Trends are interesting, especially at the beginning of a new year. If you Google health you’ll see headlines that tell you oat milk will be the new almond milk, prebiotics will be the new probiotics and fats will be the new protein. If you look up fashion for 2019, bamboo bags and statement sneakers are all the rage. Artificial intelligence is slated to grow while pure cable TV is expected to die a slow death.
Last month we took a snapshot of the industry for 2019 and saw that CMMs remain critical tools for proving that devices meet specifications. We know that manufacturers are being tasked to provide products that are thinner, smaller, lighter, more accurate and higher performing.
David Cearley, Gartner vice president analyst told attendees of the Gartner 2018 Symposium/ITxpo that “the future will be characterized by smart devices delivering increasingly insightful digital services everywhere.”
In addition to higher performance levels fabricators must continue to rely on control and preventative action. CMMs provide the data that helps companies control their manufacturing processes.
We have our own take on what 2019 holds for manufacturing and for markets like automotive, aerospace and medical. Our intel is partially driven by what our customers are telling us. That input is important to us because our customers are the ones on the front lines grappling with production problems while trying to meet the demands of their own customers.
Throughput continues to be at the top of their list. We expect to see an uptick in use of the 5-axis LM and the added capabilities of the SFP2. It’s critical for manufacturers to be able to measure parts as quickly as possible with minimal handling. Conventional models size parts which are then taken to a dedicated surface measurement unit. The part is handled multiple times which creates delays. The approach also introduces the potential for error because a part is being manually located in different fixtures.
The SFP2 probe increases the surface finish measurement ability of the REVO system, which provides a multi-sensor capability that provides touch-trigger, high-speed tactile scanning and non-contact vision measurement on a single CMM.
Combining surface finish measurement and dimensional inspection on the CMM offers advantages over traditional inspection methods that require a separate process. Powered by 5-axis measurement technology, the SFP2's automated surface finish inspection offers significant time savings, reduced part handling and greater return on CMM investment.
The SFP2 system consists of a probe and a range of modules and is automatically interchangeable with all other probe options available for REVO, providing the flexibility to easily select the best tool to inspect a wide range of features, all on one CMM platform. Data from multiple sensors is automatically referenced to a common datum.
The surface finish system is managed by the same I++ DME compliant interface as the REVO system, and full user functionality is provided by MODUS software. The combination of the LM equipped with REVO 5-axis scanning and SFP2 is especially suited to the automotive market where the LM can be used in a laboratory setting or on the shop floor due to environmental controls employed in those production areas.
Contact us to find out more about the LM with REVO and SFP2 and how it can boost your throughput while improving surface finish inspection.