Test & measurement R
enishaw has always understood the role of metrology in optimising manufacturing processes. Indeed, the company was founded on exactly that, when Sir David McMurtry developed the first touch-trigger probe to solve a dimensional measurement issue for the Olympus engines which powered Concorde. The creation of this industry-changing sensor enabled measurement on a co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) to be automated for the first time. Since Renishaw was founded in 1973, there has been a revolution in measurement processes - let us take a look back.
BRINGING METROLOGY TO THE SHOPFLOOR Processes in a traditional machine shop have always been reliant on skilled individuals – toolmakers, setter/operators and other experts, producing quality machined parts in batches. In CNC machining operations the setup of a recurring batch of parts requires skilled input and often results in balancing a batch quantity with an excessively long set time. This not only ties up valuable machine time but adds inventory costs to a business.
It was and is still common for a manufacturing facility to have a dedicated CMM room and skilled inspection staff. CMM rooms are often remote from the shop floor where parts can be measured in a temperature-controlled environment. Separating machining and metrology ensures measurement traceability, however, it creates a disconnect between manufacturing and quality.
CMM measurement is often a bottleneck that delays production, with CNC operators often waiting to get first-off approval before producing parts in volume. However, the alternative of immediately starting production increases the risk of non-conforming parts, waste and quality costs which quickly escalate - a dilemma. Implementing on-machine probing and tool
setting systems to automate and reduce setup times allow for smaller batch quantities and increased productivity. Further evolutions in shop floor measurement and gauging equipment mean that metrology systems empower production people to measure accurately in-line or near-line production. Ultimately, bringing metrology to the shop floor enables faster, more frequent part and process measurement and the ability to react more rapidly to process drift and dimensional changes. Over the years, Renishaw has helped hundreds of global customers integrate metrology and proactively apply controls using its Productive Process Pyramid concept, supporting them through four core steps:
The Process foundation requires engineers to consider how they set up the entire factory for consistent performance, including CNC machine assessment, control of tooling, fixtures and other critical sources of variation.
Next, manufacturers can look at process setting, checking the machine, tooling, material and fixtures before machining – integrating metrology to automate and eliminate manual intervention.
Adding probing within a CNC operation, in-process controls automatically react to any real-time changes, for example temperature variations, tool wear and process drift, again, avoiding expert intervention and adjustment.
Following machining, measuring at the post-process stage enables engineers to validate the process step or final part. However, if manufacturers have already taken the previous preventative, predictive and active steps to improve process control, quality confidence is already high.
DATA-DRIVEN MANUFACTURING To derive the full value of metrology, manufacturers require a great deal of process data to be collected, as well as the ability to leverage the measurement results. With the right tools, manufacturers can use this data to gain valuable insights into the entire process chain, finding where they can make changes that will be most impactful to process control, quality and productivity.
Organising manufacturing data to provide valuable insights at each of these stages has traditionally been difficult on the shop floor. However, the introduction of Renishaw Central a manufacturing data and machine shop connectivity platform, is a gamechanger. With this system Renishaw can digitalise all process and metrology data, visualise, and automatically control all manufacturing and measurement processes. The results can be significant - Renishaw Central, piloted in the company’s own machine shops allowed Renishaw to reduce unplanned automation stoppages and increase machining capacity by 79 hours per week. It was also able to reduce CNC setting times by over 80 per cent when it was applied with Renishaw’s Equator gauging system and IPC (Intelligent process control) software.
20 January 2024 Instrumentation Monthly
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