FEATURE ON METROLOGY

Steel firm boosts quality management

Swiss Steel’s Emmenbrücke plant has awarded MET/Con an order to supply a PQA (Product Quality Analyzer) for quality management along its complete production chain. The new PQA from MET/Con will be implemented as a pilot for a group-wide Industry 4.0 initiative. With this quality management system, Swiss Steel aims to enhance quality levels along its production chain, achieve more stability in the production process, further improve on-time delivery performance and optimise company competitiveness.

MET/Con, a company of SMS Group, was commissioned to supply an integrated IT solution operating on knowledge-based expert rules. Use will be made of a software and database solution from Aachen-based QuinLogic, an SMS Group company. Solutions based on this approach have been successfully implemented at selected flat steel producers running a variety of downstream processes.
The PQA system carries out online analyses of process, production and quality data from steelmaking, casting and rolling, right down to the drawing processes. PQA quality rules, which can be freely configured and fed with specific know-how, take into account customer- and order-specific information in the quality assessment process and for the block-or-release decisions for the next downstream processing step.
With this project, Swiss Steel, Steeltec and MET/Con want to set a milestone showing how the performance, efficiency and quality level of the mill can be further improved by gaining total process and production transparency.
For further information www.sms-group.com

All-in-one vision system offers stability

Available from Keyence, the CV-X and XG-X series multi-spectrum vision systems now offer new levels of colour detection performance that will yield broader application potential for consistent and stable quality inspection in automated production. Keyence´s new eight-wavelength, multi-spectrum ring-lighting technology combines with high-speed monochrome cameras and software. As a whole, the system is said to offer flexibility in synchronised lighting, colour control, segmented lighting and image capture.

The new CA-DRM multi-spectrum lighting unit supports eight wavelengths, including infrared and ultraviolet, through dedicated colour LEDs. By harnessing the capabilities of multi-spectrum lighting, three operational modes can be selected or combined via software tools to provide an all-in-one image analysis solution that covers colour recognition, form and shape, surface gloss and target variability.
Keyence´s multi-spectrum vision systems are available as the CV-X series one-system solution, and the customisable XG-X series, which suits application-specific quality and inspection. The icon-driven CV-X is said to allow simple set-up for reliable product inspection, while the XG-X provides flowchart programming for flexible integration in large-scale automated machinery. Both variants offer a selection of CMOS cameras and controllers supporting resolutions of up to 21M pixels. CA-DRM multi-spectrum lighting units are available in nominal sizes of 50, 100 and 200 mm, and may also be equipped with dome and polarisation attachments.
The combination of hardware and software contributes to high levels of inspection stability through features such as real-time intensity controls that maintain illumination and optimise LED performance over time. These systems are designed for high-speed production applications and can be adapted for use on-the-fly to further optimise throughput.
For further information www.keyence.co.uk

Length gauge for harsh environments

A new incremental length gauge for precision measuring and in-process control applications in harsh environments has been introduced by Heidenhain. The length gauge is suitable for use in the working area of grinding machines, lathes and other metal-cutting machine tools, and produces results accurate to ±1 μm over its 30 mm measuring range.

Called Specto ST 3087RC, the unit has a special housing to protect its mechanism. A built-in spring keeps the plunger, surrounded by a rubber bellows, retracted behind a guard and splash cap when the gauge is in its rest position. The extension of the plunger to the measuring position is actuated by compressed air, normally with the coolant switched off.
An increase in productivity and a reduction in floor-to-floor time result from not having to transfer components to a measuring station external to the machine tool, or to a quality control department. Should rework be necessary after metrology functions have been completed, in-process gauging preserves accuracy by eliminating the need to set the component up again for a second operation.
High-accuracy positional values over the full stroke of the gauge allow diverse components to be measured from the same fixture. Furthermore, internal photoelectric scanning of plunger position by means
of a DIADUR scale grating with a 20 μm period, together with the use of a durable ball-bush guide, permit consistent repeatability of probing even when measuring oblique or curved surfaces.
The IP67-rated ST 3087 RC is protected against ingress of dust and unaffected by high-pressure coolant jets – and even short periods of immersion. The length gauge is also tolerant to extremes of temperature, vibration and shock.
For further information www.heidenhain.com

Students benefit from measuring arm

Barrow-in-Furness based Furness College, south Cumbria’s largest training provider with more than 4300 students, has purchased a Faro Edge ScanArm HD with CAM2 Measure10 software. The measuring arm combines the advantages of a measuring arm with the advanced attributes of a hand-held laser scanner. Among other tasks, the college’s Faro system is now used by students to inspect and reverse engineer complex parts and surfaces into 3D models.

Gordon Higgins, curriculum leader, says: “The AMTC is helping to meet growing local demand for highly skilled workers by enabling students to develop skills on real-life projects. As we work with more than 700 employers across a range of businesses, in order to meet their diverse needs it is important that we provide students with access to the latest high-tech equipment and machinery. An example of our students’ exposure to, and training on, the kind of cutting-edge equipment that they will encounter in the ‘real world’ is our Faro Edge ScanArm HD with CAM2 Measure10 software.
“In addition to witnessing an impressive Faro demonstration, it helped our purchasing decision that industries such as shipbuilding, metal fabrication and tool and die use the Faro Edge ScanArm HD for inspection and quality control routines,” he adds. “Also, several of the major employers that we work closely with, including BAE Systems, use Faro systems.
“Now in regular use, the logical nature of Faro’s CAM2 Measure10 software and the simplicity of our Faro Edge ScanArm HD, enable students to quickly master the system’s operation and fully understand the results they achieve.”
For further information www.faro.com

NTG invests in third Aberlink CMM

The mainstay of quality and inspection at Gateshead-based NTG Precision is its collection of Aberlink CMMs. Indeed, the requirement for the company’s inspection department to keep pace with increasing levels of production recently prompted the purchase of NTG’s third Aberlink CMM.

“Just as we pursue a policy of remaining loyal to suppliers who deliver premium-quality machine tools and first-class levels of service, we have remained loyal to Aberlink for the same reasons,” states NTG’s operations manager Mark Withycombe. “As well as accuracy, speed and ease-of-use, we have been very impressed with the machines’ reliability and the excellent levels of service the company provides.
“Although we were very happy with our previous two Aberlink CMMs, as other manufacturers’ machines may have improved, we looked at a couple of alternative CMMs,” he adds. “Satisfied that Aberlink’s Axiom Too best suited our needs, we were happy to remain loyal to the brand and place another order.”
Now installed and fully operational, just like NTG’s existing Aberlink CMMs, the new machine is able to get through large volumes of component measurement routines, and has removed the potential for delays in the inspection department.
“Given the nature of many of the industries we serve, such as oil and gas, subsea, power generation and automotive, the ability to offer the highest standard of component inspection is a prerequisite for gaining contracts. In addition to providing the required accuracy and speed, it helps that our three Aberlink CMMs are able to automatically generate the detailed inspection reports demanded by our customers.”
For further information www.aberlink.com