We are significantly reducing first time scrap and downstream sorting while increasing production cycle time.” Because the patented laser technology accurately measures with exact repeatability every time, it greatly reduces part-to-part variability by eliminating operator error. A comprehensive, built-in thread database provides instant tolerances for each thread characteristic and after every pass the laser beams are automatically calibrated to NIST standards to ensure accuracy. As such LaserLab provides real-time manufacturing process control with more precise, repeatable measurements than possible manually. This allows more frequent part measurement that significantly improves product quality and reduces scrap. Acument Global Technologies previously used operator manual inspection to determine first part quality which required about 10 minutes to check part dimensions. “Using the 3D laser gauging system has cut our inspection time to less than 30 seconds per part, a 20-fold time savings,” says Pinheiro. “We ensure our process is performing within specifications so we’re continuously manufacturing good parts.” True to the tenets of lean production and
Proactive manufacturers are turning to precise, objective, 3D inline inspection that can measure and record dozens of part features in a fraction of the time it would take manually
Six Sigma the 3D laser gauging system has streamlined accurate data collection and Statistical Process Control (SPC), putting Acument Global Technologies on a virtuous cycle of better production measurement, analysis, improvement and control. “Instead of operators hand measuring
part dimensions and writing the data on paper to enter in Excel, LaserLab’s output goes directly into Excel electronically,” says Pinheiro. “This eliminates operator bias and error along with the production bottleneck of operators stopping to measure product which allows us to manufacture with more continuous flow.” As the company begins using LaserLab for
incoming part identification and validation at distribution centers Pinheiro expects to see further benefits including verification of key part characteristics including length, diameter, flats, corners and head height and that the correct parts are in the containers.
REDUCING CYCLE TIME “We have found that the LaserLab 3D laser gauging system reduces incoming part identification and validation cycle time from 3-4 minutes to about 20 seconds,” says Pinheiro. “This allows staff deployment to other areas while ensuring part quality and accuracy for end customers.” While the company’s PPAP process typically took about 90 minutes to measure several parts with manual gauges including micrometers or calipers, LaserLab has saved about 1 hour per PPAP. “This has freed up about 1 day per month
for my PPAP coordinator to further enhance quality control,” says Pinheiro. Acument is realising very strong Earnings
Before Interest and Taxes Accrued (EBITA) performance compared to last year. “This tells me that even if we are not directly measuring some the benefits of the 3D laser gauging system they are flowing to the bottom line,” concludes Pinheiro. “Any company that manufactures parts where dimensional accuracy is crucial should look into a 3D laser gauging system. We achieved ROI in one year on our units and still realising greater efficiencies.”
General Inspection T: +1 248-625-0529
www.generalinspection.com
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