Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division is releasing its HP-L-10.10, which the company describes as a genre-busting non-contact laser sensor for CMMs that offers manufacturers the ability to perform dimensional measurements at comparable accuracy to tactile probing, and inspect almost any surface in a fraction of the time.

Manufacturers using CMMs for critical part measurements have become accustomed to trading speed for accuracy. The HP-L-10.10 sensor utilises Hexagon’s latest cross-platform laser line scanning technology to offer similar repeatability and performance compared with tactile measurements executed on the same CMM. Furthermore, it can measure 600,000 individual points per second with a probing form error of just 8 μm, rapidly capturing a complete high-resolution digital representation of a part that is valid for both surface and detailed feature inspection. While laser scanning has been possible on CMMs, the HP-L-10.10 is seven times faster than its predecessor and introduces high-precision scanning.

The new sensor employs Hexagon’s proprietary SHINE (Systematic High-Intelligence Noise Elimination) technology, making it possible to scan almost any part surface or finish at maximum speed and accuracy without user intervention.

“We believe this laser-line scanner is game-changing because it offers speed, flexibility and accuracy without sacrificing one crucial inspection need for another,” says Patryk Wroclawski, product manager non-contact & laser triangulation. “The HP-L-10.10 redefines what can be achieved with a single piece of equipment, so that our customers can utilise comprehensive measurement data for actions beyond final part quality, whether that be within new product development or continuous improvement initiatives.”

The HP-L-10.10 complements Hexagon’s extensive offering of sensor solutions for CMMs, providing manufacturers with greater flexibility in projects and the confidence that their CMM investment can take on the broadest range of measurement applications from larger sheet-metal parts to intricate electric vehicle components. Hexagon’s HP-L-10.10 is available for the Global S and Global Advantage CMMs.

For further information
www.hexagonmi.com

Vision Engineering has launched its DRV Stereo CAM, a stereo camera system that converts optical stereo microscopes into high-magnification, high-definition 3D stereo microscopes.

DRV Stereo CAM integrates seamlessly with Vision’s ergonomic stereo microscope, the Lynx EVO, while also upgrading compatible conventional binocular stereo microscopes to full HD 3D digital stereo imaging. The system combines all the benefits of high-resolution optical microscopy and Vision Engineering’s patented DRV ‘glasses-free’ digital 3D stereo viewing technology.

DRV Stereo CAM allows viewing to be separate from the target subject, enabling remote, safe and ergonomic positioning of the operator where the subject is required to be in a clean or aggressive environment. Samples in laminar flow cabinets, over production lines and in difficult to access areas can be safely and remotely viewed, in 3D, away from the microscope.

Paul Newbatt, group sales and marketing director, says: “Another advantage of DRV Stereo CAM is the live distribution of viewed images and video, so now, high-resolution 3D stereo images normally viewed in-situ through an optical microscope can be viewed, captured, recalled and shared across networks. Team members located within a building, across a company, or anywhere in the world can view the same 3D HD images in real time.”

For further information
www.visioneng.com

In addition to the quality of capital equipment considered by potential purchasers, the standard of the customer services provided by prospective suppliers is also a major part of any purchase decision.

The effectiveness of the support services offered by Mitutoyo UK is illustrated by the assistance given to Skar Precision Mouldings prior to, during and following the recent installation of a Mitutoyo CMM at the firm’s Hadleigh premises in Suffolk. Established in 1969, Skar Precision Mouldings has grown to become one of the UK’s largest injection moulding businesses. To help keep pace with demand, the company operates 35 high-yield machines with a tonnage range from 22-450 and a maximum shot weight of 2.4 kg, on a 24-hour/five days a week production cycle.

Skar’s requirement to undertake high-precision inspection routines and provide detailed inspection reports for a multi-national manufacturer of medical analysis equipment, recently prompted the search for a suitably accurate CMM. Having considered the offerings from several leading metrology companies, a Crysta-Apex S CMM with a capacity of 500 x 700 x 400 mm, was purchased from Mitutoyo UK.

As the Mitutoyo CMM arrived before the completion of Skar’s new temperature controlled inspection facility, the company took advantage of Mitutoyo UK’s customer service provisions.

Paul Chaplin, quality engineer and CMM programmer at Skar Precision Mouldings, says: “Mitutoyo UK provided us with a very efficient subcontract service. They measured and delivered our fully inspected critical parts on time, along with the required inspection reports. Once the building work was complete and our CMM had been installed, Mitutoyo supplied the part programs and ensured that a colleague and I received in-depth training.”

For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk

With tolerances on components getting tighter and customer requirements getting stricter, Chelburn Precision was keen to improve its measurement abilities. Based in Rochdale, the company found the solution in a Trimos V7 height gauge supplied by Bowers Group.

Chelburn Precision is a subcontract engineering company making large precision components, mostly for the canning, rubber and plastic, paper converting, and mining industries. Already working with a smaller height gauge, the team found it was holding the company back when measuring larger sized components.
In particular, the team was not able to reach the full height of components with the existing height gauge, resulting in the need to either turn jobs over to measure from a different plane, or make time and room on one of its machine tools to carry out checks. This task not only required extra time, but stopped the production of both the machine tools and their operators while the quality inspectors requested and verified checks to ensure part conformance in line with specifications.

The Trimos V7 is one of the tallest height gauges on the market and highly suitable for workshop environments, says Bowers. Notably, the height gauge features a pair of lateral insert holders, offering robustness and flexibility that allow the use of diverse probes up to 400 mm long.

Michael Horsfall, production director at Chelburn Precision, says: “We have used Bowers Group before for many different measuring devices that we own, so we were in good hands. They even loaned us a smaller unit for us to trial as they were confident that we would be impressed by the quality, accuracy and ease of use of the Trimos height gauge.”

For further information
www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Creaform has released the latest version of its VXelements platform. Several new features, as well as enhancements to existing functions, provide significant improvements. Whether in VXscan, VXinspect, VXmodel or VXscan-R, Creaform says that experts and beginners alike will discover new and improved tools that will make their work easier, faster and more profitable.

In a desire to perfect VXelements and the synergy between the software and hardware, Creaform has upgraded each VX module to meet the ever-changing needs of users and today’s constantly evolving industries.

Among the important advantages of this latest version is the new VXelements viewer. Used for data sharing, this free version of the platform will enable customers or colleagues outside the team to visualise data first hand, making collaborative projects simpler and faster.

In addition, ‘smart resolution’ is now available for the latest generation of Creaform 3D scanners. This new feature allows users to generate scans from multiple resolution levels to better reproduce details, edges and high curvatures. Higher levels of resolution can be automatically created in several ways: by software intelligence; by being triggered from the scanner; and by being generated from a selection on the mesh or from a template.

With the addition of features such as ‘flatten’ mesh, ‘extrude’ boundaries and ‘extend’ boundaries, the VXmodel module will enable users to carry out post-treatment operations on 3D scan data simply and effortlessly, reports Creaform.

Regarding VXinspect, quick inspection tools – such as one-click entity creation, new construction methods for geometrical entities, and new reporting capabilities – are just a few of the improvements that will add simplicity and flexibility to the 3D inspection software.

For further information
www.creaform3d.com