On site

Automotive Manufacturing & Production, Nov, 1997 by Gary S. Vasilash

To that end, the metrology company has recently launched a raft of new coordinate measuring machines (CMMs).

To wit:

* The VENTO R-SF. The "SF" stands for shop floor. This horizontal-arm machine features temperature compensation to permit it to work out there where the work is done. It has an X-axis measuring range of 3,000 to 12,000 ram; Y-axis range of 1,300 to 1,500 ram; and a Z-axis range of 1,800 mm to 2,400 mm. Given that range - and realize that two machines can be setup in an opposed orientation in case a bigger area has to be measured - the applications are varied, from prismatic parts to automotive bodies. The CMM can be used for continuous scanning operations, as well. The volumetric measuring accuracies provided by the CMM start from 25 22 L/1,000 um. The VENTO R-SF can be fitted with both electronic touch-trigger ana analog probes. It can be equipped with automatic probe changers. And, given the curves characteristic of bodies-in-white, it can be ordered with a servo wrist (designated the CW 43). The machine can be run in a fully automatic mode or, thanks, in part, to disengageable drives, run manually.

* Brown & Sharpe is responsible for CMMs that have other well-known brand names. Such as DEA and Leitz. It owns those companies. Engineers from the three organizations got together and developed the SCIROCCO TRAX. This machine employs the LeitzTRAX, which is an ultra-precise, all-terrain probe system. The CMM itself was developed by DEA. The bridge-type unit - which is exceedingly quick, providing travel at up to 52 m/min - is equipped to perform in industrial environments. To be sure, it can measure within its volume of X= 1,500 mm, Y= 1,000 mm and Z= 800 min. But more than just getting geometric dimensions on parts, it provides the ability to perform high-speed, high-accuracy analog probing of known shapes as well as free-form surfaces. There are two scanning modes. One is used to measure predefined surfaces. It is a high-speed, open-loop approach. The other mode is for unknown, free-form shapes. It employs a closed-loop scanning mode.

* The VENTO R-SF has been available on the market for a few months now. But the SCIROCCO ACTIV is quite new. A key attribute of the CMM are 16 sensors. These sensors are located around the machine. They measure ambient thermal conditions. Then this data is used by the controller which employs an algorithm that performs real-time calculations to determine the expansion and nonlinear bending effects induced by temperature changes. And the result of all this is that thermal compensation is made so that the machine will perform on the shop floor with high accuracy. It provides a volumetric accuracy of 3.5 5 L/1,000 um in a temperature range of 18 to 28[degrees]C. All of which relates to the ACTIV, which stands for Adaptive Compensation of Temperature Induced Variations.

The overall trend is to get as close to the work as is possible. It is apparent that Brown & Sharpe management believes that this approach is the right one.