Measurement

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Thomas Balch of Hexagon talks with Michelle Bangert, managing editor of Quality, from the MAX Show in Nashville, TN.

In aerospace manufacturing, precision is not optional.

The rapid expansion of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), including battery-electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid platforms, has fundamentally reshaped the metrology requirements for rotating powertrain components.

Every manufactured product, from a smartphone component to a commercial aircraft, relies on precise dimensional accuracy. Even small deviations from the intended design can lead to assembly problems, performance issues, or product failure.

Manufacturing has entered a new phase in which measurement alone is no longer sufficient. 

You see it a lot with e-commerce. Online shopping is said to offer an advantage. An array of “reviews” posted by other shoppers of the product you are considering. Amazon and others have converted these comments on the worthiness of a product into tools that help browsers decide if they want to become purchasers.

Keith Bevan is the education chair of the Coordinate Metrology Society.

Quality managers and engineers, like many other professionals, are often judged by what goes wrong. A product failure, a recall, or a customer complaint draws negative press, while processes that run smoothly can be taken for granted.

Instead of waiting until the end of production to confirm size, quality teams increasingly collect dimensional data during machining and finishing operations.

Color is central to how and why we purchase products, and not just for cosmetic reasons.