Stalybridge-based engineering company Park Engineering has significantly increased the size of parts it can machine and subsequently measure on a CMM. It follows the installation at the start of 2022 of two new machines, a Spanish-built Correa Fox 50 five-axis machining centre having a 5.0 x 3.25 x 1.6 m working envelope, nearly 16% larger than the company’s previous largest machine, and an Altera M 30.20.15 CMM with 3.0 x 2.0 x 1.5 m axis travels built by LK Metrology. Compared with the largest of three LK machines previously operated by Park Engineering, it offers twice the measuring volume.

Quality manager Will Reeves says: “The increase in speed and accuracy of the Altera M, which is around six times faster and 216% more accurate than the oldest of our previous CMMs, was a great selling point, but we were also delighted to have a larger capacity CMM with a smaller overall footprint. It’s down to the top-class LK machine design, incorporating the best of modern materials and technology. “

In day-to-day operation, the Altera M CMM supports the inspection of large parts with drawing tolerances of typically ±50 µm, but is sufficiently accurate to measure smaller parts down in the 10 µm region. Irrespective of tolerances, LK’s software application CAMIO with its user-friendly operator interface allows the generation of CNC programs either online or offline for the inspection of batch quantities, further reducing inspection time and cost, especially when CAD models are available.

“Across the broad spectrum of work packages, we have access to CAD models approximately 50-60% of the time, with the remainder being work to print,” says Reeves. “However, the provision of CAD models is something we are always encouraging our customers to provide, as it minimises the risk of incorrect data being entered due to human error during the programming process.”

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