The simple shaft is one of the ubiquitous items in every mechanical system. Shafts contain a number of key functional elements, such as splines, tapers, grooves, threads, cams and gears, which all have associated critical dimensions to allow these mechanical systems to perform the function for which they were designed.

QVI® TurnCheck™ automatic optical measurement systems use advanced optics to measure shafts and cylinders in seconds. Rugged, easy-to-use TurnCheck offers instant measurement of diameters, lengths, angles, radii, cylindricity, runout and more. 

Mahr will offer confocal measuring microscopes as the new product family MarSurf CM.

There are a variety of ways to perform automated, high precision measurement, each with its own strengths. Contact measurement is more effective for measuring specific features—holes for example—to ensure that they are where they belong and of the correct shape and size. 

Inspecting medical parts such as orthopedic implants and medical instruments pose a number of arduous challenges to manufacturers. 

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.

Many of the most critical parts that make up industrial gas turbines (IGTs) have complex 5-axis geometries and very tight tolerances. 

Up until the late 1970s, the contour projector or optical comparator was the mainstay of automated two-dimensional inspection systems. 

The problem with surface finish is that it gets deep very quickly. Many people talk about the “finish” or the “roughness” of a surface as if it were one unique thing. 

Quality engineers have a number of different technologies and approaches available today, each having their own strengths, to perform the measurement and inspection required to meet tight part tolerances and increasingly more stringent QC requirements.