Mitutoyo ‘co-ordinating’ precision at ADP

Among the latest users of the recently introduced Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V series CMM is Newcastle-based ADP Precision Engineering.

“Given our beliefs in producing premium-quality components and ensuring that we achieve maximum efficiencies in all of our activities, we recently searched for a new CMM,” explains ADP director and co-founder Peter Cornish. “The launch of Mitutoyo’s Crysta-Apex V series proved to be perfect timing, as the new CMM’s high precision and speed specification matched our requirements exactly.
“Our recently installed CMM is now satisfying ADP’s demanding precision needs and helping to guarantee the quality of parts that we produce,” he continues. “In addition, its rapid CNC action is helping to fast-track the throughput of inspection work in our busy quality department. Its speed is also proving very useful when we are faced with challenging lead times.”
ADP quality manager Stephen Cross adds: “The new CMM’s fast CNC performance means that we are now able to load a large batch of components to the machine’s bed, then start a quick, fully automated measuring sequence. On completion, data related to each individual component is then generated and, if required, we can print detailed inspection reports or archive relevant inspection data.
“Given the speed of the Mitutoyo CMM, in addition to inspecting our current levels of production, we are confident that it will also be able to handle any future increases in production.”
Due to the advent of smart factories and the arrival of the IoT, Crysta-Apex V series CNC CMMs are equipped with Mitutoyo’s Smart Measuring System (SMS) technology. SMS allows the online monitoring of a CMM’s operational status and the automated gathering of records related to key parts.
For further information www.mitutoyo.co.uk

PSL at TK

TK Fabrications of Harlow, a family-run engineering company specialising in the machining and fabrication of low-to-medium volume batch work, is reaping the benefits of its investment in PSL Datatrack production control software.

The company’s previous Excel-based system for quotations was not integrated into the rest of its order processing system, while the manual inputting of customer data was too time-consuming. PSL Datatrack’s modularity has meant that TK only needed to invest in the modules required at the outset.
For further information www.psldatatrack.com

Distribution partnership for metrology experts

A new distribution agreement between Nikon Metrology Europe and Wenzel sees two of the biggest global players in metrology create a new partnership. The agreement provides customers with a combination of Wenzel CMMs and Nikon Metrology’s laser-scanning solutions.

As a result of the arrangement, Wenzel becomes an official Nikon Metrology partner for the sales and distribution of Nikon Metrology laser-scanning products in the European market.
Carsten Georgi, laser radar and laser scanning sales director at Nikon Metrology, says: “The partnership between Nikon Metrology Europe and Wenzel brings two innovative companies together to meet the increasing market demands of our mutual customers.”
Dr Heike Wenzel, CEO of the Wenzel Group, adds: “By using Nikon sensors on a Wenzel CMM, Wenzel provides its customers with an additional benefit. Due to the extended portfolio of optical sensors, the right sensor for each customer can be offered in terms of measuring time, accuracy and level of detail. Furthermore, existing CMMs can be upgraded by Wenzel with the new optical sensors. All this is rounded off by the use of our measuring software WM Quartis, in which the complete Nikon Metrology sensor portfolio is integrated.”
With Industry 4.0 practices integrating all areas of manufacturing to improve the efficiency of production processes, laser scanning is a key component in its implementation. In the production environment, laser scanning helps to obtain a rapid insight into deviations, a significant benefit of high-speed digital data capture. With the support of Wenzel’s CMMs, this new partnership is set to deliver precise and innovative solutions, ready for Industry 4.0.
For further information www.nikonmetrology.com

Reusable visors

Protecting frontline workers against the threat of COVID-19 has been the catalyst for nine manufacturers and an engineering design agency to come together and launch a new product.

The Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN) has invested more than £30,000 in the design and manufacture of the reusable manKIND Visor. Backed by expertise from the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the collective took just six weeks from initial concept and prototyping to create a bespoke tool at Barkley Plastics that is able to produce 500,000 units every year.
For further information www.mankindvisor.co.uk

Providing precision when ‘heat’ is on

When Alloy Heat Treatment (AHT) was established in 1974 it became the first UK company dedicated to the heat treatment of aluminium alloys. To satisfy increasing demand for its services, the Dudley-based subcontractor has continuously expanded its facilities and invested in the best-available technologies.

As unwanted distortions can occur in intricate aluminium products due to rapid heat transfer from the quenching process, AHT operates a setting department that removes distortion in the treated condition while products remain ductile. To help further increase AHT’s setting department capabilities and accelerate throughput, a Quantum E ScanArm was recently purchased from
Faro UK.
AHT director Ian Perks says. “The quality of the heat-treated components we deliver to our customers are of paramount importance to us. Owing to the speed and precision that a ScanArm-type device could provide, for many years we’ve felt that such an advanced inspection aid had a part to play in our organisation. Therefore, as our workload grew, we recently committed to placing an order. As we were aware of Faro’s reputation for being the market leader in this technology, we didn’t consider purchasing any other brand of laser scanner.
“After considering several Faro models, we chose the Quantum E ScanArm due to its speed, ease of use and accuracy specification,” continues Perks. “So successful has it been that we now anticipate a much quicker ROI than originally anticipated. In addition to being the perfect choice for measurement and scanning tasks, since using our new ScanArm we’ve found numerous other uses for it across our site.”
For further information www.faro.com