In its ergonomic measuring station, the Wavemove from Hommel-Etamic positions large workpieces easily in a tilt fixture mounted on a rotary table on a granite base.
The
Ins and Outs of In-Line Automated Inspection
Automation is great for fast, accurate measurement of parts, but the tradeoff is usually flexibility. Metrology providers are devising ways of delivering both
Bruce Morey Contributing Editor T
century are now familiar, and impact how metrology must contribute. Manufacturers face uncertain production volumes with roller-coaster demand, shorter production runs and faster product development cycles. Automation, while alluring as a way to reduce cost, needs to adjust. At the same time, the marketplace demands ever higher quality and parts made to more precise tolerances. All these factors, and more, are driving the need for more flexible yet more automated production metrology equipment.
he challenges to manufacturing as it evolves into the 21st
For example, the automotive powertrain production line of the future hardly demands the traditional dedicated hard gage purpose-built for a single part or subsystem. The