CMM inspection news

Scanning probes speed form-data collection and feedback to machining cells, reduce CMM fixturing and cut probe calibration time from hours to minutes at Kawasaki's Maryville, MO plant. Increased measurement throughput and flexibility allow faster feedback to manufacturing and the R&D department, while scanning CMMs may ultimately eliminate inspection systems for gears and cam lift.

Renishaw has added a new probe option for its revolutionary REVO® five-axis measurement system, which for the first time, allows surface finish inspection to be fully integrated within CMM measurement routines. With a measurement capability of 6.3 to 0.05 Ra, the SFP1 surface finish probe provides a unique ‘single platform’ that will eliminate the need for hand-held sensors, or the necessity to move parts to costly dedicated surface finish measuring machines.

After Future Advanced Manufacture (Future AM) won a valuable contract to make Titanium blades for a new propulsion system in the US, it invested in a Renishaw REVO® five-axis measuring head and probe system to improve its validation process. The resulting increase in accuracy and efficiency not only ensured the project’s success but also opened up new lines of business and cemented the Gloucestershire based company’s reputation for precision with existing clients.

Renishaw’s new PH20 five-axis head for touch-trigger measurement on co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) has won the MM Award for ‘Most Innovative Measurement System’ at the AMB 2010 exhibition held in Stuttgart, Germany.

A Madrid, Spain-based precision engineering business specialising in complex parts for aerospace and defence applications has invested in a Renishaw REVO® five-axis measuring head and probe system. The change has resulted in a reduction in inspection time by as much as a factor of 5, ensuring quality control and inspection keep up with its high-productivity CNC machine tools.

Renishaw is introducing another innovative measurement product that is expected to transform inspection performance on a wide range of co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs).

In 2008, when aerospace sub-contractor ANT Industries carried out a study on its production processes with the aim to make improvements, it was clear that inspection was a major bottleneck.

Following a series of design enhancements, Renishaw’s industry-standard family of PH10 motorised indexing heads for co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs) now have a 20% improvement in repeatability and increased long-term stability. Combined with an optional extended 2-year warranty, the new PH10 heads offer CMM users a new standard of indexing head performance, providing reliable precision in even the most demanding measurement applications.

Renishaw's new pocket-sized CMM technology guide is a useful reference source for companies specifying new co-ordinate measuring machines or considering upgrades and retrofits, and is suitable for both experienced users and those new to sensor technologies for CMMs.

When Renishaw announced the PH10T upgrade offer for the obsolete PH9 motorised probe head systems, Rousant Sherwood of Henley-on-Thames, a specialist manufacturer of multi-axis machined components, was quick to take advantage of it.

Incorporating Renishaw’s Renscan5™ technology, REVO® has proven to improve inspection throughput levels by up to 900% on CMMs previously fitted with three-axis scanning systems, whilst also saving hours of calibration times compared to conventional indexing head systems.

Working with other manufacturing specialists, Siemens, Sescoi and Iscar, Renishaw used its latest measurement technologies, including the revolutionary REVO® measuring head for co-ordinate measuring machines, to deliver a blade solution that saw Kiriasis dominate the 2006-2007 FIBT season, winning both the World Cup and World Championships.

Flexible consistent inspection at Porsche part supplier. Tower Malacky, the Slovakian subsidiary of US company Tower, is a leading supplier of pressed parts to blue-chip motor manufacturers across Europe, such as Porsche and Volkswagen.