Measurement & Inspection
In such a complex measuring environment, it is no longer a straightforward task for humans to interpret the resulting data. This is borne out in the experience of Pat Walsh of the con- sulting firm MVS Group (Southfield, MI). He works extensively in automotive body panel applications and tooling. He found that when his applications began using structured ‘white light’ scanners, the resulting flood of data solved some problems and introduced new ones. In body panels with smoothly vary- ing compound curves requiring sub-millimeter accuracy, using data from CMMs equipped with touch probes “is like watching a football game with only 12 pixels on your TV showing,” as he explained it. While individual points are quite accurate, it is difficult to make sense of the whole ‘game.’ “When we started using white light scanners such as those available from Cognitens or ATOS, we did not have to do extensive analysis. Simply by looking at the color maps, engineers were able to draw conclusions about deviations in their parts,” he explained. However, he soon realized that different organizations and companies, such as OEMs and
PINS, PLUNGERS, HANDLES & HAND WHEELS.
To meet higher demand for education, Hexagon developed on-line training that covers the basics of equipment such as portable arms, lasers, and CMMs and basic metrology theory.
Fixtureworks® is your source for quick release ball lock pins for
fastening, spring loaded plungers for positioning, pull handles for holding, hand wheels for wheeling and other machine elements. Call us at 888.794.8687 for technical assistance and sales or go to
www.fixtureworks.net for online ordering, specs & CAD files.
As important as knowledgeable, trained personnel are, not every company feels it can afford to make training a high pri- ority, according to Eric Hayes, director of software applications for Nikon Metrology (Brighton, MI). “This seems to be espe- cially true of smaller companies, who are getting squeezed for profits,” he explained. While acknowledging that is not a majority of companies he deals with—maybe 15–20% by his estimation—it is a growing problem. Often, end users who fall into this category might end up using customer support phone lines more than anticipated. “But the reality is, we can’t train people over the phone,” he said.
Nikon Metrology offers two types of training to its custom- ers, a customized on-site course and classroom-focused train- ing at its facility in Brighton, MI. “The advantage of the on-site course is that we can find what they need, and train using their equipment in their facility,” he said. The advantage of the training course in Brighton is that it tends to be more cost- effective as well as more general in nature. Courses include
FXW-063A
3.375x4.875.indd 1 66
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | January 2014 11/26/13 1:10 PM
suppliers, were registering scan data to CAD in different ways, leading to varying results. “We found people had vastly dif- ferent ideas about how to register scan data to meet GD&T requirements,” he said, with different interpretations on what meeting the standard meant. He believes a lack of emphasis in basic engineering curriculums is one element contributing to the confusion. More education and certification from orga- nizations, such as the Coordinate Metrology Society will help create a unified approach to the growing problem.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140