FEATURE ON METROLOGY

Investments boost efficiency at Alrose

Due to the significant growth of its subcontract CNC turning and machining service, Alrose Products invested in a selection of precision measurement instruments from Bowers Group to improve turnaround times and deliver high-quality machining processes. Enhancing its operations with both a Baty Venture vision system and a Trimos V7 height gauge, the company now offers the highest levels of accuracy to customers by measuring to very tight tolerances with consistent precision.

“Buying any equipment is a consideration as there are so many factors involved, not least the investment of capital,” says Jon Aconley, managing director at Alrose Products. “However, knowing the reputation of Bowers Group and understanding what’s on offer made it far easier. The equipment was agreed and ordered, delivered on time and to specification, while the back-up service has been faultless.”

Bowers says that its instruments adhere to strict tolerance standards, ensuring consistent and reliable measurements across all operations. This consistency eliminates the potential for operator-induced variations, providing the business with enhanced accuracy and confidence in their measurement data.

The Baty Venture Vision System features powerful optics and intuitive software in support of measurement capabilities that include dimensional analysis, surface inspection and defect detection.Key features include high-resolution cameras, precision motorised stages and intuitive software interface, which allow for rapid and accurate measurement of complex parts with minimal user intervention. According to Bowers, the system’s robust construction and ergonomic design ensure reliability and ease of use in demanding manufacturing environments.

The Trimos V7 height gauge features a touch-display and lateral insert holders, serving as a versatile tool for workshop environments.

For further information www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Affordable CMMs gain extra accuracy

Manufacturers wishing to inspect components machined to tight tolerances, but unwilling to invest in an expensive, ultra-high-accuracy CMM, now have the option of selecting theAltera C HA (high accuracy) from LK Metrology. Available in five sizes, the largest 15.9.7 model was exhibited on the company’s stand at the MACH 2024 exhibition in Birminghamlast month.

These ceramic-bridge machines are constructed from the same components as the standard Altera C range, but are optimised during build at the company’s Derbyshire production facility to deliver 16% higher accuracy during a measuring cycle, with 13% better repeatability and 50% more accurate scanning. Volumetric accuracy is from 1.3+L/350, repeatability from 0.0013 mm and scanning accuracy from 0.002 mm.

When implementing design improvements to the Altera C HA, the company paid particular attention to upgrading the moving bridge. The spread of the air bearings supporting the main drive leg is now wider to increase the stiffness of the bridge assembly by 17% overall, which is particularly beneficial during high-speed movements. Advantages to the user are considerable, as measuring uncertainty when chasing tolerances down to microns is significantly better. For the same reason, LK further stiffened the bearing mountings and improved their alignment.


The pre-loaded, wrap-around air bearing configuration runs with a reduced air film thickness for low energy consumption and gives repeatable measurement results, even at fast axis speeds, reports LK. Friction drives provide smooth motion together with exact positioning at continuously varying speeds, as well as zero backlash and overload protection.


Multi-sensor capability is provided, with the Renishaw PH10M motorised probe head able to deploy a touch-trigger probe, scanning probe or laser scanner.

For further information www.lkmetrology.com

Raising the experience for QC professionals

Creaform, a business of Ametek and a worldwide provider of automated and portable 3D measurement solutions, is releasing its MetraScan Black+, MetraScan Black+Elite and HandyProbe Next+, all latest versions of the company’s suite of optical CMM 3D scanners and probes.

Leveraging new ISO 10360 certifications and set-up assistance tools, this latest-generation MetraScan 3D line-up aims to provide professionals with sophisticated tools that optimise operations.Guaranteeing confidence in the stated specifications, the sensor acceptance test procedure is based on ISO 10360, an international standard which ensures intense testing to define specifications and qualify sensor performance.Performance tests take place at Creaform’s ISO/IEC 17025-2017 accredited laboratories, which ensures the quality of facilities and equipment, the traceability of artefacts, and the quality of validation methods.

Enabling the simple and precise measurement of large parts, the expansion of this line-up marks a strategic move by Creaform to meet the evolving needs of quality control (QC) experts. The products now offer an accuracy specification of up to 0.025 mm + 0.015 mm/m in the extended measuring volume, ensuring trust in the performance and accuracy of the QC process on large parts.

Another stand-out feature is 360° magnetic targets. Visible from all angles, these reusable and durable targets are easy to set up. They offer automatic detectionto support the fast delivery of results.

Guidance tools are available to provide visual guidance feedback on positioning targets when creating a set-up, which is especially useful for non-experts, while troubleshooting tools offer advanced set-up diagnostics if required.

For further information www.creaform3d.com

Bowers Group reports success at SteelFab

Bowers Group is celebrating yet another successful exhibition on the international stage as the team reap the rewards of a busy SteelFab 2024. A prominent event in the Middle East’s metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industry, Bowers Group’s Baty Venture Plus XT stole the spotlight at the exhibition. This four-in-one system, which integrates profile projection, microscopy, CMM and video inspection capabilities, attracted significant attention.

Export sales manager at Bowers Group, Mark Golding, was delighted with the event, saying: “With an excellent turnout, the exhibition provided the perfect opportunity for establishing new partnerships, a step that will play a crucial role in expanding Bowers Group’s global supplier network. I’m personally looking forward to working with our new suppliers and clients over the coming year and beyond.”

With each new edition, SteelFab continues to play a key role in the region’s industrial growth, seen not only as an opportunity to showcase products but also as avenue for engaging with industry peers and contributing to the progress of the manufacturing and engineering sectors.

Flying the flag for British industry on the UK pavilion, it was an important step for Bowers Group in reinforcing its commitment to excellence in the field of metrology. The company’s contribution to SteelFab reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen its place as a leader in the advancement and innovation of precision measurement technology.

Baty, proudly part of the Made in Britain collective, reflects the essence of British manufacturing on a global scale. The Made in Britain mark signifies the commitment to quality and precision in Baty’s vision systems.For further information www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Industry-first zoom-enabled optical 3D scanner

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division is launching a new type of high-productivity structured light scanner. Built on a completely re-engineered platform, Hexagon says the SmartScan VR800 is the first optical 3D scanner on the market with a motorised zoom lens that enables users to adjust data resolution and measurement volume entirely through software settings. This capability improves the productivity of quality inspection, and further enhances workflows with more efficient post-scanning alignment processes.

Whereas conventional structured light scanners have a fixed optical configuration, the combination of dual stereo cameras and optical zoom-enabled projection makes the SmartScan VR800 more flexible, allowing users to define in exactly which form they collect their data.

Three new software functions – Smart Resolution, Smart Zoom and Smart Snap – allow the user to customise inspection resolution and measurement volume with no mechanical alterations to the system. This capability means that data-heavy high-resolution scans can focus on the feature-rich areas that matter most, while covering other areas more efficiently via larger and/or lower resolution scans.

The new system simplifies the scanning process from start to finish. Users can: easily adjust scan detail and size with software (no manual changes needed); mix detailed and broad scans into one model for faster results; and process scans quicker by cutting down on excess data, while keeping essential details.

Pirmin Bitzi, general manager for portable metrology devices at Hexagon, explains: “The need to change optics for different use cases has always been a key challenge when implementing structured light scanning inspection solutions. Finding a solution to that industry-wide problem was a key motivator. We wanted a way to meet the demands of applications where it’s not efficient to scan everything at high resolutions, nor acceptable to scan everything at lower resolutions.”

For further information www.hexagon.com/mi