Inspection and reverse-engineering capacity has doubled in terms of throughput, while the size of component that can be measured has increased more than five-fold at Laser Scanning Ltd, based near Sheffield, following the installation of a second, larger CMM built by LK Metrology.

The latest LK 20.12.10 ceramic-bridge CMM with 2,000 by 1,200 by 1,000 mm working volume has joined a smaller 8.7.6 model.
The purchase of the larger CMM was prompted by the receipt from Derby-based JCB Power Systems of a contract to assist with the quality control of cylinder blocks and heads for the engines that power the OEM’s off-road vehicles. JCB has its own LK machine equipped with a touch probe that serves the production line in Derby. Laser Scanning assists by providing measurement and inspection of goods-in to the plant, where it has a QC engineer permanently stationed.
In addition, the Chapeltown facility helps out with preparing CMM programs and proving them out, as well as inspecting prototypes to support JCB’s R&D department.
While the engine plant does have laser-scanning capability on an articulated arm, the level of detail that can be acquired is less, as its scanning resolution is 23 µm, much lower than the best CMM-mounted scanner in use at Laser Scanning.
Managing director Johnathan Rigby says: “By working with JCB’s inspection department and R&D team we’ve been able to free up our customer’s machine to concentrate on production QC. They also appreciate the greater detail we’re able to provide for new prototypes, as laser scanning allows us to show them the form of a component, as well as supply measurement data.”
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