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Partnering September 2023


Precision Engineering Firm Takes Quality Control to the Next Level


By Chris Wright, Marketing Services Consultant, LK Metrology M


uch of subcontractor Driven Engineering’s turn over comes from F1,


although the cost cap imposed on teams over the past couple of years has reduced it somewhat, leading to a greater focus on aerospace, automotive and gen- eral engineering work. Owner Ray Harris has historically ma- chined mainly jigs, fixtures and molds for F1 teams, which were telling him that to break into the supply of parts for race cars, he would have to improve his com- ponent inspection procedures and quality reports. British coordinate measuring machine (CMM) manufacturer LK


Metrology was a beneficiary of those conversations, as Harris placed an order for one of the com- pany’s AlteraC 10.7.7 CMMs. Dur- ing its build at the Castle Doning- ton factory, the machine was re- duced in height by about 100 mm so that it would fit through the en- trance to Driven Engineering’s lat- est factory unit in Havant and sit comfortably within a new quality room that was being added. As part of the deal, a single license of PolyWorks Inspector software was supplied, which is swappable be- tween the CMM and an articulat- ed arm bought in 2020 when Har- ris worked in a previous location in Portsmouth.


The step up to CMM metrol-


ogy immediately brought in extra F1 work, mainly prismatic machining on three Hermle five- axis, high-speed machining cen- ters, two of which are fitted with automatic pallet storage and re- trieval systems for automated, 24/7 operation. Parts produced are typically for hydraulic mani- folds as well as the race car front and rear wings and floor. A lot of titanium is processed, plus stain- less steel, aluminum and some engineering plastics. Unlike jigs and fixtures,


which have fairly open toler- ances, the latest parts have drawing tolerances down to 25 µm true position, which is impos- sible to check using the portable arm. The CMM on the other hand is able to measure features an order of magnitude smaller, so is easily capable of completing the inspection tasks.


Simple Programming During programming in


Reliable To Be UniCrimp 208 Powerful and Intuitive Crimping


The UniCrimp 208 features a modern design with intuitive operation and provides the high-quality performance one would expect from a Schleuniger product. With 33 kN (3.3 tons) of crimping force, the UniCrimp 208 can process wires up to 10 mm² (8 AWG) and accepts most industry-standard mini-style applicators for crimping rear-feed and side- feed terminals.


 


   Intuitive 7“ color touch screen


Extremely powerful with a crimp force of 33 kN (3.3 tons)


Quick-change system for all standard rear-feed and side-feed applicator tools


Ergonomically designed cable clamp facilitates cable insertion


Optional crimp force monitoring Wire Solutions for a Connected World


PolyWorks, Harris simply picks the features and profiles he wants to inspect. The software then automatically sequences the points for the most efficient inspection routine, including all- axis movements, head rotations and collision avoidance strate- gies. He describes the software as particularly easy to use and ideal for someone new to CNC CMM operation. Data is cap- tured both by touch-probing dis- crete points and tactile scanning using a Renishaw SP25M probe. Vastly more data is generat-


ed in a shorter time compared with touch-trigger probing only, enabling faster inspection and hence improved quality control. It also allows more comprehen- sive reports to be populated with richer information on the accura- cy of freeform areas on compo- nents as well as dimensions. The PolyWorks software is able to present this data flexibly in a form that the customer prefers and is able to understand easily. The pre-existing arm was


schleuniger.com


supplied with a touch probe and a laser scanner, but now is used exclusively with the latter sensor for speed of operation when in- specting, for example, one in five of a batch of 920 aluminum mold tool halves having a complex pro- file, machined for the aerospace


industry. The CMM, on the other hand, was supplied with tactile probing capability only, although it was prepared for laser scan- ning with a view to adding that capability in the future. Before he invested in the ma-


chine, Harris was invited to visit the Castle Donington factory to see a demonstration of an Altera 10.7.7 inspecting one of his com- ponents. It was fortuitous, as he was due to race at the Donington Park motorsport circuit nearby, having recently re-entered the sport by driving a GT car in the British Endurance Champi- onship in early 2022. Unfortu- nately the Donington fixture was canceled, so to save him the 350 mile round trip, he sent a water system for an F1 car together with the CAD model to the facto- ry by courier and opted to view the demonstration online. LK showed two ways of inspecting the component, first by touch- probing to orientate it on the granite and then laser scanning, and secondly using an SP25M to probe and touch-scan the part. Suitably impressed with the


latter metrology process, he de- cided to make the investment in the CMM and PolyWorks, whose ease-of-use is greatly helping his inspection productivity. Program- ming, due to the level of automa- tion provided by the software, can be carried out in as little as 10 minutes, depending on compo- nent complexity and, unlike when using an arm, can be done in ad- vance from the CAD model. Installation of the CMM has


opened up a number of different avenues, as availability of ad- vanced metrology makes new business easier to win, especially tight-tolerance work. Harris has now bought a Ginetta GT race car to hire out for events and intends to start manufacturing a propri- etary range of parts for it, such as uprights, bearing supports, axle extensions and drive shafts. The ability to control their quality on the LK CMM to a higher level than would previously have been possible will also enhance this


new enterprise. Contact: LK Metrology, Inc.,


29550 W.K. Smith Drive, Hudson Heights, MI 48165 % 810-263-6100 E-mail: marketing.us@lkmetrology.com Web: www.lkmetrology.com r


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