SHOP SOLUTIONS Continued from P47
“A standard lens can’t see a crack on the side of a bolt flange, so we developed a special lens that visually flattens out the flange to detect any cracks,” said Alexander. “With a standard lens and camera, you can only see one side of a game die when viewed from above. With the specialized lens, you can see five sides of the die.”
Along with the wider viewing angle lens, the fastener inspection system manufacturer developed sophisticated image analysis software that minimizes surface and lighting variations. A strobe LED ring light also improves illumination of each part head for a better image. “A standard light only generates so many lumens, so we
used a strobe controller to overdrive the light for more light output,” said Alexander. “As each part triggers the sensor, the flash goes off at the moment the image is taken for better feature illumination.” “We can sleep well at night because we know the 3D laser gaging, axial vision, and eddy current inspection equip- ment are helping to ensure flawless fastener manufacturing,” said Occhionero, who said, “the Brugola brand is becoming more recognizable internationally due in part to its exhaustive pursuit of quality and its eye for detail.” For more information from General Inspection, go to www.
generalinspection.com, or phone 248-625-0529.
Continued from P41
Genesis Systems Teams with Virtual Reality
I
mmersive visualization in the manufacturing world has proven its value time and time again during design reviews, proof- of-concept validation, and customer engagement, decreasing time to market and minimizing risk. Organizations are experi- encing faster buying cycles, decreased time-to-market, and minimized risk as they optimize designs in virtual space. Over a year ago, Genesis Systems Group (Davenport, IA) started seeing these benefits firsthand in their digital proof-of-concept processes for robotic automation systems. The inherent power of virtual reality (VR) and visualization ca- pabilities turned out to be more than accelerating time-to-mar- ket, optimizing designs, and decreasing production cost. Since beginning to leverage their technology solution over a year ago, Genesis has seen a distinct improvement both in how they work with their customers and their internal collaboration.
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AdvancedManufacturing.org | January 2017
When a prospective or current client visits Genesis head- quarters, they invariably end up in the Virtual Solutions Cen- ter to experience the audiovisual and information technology (AV/IT) solution, called the 3DG. On the curved, four-by-four tiled system—complete with mobile capabilities—customers are introduced to the Genesis process of creating a collab- orative design or they begin reviewing robotic designs. As the largest builder of robotic arc welding systems in North America, Genesis quickly discovered how virtual prototypes would revolutionize how their clients interacted with the pre-fabrication solutions. “Once the initial wow factor wears off, customers dive deeper into their concepts, ask insightful questions, and make design requests before product development ever begins,” said Patrick Pollock CEO and president. “We wanted to create a new customer experience when the system was first installed in 2015. Our customers are interacting a lot more with our engineers and with the design. We are finding that the customer attaches to a solution a lot sooner.” In March 2015, Genesis first partnered with Mechdyne Corp. (Marshalltown, IA) to design and integrate the 3DG to virtually review and change concepts and designs. Ultimately, Genesis had a goal to become a leader in the technology side of the industry, ensure minimal design changes from concept through design, and to create trust and boost confi- dence in their customers. As a result, Genesis began seeing their processes streamline and product development costs drop. However, their 3D technology also began providing col- laboration benefits they weren’t expecting: a more cohesive team and better internal collaboration. The 3DG maximizes the internal design process, enables ergonomic testing, increases collaboration, and creates a long-lasting positive impression with customers. Today, Gen- esis designers and engineers are not only seeing the benefits of interacting with customers, they are uncovering the deeper benefits of a more cohesive internal team. “We are using the technology more for internal design
reviews than we anticipated, which is creating a lot more op- portunity for our teams to work together,” said Genesis virtual solutions manager Justan Each. “Because more people are reviewing designs in the virtual world before we build one of our robotic systems, we are seeing fewer design errors and more optimized solutions.” Finalizing a virtual design requires a versatile, agile ap-
proach to optimize a solution. Historically, engineers and product designers create and adjust a concept design with
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