It’s no secret that job shops are juggling stricter quality standards with customer demand for parts that are more complex. When it comes to inspecting parts, we’ve talked quite a bit about the differences between 3-axis and 5-axis coordinate measuring machine technology.
But the big question manufacturers want to know is whether or not parts require tactile (touch) or noncontact scanning.
We wanted to develop equipment that could do both. But we also understood the importance of having a CMM that could provide the right foundation. That’s why we engineered our equipment to support Renishaw’s 5-axis measurement technology. We introduced the Revolution LM and HB CMMs in 2015. Fitted with REVO-2, the LM was developed for the laboratory. The HB was the first mobile, 5-axis CMM built to withstand the harsh environment of the shop floor.
When we talk to customers about 5-axis scanning, we mean that the REVO-2 physically glides over the component’s surface finish to collect data points.
The REVO-2 avoids dynamic deflections because it minimizes machine accelerations while moving the stylus rapidly over the component’s surface. Operators now have access to new ways of scanning such as touch points, circular or helical scans while capturing data on contoured surfaces and edges. The REVO-2 provides measuring speeds up to 500 mm/second and data collection rates of up to 4,000 points per second for increased throughput. Rapid calibration for all positions expands uptime. Infinite positioning and 5-axis motion offer easy access to difficult features while flexible tip sensing aids accuracy and flexibility.
Discussions about noncontact inspection often include mention of microscopes, profile projectors, vision measuring machines and laser micrometers. All these instruments measure a dimension without contacting the work piece.
So why do we emphasize tactile or touch inspection? Simply put, 5-axis tactile inspection is the most accurate. Noncontact 5-axis measurement is an appropriate choice if a part is so small a probe can’t access its features or if the material exhibits deflection due to thinness or is very soft.
Earlier this year, we introduced the Summit 10.10.10. For the first time, the Summit brings REVO-2 5-axis scanning, multisensor surface finish measurement, touch-trigger and noncontact vision measurement to the harsh environment of the shop floor.
The Summit supports high-volume, large part inspection with the industry’s largest 1-meter-cubed measuring capacity.
The REVO-2 can be fitted with RVP, a vision probe that provides noncontact vision measurement on a 5-axis platform with infinite positioning. The Summit with REVO-2 offers tactile scanning, surface finish analysis and noncontact inspection all on one CMM.
We continue to shape the way industries like metal cutting, forming, composites and plastics industries measure parts in today’s work spaces.
Not sure about what you need? Send us your part and our engineers will evaluate your requirements and recommend the right inspection solution. Contact us today.
