Thatcham-based Xtrac, a manufacturer of transmission and drivetrain technology, has added to nearly 30 years of specifying Mitutoyo equipment by investing in three Crysta S776 CNC CMMs in the past 24 months. These most recent arrivals are all direct replacements for Mitutoyo BHN series CMMs that had been at Xtrac for over 20 years.

“The technology in modern CMMs, and particularly the MCOSMOS software, enables us to import CAD data, program our parts faster, improve both online and offline part-program creation from imported CAD models, and extend our geometry handling of freeform surfaces,” explains inspection manager Neil Warwick. “Added to this, the axis movements and motors in the new CMMs are faster than previous generations, resulting in reduced inspection cycle times.”
All six current CMMs at Xtrac utilise the same Mitutoyo MCOSMOS software, the same workholding jigs and fixtures, and the same Renishaw probing systems.
However, with the ever increasing complexity of parts, a CMM cannot support the measuring of all geometries and features. This was apparent for Xtrac when a particular Formula One component had undercuts on form gears that needed to be machined and measured to tolerances of ±5 µm. Here, Mitutoyo recommended its Formtracer contour measuring machine (pictured).
A precision arc scale built into the Z1-axis detector of the Formtracer SVC-3100W8 allows the arc trajectory of the stylus tip to be read directly. The capability and success of the Formtracer soon brought the arrival of two Contracer CV-3100H8 machines with X- and Z2-axis travel of 200 and 500 mm respectively. This was followed by a smaller CV-3100H4 machine.
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