Tech Zones

This enormous DEA gantry CMM was overhauled by Xspect Solutions for SES, a Department of Defense supplier that saved nearly 70 percent when compared against the cost of a new machine.

Engineers at the Gehl South Dakota production plant in Madison found a faster way to verify large production fixtures and manufactured parts of construction and agricultural equipment: they simply position a portable optical CMM from Metris on the production floor and measure points of choice right away using a wireless tactile probe.

As the power of video and the PC change and improve non-contact measurement practices, understanding the new systems that are emerging is a learning process. Mark Arenal of Starrett Kinemetric Division explains how to define the application requirements, budget considerations, current level of expertise, and type of training that is required.

Part of the capital investment program for this quality control department included retrofitting an older CMM with new software and trading in another for this new CMM system.

Blind Ambition: Moving from 2D to 3D design impacts inspection requirements because typical 3D drawings include few explicit dimensions and make curved free-form surfaces almost impossible to verify using traditional tactile measurement techniques. What is the solution?

The Future Is Now: This unique technology from AICON 3D Systems GmbH allows the user to combine the sensor, probe and computer with the appropriate software to meet the exact requirements of a measurement task.

Marposs Corp. introduces its M1 Star EBG electronic bore gaging line suited for measuring of inside diameter, ovality and taper.

Helmel Engineering Products offers its Microgage coordinate measuring machine.

New Video Borescope Slide makes repetitive inspections faster and stable. Inspectors can quickly and easily mount parts and components and view borescopic images via a video system with three axis adjustments.

Moving Up to 5-Axis Capabilities: This turbomachinery manufacturer installed the first North American production application of Revo 5-Axis scanning technology to measure impellers, rotors, turbine blades and compressor stages.