Inspection, Reverse-Engineering System

Manufacturing Engineering, Jun 2007

Portable CMM supplier Romer Inc. (Wixom, MI), a unit of Hexagon Metrology (Sweden), has launched an inspection and reverse-engineering solution that includes its seven-axis Infinite portable CMM, a ScanShark 4Vi laser-scanning probe, PolyWorks software, and a laptop or desktop computer.

With Romer's new ScanShark inspection/reverse-engineering solution, users can take mobile metrology to the shop floor including the power of articulated arm measurement and laser scanning for ondemand part inspection and/or reverse engineering. The system is suitable for part surfaces that are difficult to reach, such as inside an aircraft or underneath an automobile.

Romer offers the ScanShark system in scalable versions, with three configurations-an inspection solution with PolyWorks/Inspect; a reverse-engineering solution with PolyWorks/Modeler; and the full inspection-reverse engineering package with PolyWorks Inspect and Modeler. The ScanShark product line is designed to help control the quality of parts, tooling, and assemblies during every phase of manufacturing. With precision scanning and probing capabilities, operators can identify errors or deviations in the production process, inspect first-assembled parts, check tool wear and part quality, and perform final part verification.

The ScanShark combination of articulating-arm measurement with laser scanning enables maximum surface inspection of a workpiece. The premium ScanShark 4Vi laser-scanning probe enables rapid data collection at 23,000 points per sec; the lightweight scanner can be used to quickly acquire large, geometrically complex areas with direct integration with PolyWorks software. The noncontact device is well-suited for generating point clouds for reverse-engineering applications, identifying part surface errors, and checking deformable objects made from thin or soft materials including fabrics, leather, foam, rubber, plastic, sheetmetal, and similar materials.