Bowers Group reveals showcase for Control 2023

At Control 2023 (Stuttgart, 9-12 May), Bowers Group will shine the spotlight on its quality control and connective metrology solutions (hall 9, stand 9106).Visitors can expect live product demonstrations to illustrate how effective data transfer between measurement equipment and applications can boost manufacturing productivity.

On display will be a range of Bluetooth-enabled hand tools and height gauges working in conjunction with Sylvac’s Sylcom software, showing how connectivity can improve efficiencies and reduce errors. Notably, visitors will have the chance to see Bowers’ Made in Britain registered, digital external micrometer, DigiMic, which features advanced, built-in Bluetooth connectivity. Offering quick, simple, and highly accurate measurements, the DigiMic can easily integrate into any Industry 4.0/SPC system.

Bowers Group’s Baty-branded Venture XT is a highly flexible multi-sensor vision system and will also be on the stand, demonstrating the latest Fusion Software release featuring lens error mapping and offline vision/touch-probe programming from CAD. The combination of contact and non-contact measurements in the same automated inspection, combined with ease of use and graphical reporting, make the Venture XT a cost-effective measurement solution for both production cells and QC labs alike.

Bowers Group will also showcase its oldest brand, Moore & Wright, a range of handheld metrology instruments that includes micrometers, calipers, indicators, height gauges and general workshop measurement tools.

Bowers Group export sales director Richard Grocott says: “Once again, we look forward to exhibiting at the Control exhibition and the opportunity to meet with so many of our customers and valued distribution partners. “Control week” is such an important event in our calendar, enabling Bowers Group to showcase our measurement technologies, which are designed to assist a wide range of manufacturers.”
For further information www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Creaform introduces HandyScan Black Elite Limited

Creaform, a business unit of Ametek Inc and a specialist in portable 3D measurement solutions and engineering services, is adding the HandyScan Black Elite Limitedhigh-accuracy handheld scanner to itsHandyScan BlackElite series line-up. Developed over the last decade by optimising manufacturing and calibration processes, working closely with suppliers and speaking with several thousands of industrial customers, this handheld solution delivers high levels of accuracy.

Designed specifically to address the needs of the most demanding dimensional metrology professionals in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, Creaform says that the HandyScan BlackElite Limited can tackle any quality control or product development applications where tolerances require increased accuracy. It is twice as accurate as theHandyScan BlackElite, assessed through an ISO 17025 accredited calibration, based on VDI/VDE part 3 standard.

The HandyScan BlackElite Limited provides accuracy of 0.012 mm and is powered by smart resolution that highlights fine details and high curvature. A total of 11 blue laser crosses help to provide increased scanning speed on difficult surfaces. The device boasts integrated photogrammetry, as does the whole HandyScan 3D line-up.

Notably, the HandyScan BlackElite Limited is portable, lightweight, simple and versatile, making it suited toon-the-go scanning in any environmental conditions. In addition, HandyScan BlackElite Limited is suitable for Creaform application software, such as VXmodel module for scan-to-CAD, VXinspect module for dimensional inspection and VXintegrity NDT software platform for NDT applications.

This metrology solution was fully developed and is manufactured in Creaform’s ISO9000 headquarters in Canada, where the company maintains an ISO 17025 accredited calibration laboratory in-house.
For further information www.creaform3d.com

Wenzel to spotlight latest products at Innoteq

As a content and community platform, Innoteq earlier this month served to connect the main players of the Swiss manufacturing industry as a hotspot and relevant industry meeting point – live and digitally.

At the event, Wenzel delivered a number of live demonstrations, including those for the company’s compact tomograph exaCT S; its LH 108 co-ordinate gantry measuring machine with rotary table; the CORE optical measuring device; and the optical X-press shaft measuring machine.

On the LH CMM, Wenzel had integrated a rotary table and provided insights into the latest solution for measuring gears on a conventional co-ordinate measuring machine. As a point of note,it is possible to configure all measuring machines of the LH series with an integrated rotary table. This enables precise four-axis measurement of rotationally symmetrical components, as well as reliable measurement of the entire spectrum of prismatic components.

Further innovations were available at Innoteq in the area of optical high-speed scanning. With WM Quartis it is possible to configure the CORE measuring device and operate it with tactile sensors, as well as with optical double-eye sensors. To increase speed in production, the CORE offers a flexible measurement solution for demanding tasks. According to Wenzel, WM Quartis measures up to four times faster compared to tactile CMMs. For customers whose environmental conditions do not require an automated light shield (CORE S LP), the company has developed the CORE S E (Essential), at a lower price and with a smaller footprint.

Also demonstrated at the booth were computed tomography solutions. The desktop CT exaCT S supports applications in a wide range of industries where internal and external structures of components require capturing completely and quickly.
For further information www.wenzel-group.com

Digital 3D touch sensor wins Hexagon’s support

Hexagon has announced the winner of the second cohort of its coveted ‘Sixth Sense’ open innovation platform, which nurtures start-ups creating solutions to pressing manufacturing challenges.The Sixth Sense platform offers business insight, access to experts and mentorship, as well as exposing them to Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division’s global customer and partner base, which includes the likes of Audi, Airbus, Meta and Zimmer Biomet.

GelSight won the competition, following an intense 10-week programme of product refinement and business development, which culminated in a pitching competition at The Hague, Netherlands, where the team presentedits progress to a panel of judges representing experts in technology, investment and Hexagon leadership. As part of its winning package, GelSight will receive access to Hexagon’s extensive customer base to expand its business, andintegrate with Hexagon products and further resources to aid globalisation.

Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO of GelSight, says: “Many inspections in the industry today are still performed by an inspector simply looking at or touching a part to identify, and sometimes measure, a defect. This is a subjective, non-repeatable, non-traceable process. Our gel material acts as artificial skin, providing extremely detailed and rapid surface characterisation. We have digitised the entire workflow – our technology analyses the readings to give users detailed 3D visualisation with up to 5 million data points that can help automate processes, cutting costs and time.

“Working with Sixth Sense has been such a memorable experience,” he adds.“We are proud and humbled to have been chosen and are looking forward to the future with Hexagon. The real work starts now.”
For further information https://sixthsense.hexagon.com

Blum touch probes prove their long service life

Employing measuring systems in the working area of a CNC machining centre is still an unfamiliar idea for some quality experts. With its probes in use at German company Scherzinger Pumpen, Blum-Novotest is demonstrating that automated measurement not only works effectively in this harsh environment and in two-shift operation, but does so reliably and accurately over many years.

“Our core competencies in manufacturing are in milling, turning and grinding, as well as logistics and assembly,” reports Mario Maier, head of process planning at Scherzinger Pumps. “We machine metal as well as plastic and, in so doing, achieve a high level of quality and reliably tight manufacturing tolerances. Blum touch probes and laser light barriers, which we use in many machining centres, help us to accomplish that. The probes have an astonishingly long service life.”

At Scherzinger, the Blum TC50 infrared probes primarily find use for measuring bores and for workpiece zero-point detection. The company machines housings for brine pumps, for example, from two sides by rotating the clamped components in the machine tool. As a point of note, the drive is located on one side, while the two gear wheels of the actual pump are located on the other side. Scherzingermachines the through-hole of the drive axis from the drive side in the first set-up. After finishing one side – there are five housings per set-up – the housings swivel by 180°to allow machining of the pump side.

To ensure that the two machining operations align precisely with each other, the probe (mounted in the machine spindle) measures the position of the through-hole on all five housings after swivelling. The measured positions are then taken into account during the second machining operation so that, for example, the threaded holes for the cover can be precisely aligned, drilled and cut.
For further information www.blum-novotest.com