METROLOGY
historically been a dominant force in the development of industrial automation, includ- ing automated measurement. “More recently, the aerospace industry has made large moves in the direction of automation, which has challenged us in the supply base to provide solutions that are more fl exible and more adaptable to larger spatial vol- umes,” said Kleemann. “Tightly integrating measurement and closed-loop control with auto- mated manufacturing processes allows those processes to both tolerate more variation at the input, resulting in more uptime, and produce less variation at the output, resulting in more quality in the product.”
The 360°SIMS from Hexagon is compatible with commonly used industrial robots, PLCs, automation devices and safety equipment, according to the company.
Variety and Uses Beyond aerospace, automated metrology has found uses in a variety of industries. Among the wide array of metrology devices that are available, Kleemann agrees that most forms of optical or noncontact measurement are best for automa- tion. He listed a number of such systems VRSI has experi- ence in delivering. Laser trackers are ideal, he said, for global dimensional
control of automated assembly processes, especially in the larger volumes typical of aerospace applications. Laser line triangulation sensors or scanners are ideal for robotic feature measurement and guidance of robotic assembly processes. In the automotive industry, they are used on panel-loading robots to optimize the fi t of doors and panels. In aerospace, they are often used to measure local features like step/gap, countersinks, and fastener fl ushness. Structured light or area scanners collect a lot of data at once, and work well in fabrication quality applications where surface geometry is critical or surface defects need to be detected. These include stamping, casting, and machining. Finally, laser radar combines the volume and fl exibility of a laser tracker with the automation of a CMM. “Laser radar is ideal for automated dimensional quality measurement on larger parts like body- in-white assemblies or aerospace structures,” he said. A good example of a company that applies optical principles to mass automation is Jenoptik (Rochester Hills, MI). While providing air gaging as well as optics, optical methods are especially important. “[It] is one of the impor- tant megatrends in industry today,” said Andreas Blind, vice president of Jenoptik America. He sees the need for more
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | March 2016
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