Circular geometry measurements of rotors for gas turbine generators are important because the accurate assembly of these components has an impact on bearing life. Previous systems for making these measurements were unsatisfactory, because of the large num-ber of data points that must be collected to accurately characterize these large parts and the limited amount of time available in a high volume production environment.
By developing a PC-based metrology system with the computing horsepower to handle the task, Turbine Metrology (Kansas City, MO) can find problems early in the production process, and is saving on rework costs--up to $150,000 per rotor.