Articles Tagged with ''optical metrology''

The technology available to today’s modern manufacturers – allowing them to create complex parts quickly – is better than ever. Advancements in core production and fabrication equipment are seemingly endless.

As parts become smaller, more complex, and increasingly performance-critical, traditional measurement tools are reaching their limits. The solution? A shift from tactile to optical metrology — and with it, from reactive troubleshooting to predictive quality assurance.

The aerospace industry uses automation and metrology to improve product quality and safety. Components require precise measurements for high quality and efficient production.

The role of metrology is shifting. This is especially true in modern industrial settings and for increasingly exacting applications. Once perceived as a necessary evil residing in the quality control department validating the integrity of finished parts and components, today metrology is viewed more as an enabling technology that truly adds value.

Machined parts commonly have sharp edges and corners that are “broken” for a variety of reasons in a process called edge break.

Confocal sensors are increasingly used for fast distance and thickness measurements. Different sensor and controller models open versatile fields of application, e.g. in the semiconductor industry, glass industry, medical engineering and plastics production. 

You may be unfamiliar with the term “optical shaft metrology.” But you’ve no doubt experienced the advantages of this technology. Traveling by car or airplane, for example. In fact, it might surprise you to learn that anytime you’ve used a machine with an electric motor, a turbo charger, fuel injection, precision bearings, transaxles or spindles, chances are good you’ve benefited from optical shaft metrology.

Deciding whether to perform inspections in-house or to hire contract service providers is not solely a question of upfront investment versus long-term need. For some suppliers, a third-party contract service can also provide assurance that parts have been inspected and approved by an unbiased party.

The current trends in manufacturing can be summed up pretty much as they always have been: more for less. In other words, manufacturers always want to be able to do more with less.