Maintenance and repair is an industry segment where ongoing investment in the latest metrology solutions is paramount.

A case in point can be seen at the Glasgow facility of Aerotron Avotec, which specialises in the repair and overhaul of rotary and fixed wing aircraft components for civil and military customers. The company has to work with everything from tiny bearings to shafts, gears, brake components, wheels and large outer casings for aircraft undercarriages. Engineers at the company are tasked with inspecting parts to extremely tight tolerances, which can often mean taking key measurements from difficult-to-access areas.
Having scanned the market for the most suitable solutions to these challenges, Aerotron Avotec invested in an IM-7500 optical imaging measurement system from Keyence, which has enabled measurements to be acquired using just one instrument, and in a fraction of the time previously required. Simultaneously, using the Keyence system has increased the accuracy of measurements, mainly through being able to reduce the amount of human interface involved. Once the information gathered is programmed into the memory of the machine, parts of the same specification can be measured quickly and simply with one or two button clicks.
This functionality greatly reduces the number of man hours that would traditionally be spent on such a task.
A spokesperson for Aerotron Avotec says: “The Keyence solution was recommended to us by a manufacturer whose equipment we overhaul and repair. This was a new departure for us because we hadn´t owned or used any Keyence equipment before. However, having looked at other solutions, the Keyence IM-7500 is the optical image measurement system that we believe most closely matches our requirements.”
For further information www.keyence.co.uk

Insphere, a specialist in metrology, has become a member of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, primarily to support the ongoing development of its on-machine measurement and verification technology.

The Bristol-based company been working with the Nuclear AMRC, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, since early 2018, on the development of its Baseline system.
Able to provide full verification of a large machine tool in less than one hour, Baseline facilitates regular checks and delivers confidence in performance prior to cutting metal. The Nuclear AMRC hosted the product’s launch in March 2019, after Insphere engineers worked with the centre’s metrology and machining team to test and develop Baseline on its largest machine-tool platforms.
“Becoming a member of the Nuclear AMRC confirms our ongoing commitment to develop innovative methods of improving machine-tool performance through the use of metrology data,” says Ben Adeline, Insphere chief executive. “This will form a critical part of our company’s strategy to develop state-of-the-art products for the advanced manufacturing community.”
As a tier-two member of the Nuclear AMRC, Insphere is able to work closely with the centre’s researchers, tap into other machining and metrology research projects, and build links with manufacturers in the supply chain for nuclear and other quality-critical industries.
Engineers from Insphere are now installing the Baseline system on the Nuclear AMRC’s Soraluce FX12000 horizontal boring machine, and will provide ongoing technical support as part of the company’s membership. Capable of working on parts up to 12 m in length and 5 m in diameter, the Soraluce is the largest machining platform available for collaborative R&D in the UK.
For further information https://namrc.co.uk/