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CRITICAL MEASUREMENTS


While a number of new optical and interfero- metric techniques have been developed, Nugent relates that the ‘traditional’ skidded contact probe system remains an important part of their busi- ness. A skidded contact system is one with a reference built in to the device. This reference floats over the surface to be measured. A needle probe next to or through the skid will measure only the local variations in reference to the skid, thus capturing only the high spatial frequencies of the surface. Large waves or deformities, or low spatial frequencies that should be measured by dimen- sional equipment, are normalized out. On the other hand, some will want to measure


the profile or low-frequency changes that the skid cannot measure. Enter the skidless surface device. “With a skidless system, the reference is absolute and external to the probe. That it is something like a master artifact, but it is built into the device itself. It is precise and flat and the probe will


Hommel-Etamic surface finish system point of use gaging is a floor supported system for centralized surface roughness measurement.


move up and down against this theoretical straight line,” he said. “Most people think of the skidded device as the basic, lower cost kind of device,” he said. “It is by far how most surfaces are measured.”


Shop-Floor Measurement, Easy to Use


“What is important today is that measuring devices are going down to the shop,” said Nugent. The needs of the ma- chine tool operator are more functional than those using the devices in quality rooms. “They want something that is easy to use, meets their basic needs, and robust enough to be used on the shop floor. I would say 80% of the measurement of these basic surfaces today is out on the point of manufac- ture,” he said. That means devices need to be easy, simple, and fast. “Put them in your pocket and they last for years.” Anticipating the future, Mahr has also begun develop- ing ways of programming and moving data with Android smartphones. Their app is called MarSurf One, and it can be used to connect to the MarSurf line of surface measurement devices. Operators can then measure and capture the most popular roughness depth parameters such as Ra Rt, and Rq


, Rz , Rmax ,


while documenting the roughness depth profiles. “New equipment will try and cater to the younger generation that prefers portable devices,” he said. “For example, maybe a control device on top of the measuring machine that resem- bles the look and function of a smartphone.” Andy Blind, vice president of sales for Jenoptik (Roch- ester Hills, MI), agrees that the move to the shop floor is an important megatrend his company has identified. “We are heavily involved in point-of-use gages. These are surface measurement instruments that are tailored for the shop


68 AdvancedManufacturing.org | June 2016


Photo courtesy of Jenoptik


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