Portable 3D measurement: solutions to common challenges of large parts and components

In the whole production process, the measurement and calibration of large parts and components is a considerable challenge. Here are some solutions to these problems.

In the manufacturing industry, dimension control is an uncompromising basic component. It determines the differences between parts, establishes the comparison between solid parts and CAD models to check whether the parts are compliant and ensure the correct installation in the final assembly. However, in addition to obtaining the correct three-dimensional part structure, there are other factors that affect the design specification.

Customized Wagstaff die table installation system and supporting die table

Increasing investment in measurement and calibration parts of precision equipment can ensure that all parts can be installed in place in the first time without any unnecessary rework, thus improving the efficiency of the company and reducing the waste of resources. In addition, if the calibration, measurement and detection are carried out correctly in the appropriate production stage, the serious consequences caused by equipment failure or production delay can be avoided.

"Higher" demand for accuracy

For aerospace, automobile, shipbuilding, heavy equipment manufacturing and other industries that need to deal with large parts and components, measurement and calibration task is a considerable problem in the whole production process. On the surface, these problems don't seem to be very different from those common to most manufacturers. However, due to the different sizes of the constructed objects, the consequences of these difficulties and missing specifications are magnified several times.

Manufacturers dealing with large workpieces frankly say that with the increase of product size, the three-dimensional structure of parts becomes more and more complex, and their measurement and inspection tasks become more difficult. Traditional manual measuring tools, such as ruler, gauge, caliper, micrometer, square and protractor, are effective to a certain extent, but they also have high requirements for time and operator skills, and are prone to human errors.

It is impractical to use large and fixed coordinate measuring machine (CMM) in quality laboratory, because many workpieces can not be moved to the laboratory for measurement and inspection due to various reasons. In addition, the fixed CMM is limited in the size of parts that can be detected, and the cost is very high in mass production.

In addition to the size and cost constraints, accessibility and line of sight problems also perplex the technicians who are responsible for accurate measurement, and they have been trying to find an effective way to complete their work. With the continuous progress of today's technology, there are many fast and cost-effective solutions to solve these common challenges.

In some cases, it is necessary to measure or detect the huge objects accurately and comprehensively from different angles, which is very troublesome or even impossible for the traditional manual measuring tools or the classic CMM. In contrast, it is much simpler to measure such an object with a single portable device, such as a single measuring arm. Usually, using portable 3D measuring equipment to measure huge objects needs to be measured around the measuring object, and multiple data sets need to be organized into a unified data model.

Three scaarms are combined with vantage tracker to scan ships to form a super 6DOF trackarm solution

Super 6DOF trackarms is a portable 3D measurement system with a wide range of functions, which can combine the long-distance and high-precision functions of FaroArm or scaarm with the flexibility and consistency of FaroArm. Thus, a measurement solution can significantly increase the available measurement amount and solve the problem of line of sight.

In the measurement range of the tracker, the user can freely move the measuring arm around the measuring object or component, or even use multiple measuring arms to speed up the measurement cycle time, so as to automatically merge the captured data into a unified data model in real time. This provides a large-scale six degree of freedom detection capability for detection and scanning, and significantly increases the value and efficiency of the measurement and inspection process. In particular, users from the automotive, heavy machinery and aerospace industries will find this solution most useful when using large but extremely sophisticated and complex parts.

The combination of accuracy, flexibility and durability in portable 3D measurement solutions enables manufacturers to achieve measurement accuracy with unprecedented efficiency. Now, these manufacturers can not only grasp the size and complexity of large parts and components, but also solve the problem of line of sight and the measurement location with vicious environment. With the right portable 3D measuring equipment, manufacturers can improve customer confidence, speed up delivery time and reduce scrap and rework rates, thus improving the competitiveness of the company.

2021 ites Shenzhen industrial exhibition is a special zone for CNC machine tools and testing equipment, which brings together many international famous industrial measurement brands and measurement solution enterprises, such as hexcon, Zeiss, Faru, etc. they will display nearly 100 sets of industrial measurement equipment and intelligent measurement control system on site. From March 30 to April 2, 2021, Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center, welcome to the site of ites Shenzhen industrial exhibition to meet with industry celebrities