NIKON METROLOGY NEWS
Case Studies and Product News
InSight L100
The ultimate CMM laser scanner
combining productivity and accuracy
Kiekert favours Cross Scanners for 3D inspection
of door closing components
Newbury Electronics embraces X-ray for future electronics inspection
Video Measuring ensures diamond quality for waterjet orifices
VOLUME 10
REACHING THE PEAK OF
VIDEO MEASUREMENT
Discover how MicroTec EDM speeds up
inspection by a factor of 60 using an iNEXIV
video measuring system
2
NIKON METROLOGY I VISION BEYOND PRECISION
Content
4 | Insight L100 – The ultimate CMM laser
4
combining productivity and accuracy
6 | Automobile component supplier
Kiekert AG favours digital Cross Scanners
9 | Spring s.r.l. uses laser scanner for quality
control of additively manufactured products
12 | EDM subcontractor and toolmaker installs
6
Nikon Metrology CNC video measuring to
speed accreditation to AS9100 aerospace
quality management standard
16 | Printed circuit board manufacturer embraces
X-ray inspection for QA of next-generation
devices
20 | X-ray inspection shifts a gear higher
16
at SGC - SwitchGear Company!
22 | Video Measuring System Ensures Diamond
Quality for Waterjets
25 | Creating complex ”spare“ tooling using
MV330 laser radar
22
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Nikon Metrology NV
Geldenaaksebaan 329 - 3001 Leuven - Belgium
www.nikonmetrology.com
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[email protected]
News I Volume 10
3
InSight L100
The ultimate CMM laser scanner
for surface and feature inspection
It’s a Nikon ..
The InSight L100 CMM laser scanner offers the best
possible combination of speed, accuracy and ease-of-use.
Suited for both surface and feature measurement, the
L100 quickly delivers accurate data and insightful part to
CAD comparison reports even on shiny or multi-material
surfaces.
The Insight L100 builds on 20 years of experience in
optical metrology. With the InSight L100, Nikon Metrology
confirms their technology leadership in the field of CMM
laser scanning.
4
Check out Linkedin-page to find out more about our new
products, events and promotions
Ultrafast data collection
Capture the finest details
The InSight L100 is ideal to
inspect larger components
50 mm
where productivity is key
but without having to
100 mm
compromise on accuracy. The
100 mm wide Field-of-View
combined with the increased
(* stripe distance = 0.5 mm)
measurement speed results
in measurement productivity that wasn’t achievable with CMM
scanning before.
The L100 is equipped with a
high quality glass Nikon lens
optimized for laser scanning.
Combined with the high
definition camera this results
in a point resolution of only
42 µm and a data quality
that is the best on the market,
enabling fine detail capture and measurement of sharper edges. The
L100 has an exceptionally small probing error of 6.5 μm, which is
a measure of the scanner’s noise level, enabling delivery of smooth
meshes and high levels of detail.
Accurate feature measurement
Cope with changes in surface color
50 cm2 surface scanned per second
The L100 is perfectly suited for
combined surface and feature
measurements. Thanks to
the low measurement noise
and high point resolution,
feature
measurement
accuracy approaches to the
accuracy of a touch probe.
The
4th
generation
of
Enhanced
Sensor
Performance (ESP4) adapts
the laser intensity for each
point in the scan line to
varying colors or materials
faster than ever. This makes
the scanner even more robust
for digitizing multi-material assemblies or shiny surfaces without
the need for cumbersome surface treatment.
Easy to use
Extend the measurement reach
The new Field-of-View (FOV) projection provides a clear indication
for the user whether the scanner is optimally positioned. This
facilitates scanner programming and provides better feedback
during actual scanning.
The patent-pending integrated mount rotation allows the
scanner to rotate around its autojoint axis in 30° increments up
to 90°. This saves the use of expensive autojoint adaptors and is
particularly interesting to measure turbine blades or parts with
vertically oriented features and edges.
The L100 also allows the use of an extended 105° PH10 A-angle
allowing better access to measure underneath or behind parts.
0°
30°
105°
60°
90°
105°
combined with 90° inclination
News I Volume 10
5
Case study
Foam gaskets seals
in the line of fire
Automobile component supplier
Kiekert AG favours digital Cross Scanners
Kiekert AG, the global leader for automobile door
lock systems, now uses digital cross scanners
by Nikon Metrology to test the positions and
dimensions of sealing lips on door and rear
compartment locks. Tactile inspection methods are
unable to correctly measure these touch sensitive
and complex free-form components.
It’s about 30 cms long, eight millimetres
thick, smooth, soft, with a curly form. It’s
completely insensitive to cold, heat, damp,
dust or dryness. It can live for several decades
- despite the fact that it spends its entire
life in the dark. It’s a very special species,
unknown even to biologists. It’s a foam
gasket seal.
Unnoticed by the human eye, it curls itself up
just 10 cms from the left or right upper arm
6
of virtually every BMW driver or passenger
- in the door lock of all vehicles bearing
the blue and white emblem. Here, between
the interior and exterior door panels, is the
habitat of the foam gasket seal. And here it
fulfils its one and only purpose in life: to seal
the vehicle latch closing system hermetically
against moisture and dirt from outside. This
makes sure the lock will work anywhere in
the world, and even under the harshest of
conditions. In the Arctic Circle and the Gobi
desert, in tropical climates and in the cold
and wet German autumns.
Like more than 50 other automotive
manufacturers, BMW favours Kiekert AG’s
technology for high quality locking systems.
Based in Heiligenhaus near Dusseldorf, the
global leader for the supply of automotive
door lock systems operates in nine countries
around the world, with a total of around
5,000 employees. Six of these locations
are production centres, five are involved in
R&D, and there are three sales & distribution
centres.
With more than 1,200 patents, Kiekert AG
is the uncontested leader of innovations in
this challenging field of technology. Here at
Kiekert AG, central locking and electromotive
power servo locking were invented. This
is also where engineers are hard at work
developing various solutions to make driving
even safer and more comfortable in the future.
And it’s a place where the quality assurance
processes offer very special guarantees. With
foam gasket seals, only completely healthy
specimens are released, up to 20,000 a day
in the plant in Heiligenhaus alone.
The challenge: quality to last
for decades
The body of the caterpillar-like bead is made
of a special, malleable dual-component foam
which is applied to the shell of the lock by a
robotic spray system, in a serpentine shape
about as thick as a pencil. As a compressed
sealing lip between the lock and the door
panel, the foam gasket seal prevents any
moisture from entering the lock system.
Because door locks and rear compartment
locks are not generally replaced or serviced
during the life-cycle of the average car, the
foam gasket seal has to function reliably for
several decades. In order to do so, it has to be
shaped with utmost precision. Because even
the smallest deviation in the profile, surface
outline or position, could cause acute longterm damage to the locking mechanism.
It’s hardly surprising therefore, that Kiekert
has singled out the foam gasket seal as a
part which most definitely has to pass a
quality assurance inspection, and which is
treated accordingly with great attention.
Quite independently of the verification
Kiekert demands for the quality of the part.
When production of the foam gasket seal
began, Kiekert initially approached the
issue, in agreement with the customer, via
touch-trigger probing on CMMs (coordinate
measurement machines). This solution
was completely viable, and customers
were certainly satisfied. But Kiekert’s
highly critical quality assurance team
The Cross Scanner digitizes complex multi-material assemblies in an easy and fast inspection process.
was nonetheless sure there was room for
optimisation.
not impossible to maintain the desired
overview.
Even using the lowest force of 0.2 Newtons,
the contact probe’s tip made a slight
indentation in the soft foam material. This
deformation righted itself again naturally but it caused a small amount of inaccuracy.
The optimum probing angle with early
triggering was ascertained following a long
series of tests. This minimised the effect but there were other aspects of contact
(tactile) measurement which proved to be
less than ideal.
Time was a rare commodity in the Kiekert
Quality Assurance department, for BMW
door locks with attached foam gasket seals.
More and more components were arriving in
the central measurement room for sampling
inspection and the limit had almost been
reached - but fortunately there was also an
exciting solution to hand.
The limits of tactile
measurement
The most disadvantageous: the foam
gasket seal is a complex 3D surface
profile, so measuring one dimension only
is not sufficient. Information is required
regarding its height, cross-section, profile
geometry and position. Ultimately, tactile
measurements cannot portray all this, due
to the limited points measured on a bead.
To gain a complete overview using tactile
measurement, the process would be
extremely time-consuming. Not to mention
the laborious evaluation of so many tactile
inspection points, that are often presented
in tabular numerical reports.
However, by cutting down on the number
of inspection points, it would be difficult if
This involved a complete paradigm shift: from
contact to non-contact measurement, and
also for foam sealant inspection. Goodbye
probes, welcome scanners.
Decisive laser advantages
Kiekert had already gained intensive
experience with single line scanners,
particularly in the component qualification
of so-called “prototype parts”. As soon as
laser scanner technology came on to the
market at the beginning of the millennium,
the potential of this measuring technology
was recognised in Heiligenhaus, and it was
implemented step by step in the quality
assurance process. Hence for some time,
3D laser scanners made by the measuring
equipment manufacturer Nikon Metrology,
have been used not only in the German
production site in Heiligenhaus, but also in
Kiekert’s largest plant in the Czech Republic
as well as at the site in Mexico. >>
News I Volume 10
7
holes, slots etc. This can also be applied to the
complete, complex profile of the touch-sensitive
foam gasket seal in Kiekert’s latch closing
systems. Notably, this all done in a single scan,
with the foam sealant passing through just
once. Thanks to the fact that the laser lines
come from three different angles, this also
reduces the repositioning of the scanner during
the scan. The field of vision covered by the three
laser lines is 65 x 65 mm, whilst the precision
level of the sensor is 12 µm.
At all these locations, the enormous
advantages offered by non-contact laser
scanners are impressive:
•Creation of high-density point clouds for
quickly identifying form and features
•Initial and detailed analysis of surfaces
and sections considerably simplified due
to colour charts
•Fast measurements of free-form surfaces
possible
• CAD characteristics tests
• Complete digital copy of parts acquired in
just a couple of minutes
• Reduced measuring times, hence increased
throughput
• Simplified processing of measuring data to
be passed on to existing processing and
evaluation software
• Reverse engineering possible
With the introduction of the newest
evolutionary phase in Nikon technology, the
XC65Dx digital Cross Scanner, Kiekert has now
drawn foam gasket seals into the crosshair of
the laser.
Cross scanning with three laser
lines
The crosshair comparison hits the mark. With
its three lasers positioned crosswise to each
other, Nikon Metrology’s XC65Dx digital Cross
Scanner is able to digitise not only surfaces,
but also to focus on features such as pockets,
8
Three scans in one pass equates to a huge
saving in time. The XC65Dx Cross Scanner,
which operates on a Nikon bridge coordinate
measuring machine, takes comfortably
under four minutes to measure the entire
foam gasket seal. During this time the highperformance data processing generates a
high-density 3D point cloud from a scanning
speed of up to 75,000 laser points per second.
Thanks to the comparison colour reports
of the Nikon measurement software, the
operator receives an evaluation of the test and
deviation results which is meaningful even at
first glance. Even those who have not received
explicit metrological training only need to
look at the colours to interpret the deviations.
This is certainly an important aspect when
measurements are not only taken in the
measurement room (as with Kiekert) but also
close to production or alongside production.
Additionally, specific characteristics from the
3D point cloud are extracted and statistically
monitored to regulate the foaming process.
This way process trends are corrected before
the agreed tolerances are exceeded.
Nikon Metrology’s XC65Dx. It individually
configures up to 75,000 points per second,
thus guaranteeing a homogenous, complete
point cloud picture without flare.
Changes in the testing process, i.e., for
different lock types, are not a problem
either. This is because the necessary scanner
movements can be generated automatically
offline, based on CAD data. Using Nikon
Metrology’s Focus Scan software, inspection
programs can be run directly as required,
even by operators without advanced
metrology programming skills.
Kiekert AG is also ahead of the game
when it comes to passing new and
successfully implemented technology on to
its international locations. The foam gasket
seals to be inspected are now not only
drawn into the line of vision of cross laser
scanners in Heiligenhaus, but also in the SPC
measurement room in the company’s largest
production site in Prelouc in the Czech
Republic.
Pinpointed precision for laser
intensity
Shorter measuring times, high precision,
complete 3D view, simple to operate, fast
analysis of results: These advantages alone
are convincing arguments in favour of
Nikon Metrology’s Cross Scanner technology
for inspecting foam gasket seals. And the
advantages don’t end there.
Parts don’t have to be sprayed with matt
spray in a time-consuming process to rule
out unwanted reflectivity. The basis for this
is the permanent, automatic point-to-point
adjustment of laser source intensity of
Download this case study
Case study
Spring S.r.l. uses laser scanner
for quality control of additively
manufactured products
Nikon Metrology 3D scanner adapts laser intensity
to suit reflectivity and colour
Italian rapid prototyping and additive
manufacturing bureau, Spring srl
(www.springitalia.com), based in
Monteviale, near Venice, decided to reverseengineer components in-house instead of
subcontracting the work. After a thorough
market analysis, the company bought a 7-axis
articulated measuring arm and a digital laser
scanning head from Nikon Metrology. The
equipment not only allows Spring’s customers’
parts to be digitised quickly and accurately
for reverse-engineering and 3D printing, but
also greatly enhances the capabilities of the
bureau’s quality control department.
Large as well as small parts can be measured using the portable
MCAx arm, which carries a ModelMaker 3D laser scanner. Sourcing
both elements from Nikon Metrology ensures perfect compatibility
and means that Spring can rely on a single supplier for advice and
service, the exclusive Italian reseller, Leonardo 3D Metrology, Turin.
The supplier’s input was invaluable in the early days for providing
applications expertise, as the technology was new to Spring.
Roberto Toniello, the company’s co-founder and head of the
Engineering Department, said, “The Nikon equipment allows us to
meet even more efficiently the needs and demands of our customers,
so we can offer a more integrated, comprehensive, accurate service
in shorter lead-times and ensure maximum reliability of results.”
Reverse-engineering as the input for additive
manufacturing
If a product needs to be reproduced but the CAD model does not
exist or the original part has been modified, it is necessary to reverseengineer an actual component. Processing of scan data is carried out
by Spring’s technical office using Geomagic Studio, which imports
the raw point cloud data acquired using Nikon Metrology’s Focus
Handheld software. The point cloud data is reverse-engineered into
accurate surface, polygon and native CAD models. These are exported
to one of Spring’s 10 CAD seats of Pro Engineer and Unigraphics >>
News I Volume 10
9
“
The Nikon equipment allows us to
meet even more efficiently the needs
and demands of our customers, so
we can offer a more integrated,
comprehensive, accurate service
in shorter lead-times and ensure
maximum reliability of results.”
Roberto Toniello, the company’s co-founder and head of the Engineering Department
Spring srl uses FDM 3D printing technology to produce end-use armrests
in a number of aircraft. It enables the company to reduce its turnaround
time by 66 % and costs by 50 % compared with traditional methods such as
CNC machining.
NX, where STL files are generated for driving
six Stratasys Fortus FDM (fused deposition
modelling) additive manufacturing machines
on site. Two are large 3D printers with build
volumes of 900 x 600 x 900 mm, making
Spring one of the few Italian companies that
can produce objects of that size by FDM.
The machines produce components from
thermoplastic materials, layer by layer. They
range from standard ABS through weatherresistant ASA to Ultem 9085, a flame
retardant material with high strength-toweight ratio certified for aerospace use. It is
also ideal for marine, Formula One and other
motorsport applications.
Enhanced quality control of
printed parts
Once parts have been built, they are inspected
using the scanning equipment to determine
their accuracy, using either the laser head or
an interchangeable touch probe, or both in
a mixed measuring routine. Software from
Nikon Metrology provides the measurement
and analysis environment, with intuitive
tools for both laser and tactile scanning
applications. The scanner is in fact used for
two-thirds of the time as a metrology tool.
The quality control data collected is
analytically compared on-screen to the
original CAD file, whether supplied by
10
the customer or derived from reverseengineering. Any out-of-tolerance features
are observable and measurable. Part-topart comparisons can be similarly made to
determine the reproducibility of a production
process. Nikon Metrology’s Focus software
underpins these activities, managing the
acquired point clouds, performing the
comparisons, carrying out advanced feature
inspection and producing reports.
It is essential for Spring to control component
quality closely in this way to verify the accuracy
of parts and to generate corroborative reports
for its discerning customers. Aerospace and
F1 in particular require full traceability of
production back to the raw materials, but it
was difficult for Spring to provide that level
of service before its in-house metrology had
been enhanced. A particular area of growth
is the provision of 3D-printed thermoplastic
cores that are soluble, which are used by its
aerospace and motorsport customers for
producing laminated composite structures.
Early appreciation of the
importance of additive
manufacturing
Spring was established in 1998 by Fabio
Gualdo and Roberto Toniello to combine
their mould and component design expertise
with the emerging additive manufacturing
technology. They were among the first
to recognise that it would allow mass
customisation of products tailored to
customers’ wishes, as an alternative to mass
production.
Today, the research, design and development
bureau serves both ends of the market,
manufacturing prototypes and batches
of components by 3D-printing, while
also designing and supplying moulds for
plastic injection and die casting for longer
production runs. Italian customers account
for 80 per cent of the company’s business,
the remainder being spread across other
European countries.
Fabio Gualdo, Spring’s co-founder commented,
“In series additive manufacturing, it is
often necessary to optimise the design of a
component. A piece originally intended to be
made by chip removal frequently has to be
completely remodelled, especially if it is in a
new material, to provide it with the required
mechanical characteristics or to reduce
weight.
“A good example is our recent manufacture of
a helicopter part in Ultem 9085 thermoplastic,
instead of the previously used aerospace
grade aluminium. Traditional manufacture
required a lead-time of four to six weeks and
cost around €500 per piece. This has been
halved by 3D printing and the time scale has
also been cut by one-third.”
The need for a metrology
upgrade
Mr Gualdo explained that for the past
few years, he and his colleagues had felt
the need to offer customers the ability to
produce parts of more complex shape.
However, the firm’s manual measuring
methods using traditional metrology
equipment had significant limitations, hence
the deployment of the Nikon Metrology
digital scanning arm.
He stated, “Of all the suppliers we reviewed,
Nikon Metrology offered the best product
in terms of technical specification and
service. The MCAx arm, unlike a coordinate
measuring machine, is convenient to
transport and allows us to examine all sizes
of component we produce, up to the very
largest.
“The ModelMaker laser scanner has the
versatility to inspect all of the thermoplastic
parts we print in-house, as well as
components we buy in made from different
materials. Other scanning systems we
investigated were not able to process all of
these materials, which is why we decided in
favour of Nikon Metrology as a supplier.”
A cable guide for an aircraft modified and printed in Ultem 9085 by Spring srl using FDM technology
(right), and the original aluminium version (left). The weight was reduced by 60 per cent, while both cost
and time were saved. The Nikon Metrology scanner was used to assist in the redesign and to control the
manufacture of the part.
High quality data from all
surfaces
Faster turnaround of customer
orders
The cost-effective yet powerful ModelMaker
MMCx laser scanner, as with higher-end
Nikon Metrology heads, features adaptation
of the laser source intensity, allowing any
surface to be scanned without the need
for spraying or other pretreatment. The unit
features enhanced sensor performance
(ESP3) that avoids the operator having to
manually tune parameters when scanning
different surfaces, even those with varying
colour, high reflectivity and transitions.
Roberto Toniello concluded, “The laser
scanning arm has made a big difference to
our business. Previously we would 3D-print
a customer’s parts and outsource them for
dimensional inspection. It took two to three
days for the components and reports to be
returned.
The digital camera has a fast scan rate and
offers a measuring accuracy down to 24
microns, more than adequate for inspecting
parts on the Monteviale site, which have
drawing tolerances typically down to 0.2
mm. Moreover, the scanner has true noninterpolated resolution, allowing freeform
surfaces and features to be scanned accurately
and efficiently. Laser stripe width is 160 mm
and density is 800 points over the stripe width.
The lightweight yet robust design of
ModelMaker allows trouble-free use in
production environments and the scanner’s
Ethernet connection enables easy connection
to a laptop. The MCAx arm on which the
head is mounted is also lightweight, as it is
of carbon fibre tubular construction that is
also counterbalanced and thermally stable.
Infinite rotation of all principal axes makes
for effortless operation and absolute encoders
eliminate referencing and warm-up time.
Now we can easily use the Nikon Metrology
scanning arm to check parts the same day as
they come out of the FDM machine, which
saves a lot of time and obviously a lot of
money as well.
It enables us to quote more competitive
prices and also to turn around orders faster,
so our customers win twice over.
Similarly, we save time and money in other
areas, inspecting tools, jigs and fixtures, for
example, as well as plastic injection and die
casting moulds.”
Download this case study
News I Volume 10
11
Case study
Automated video measuring
speeds inspection by a factor of 60
Dawn Carter inspecting a spark eroded nickel-copper alloy component for a
decoy missile on the Nikon Metrology iNEXIV VMA-4540 CNC video measuring
system at Microtec.
EDM subcontractor and toolmaker installs Nikon Metrology CNC video measuring
to speed accreditation to AS9100 aerospace quality management standard
What does an orbiting telescope currently mapping the Milky Way have
in common with the first all-English wristwatch to be produced in half a
century? UK subcontractor Microtec EDM, Basildon, supplied prototypes
and components for both ventures, as well as for a host of other innovative
and high profile projects. The company recently raised the capability of its
metrology department significantly by purchasing a powerful CNC video
measuring system, an iNEXIV VMA-4540 from Nikon Metrology.
Until the machine was installed at the
end of 2014, Microtec relied on manual
video measuring using another make of
instrument. Owner and managing director,
Graham Cranfield advised, “We are currently
seven years into an 18-year contract
involving electro discharge machining (EDM)
and centreless grinding of nickel-copper alloy
tube to produce a decoy missile component.
12
“A complete inspection of the part using
our manual video measuring system used to
take 20 minutes. Now that the job has been
programmed on our new Nikon machine,
the same inspection cycle is completed
automatically in just 20 seconds. We find that
time savings of this magnitude are typical
and have revolutionised the productivity of
our metrology department.”
He explained that it took them only a few
hours to create the inspection cycle for this
fairly complex job, based on a CAD model
of the part. The process will become even
shorter as company employees become more
familiar with programming. For contracts that
frequently repeat, the automated measuring
approach saves a lot of time in the long term.
Even after measuring a dozen of the missile
“
A complete inspection of the part
using our manual video measuring
system used to take 20 minutes.
Now that the job has been
programmed on our new Nikon
machine, the same inspection cycle is
completed automatically in just
20 seconds
Graham Cranfield,
Owner and managing director of Microtec
Close-up of a mould cavity ring. Inspection is possible by video
measurement or tactile probe
tubes, the programming time had been
justified. The component is actually required
in quantities of a few thousand every year
and even though only one in 12 needs to
be inspected, the saving in measuring time
during 2015 alone will be more than double
the programming time.
By the same reasoning, prototypes and
components needed in small batches are
more productively inspected manually on the
pre-existing video measuring machine, or
indeed on the iNEXIV VMA-4540 operated in
manual mode.
Wide range of component sizes
Work carried out by Microtec for space
missions includes making parts for the joint
ESA / JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency) BepiColombo mission to Mercury,
which will set off in July 2016 on a seven and
a half year journey to the smallest terrestrial
planet in our solar system. Another project
involves the manufacture of prototypes and
components for an orbiting telescope.
In both cases, the telescope parts are
relatively large. Many other components
that the Basildon subcontractor produces go
down to 20 microns in size, however, placing
the firm in very select group of such specialist
providers of wire-cut EDM and spark-erosion
services in the UK.
A current project in the micro area is the wireerosion of 70-micron wide vanes in copper
and molybdenum grids, required in quantities
of 50 per year for an electron beam gun.
Somewhere between these extremes in
size lie the components Microtec machines
for Charles Frodsham & Co, clockmaker to
the British Royal family. In 2015, managing
director Philip Whyte plans to launch the first
all-English-made wristwatch to be produced
on a production basis in half a century. It will
be manufactured from start to finish under
one roof at the company’s workshop near
Heathfield, East Sussex.
Close association
Charles Frodsham has a longstanding
business relationship with Microtec. The
subcontractor regularly wire-erodes gold
watch cases and produces springs for
the clockmaker, which in turn carries out
micro-scale turning, milling and drilling
that is beyond the capabilities of Microtec’s
production equipment.
A smaller Nikon Metrology CNC video
measuring machine has been in use at
Charles Frodsham’s Hastings workshop for
about five years. Mr Whyte recommended
this make of instrument to Microtec due to
its reliability and precision, as well as the
strength of after-sales support.
Mr Cranfield benchmarked other potential
suppliers’ equipment but could not see a
better option. In the process, he discovered
that some other makes of machine on
the market for video metrology actually
incorporate Nikon’s apochromatic lens,
which has better correction of chromatic
and spherical aberration than conventional
achromatic lenses. It helped him to come
to the conclusion that the Nikon Metrology
offering was optimal.
Multiple target markets led by
aerospace
Aerospace and defence contracts are the
mainstay of Microtec’s business, Rolls-Royce,
BAE Systems, Selex Galileo and Astrium
being regular clients. It is the principal reason
for Microtec seeking AS9100 accreditation, a
process that will be assisted by the purchase
of the Nikon Metrology iNEXIV machine. It
will be especially important for speeding
production of first article inspection reports.
The Nikon Metrology VMA AutoMeasure
software automatically compares measured
results against CAD models and allows
such reports to be produced quickly and in
standardised format.
Motorsport, closely related technologically
with aerospace, is becoming an increasingly
important target market for the subcontractor.
Medical and dental industry work, which
is often defined by complex machining in >>
News I Volume 10
13
Microtec’s managing director, Graham Cranfield inspecting a much larger part on the iNEXIV, in this case a steel mould cavity ring.
difficult materials, is another specialism.
A current contract involves producing very
small tweezers with serrations that are
eroded with 20 µm wire, five times thinner
than an average human hair.
Another medical job requires a plastic filter
mould to be produced with 0.25 mm ribs.
Mould and tool manufacture in the 1990s
accounted for 80 per cent of Microtec’s
turnover, dropping to 20 per cent in
subsequent years as China absorbed much
of the business. Recently, however, the
percentage is increasing as mouldmaking
is reshored due to an increase in the cost
of production overseas as well as problems
with quality and logistics.
Projects are also carried out in other
industries, such as for premium vehicles
including Mercedes and for top-end hifi
equipment manufacturer, Rega Research,
Southend, for which Microtec manufactures
parts for a moving coil cartridge.
14
Production continues 24/7 at the Basildon
factory in a range of materials from aluminium,
copper and steel to titanium and exotic
alloys. Eight Agie Charmlles EDM machines
provide a majority of manufacturing capacity,
assisted by Hurco vertical machining centres,
a Ghiringhelli centerless grinder and various
manual machine tools.
Non-contact 2D and 3D
measuring
Most wire-cut EDM work requires 2D
inspection, for which video measuring
is ideal. However, some spark eroded
components need to be measured in 3D
and one of the advantages of iNEXIV video
inspection is the ability to measure heights
using the instrument’s generous 73.5 mm
working distance.
Inspection in 3D extends to mouldmaking.
Early in January 2015, Microtec was tasked
with refurbishing a plastic injection mould
for producing electrical plug sockets for the
British manufacturer, MK. No drawings or
CAD model were available, so the mould’s
broken upstands were remanufactured in
tool steel by measuring the height and width
of the relevant sections on the iNEXIV.
A similar procedure allows reverse
engineering of legacy components for which
no data exists, such as parts for classic cars.
In this case, after the data has been collected,
a DXF file is output that can be used directly
in a machine tool’s CNC or in a CAD/CAM
system to generate the cutter paths. Nikon
Metrology’s part-to-CAD software provides
the capability to compare the machined
component with the DXF file to ensure that it
is within tolerance.
Touch probing capability
Some features on components, such as
sloping faces and undercuts, do not lend
themselves to optical measurement. In such
The iNEXIV VMA-4540’s PC screen shows an image
of the area of the component under inspection, current
point coordinates, a list of the features inspected, any
that are out of tolerance, and more.
Close-up of the wire-eroded, molybdenum grid for an electron beam gun on the table of the iNEXIV.
cases, the iNEXIV VMA-4540 has the facility
to accept a Renishaw TP20 or TP200 touch
probe to capture the point data. The probe is
offset from the optical axis but works in the
same 450 x 400 x 200 mm coordinate space,
with only slightly reduced operating range. A
stylus changer is provided.
Mr Cranfield continued, “We always use
vision if we can, as in general it is quicker and
more accurate. However, if parts are not the
right shape or not scrupulously clean, touch
probing is the better option.
“On the other hand, some features would
be difficult to inspect with a touch probe,
such as the curved surface of a dome, as
calculations to compensate for the stylus tip
diameter at each measurement point across
the surface would be impractical.
“Using the auto focus (AF) feature of the
iNEXIV, we can accurately capture heights
very quickly. There is also a laser AF option
that we are thinking of retrofitting that
is very good at highly repeatable Z-axis
measurements on flat surfaces.”
It is even possible to mix optical and tactile
measurements in the same cycle, which is
another option that Microtec will be using.
For example, the BepiColombo telescope
parts require mainly 2D optical inspection
of apertures, but there are arrays of 2 mm
diameter tapped holes whose positions
will need to be probed during the same
program.
It is noteworthy that this job will benefit
from image stitching within the Nikon
Metrology software, as the aluminium
components are 550 mm in diameter and
will need to be scanned in four quadrants
under the 450 x 400 mm X / Y travels of
the iNEXIV’s moving column. Additionally,
stitching of multiple images at different
Z-axis heights allows deep components to
be rendered all-in-focus.
The instrument’s versatility is further
enhanced by a variety of illumination options.
It has episcopic, diascopic and eight-segment
ring LEDs. Combining these enables accurate
detection of low-contrast edges.
Even when a workpiece is misaligned, an
intelligent search feature automatically locks
on to it based on a target image recorded
in a teaching file. Detection is assisted by
the wide field of view, measuring 13.3 x 10
mm at 0.35x magnification, while zooming
in to 3.5x in five steps delivers accurate
measurements as well as high resolution
images.
Download this case study
News I Volume 10
15
Case study
Printed circuit board manufacturer
embraces X-ray inspection for QA
of next-generation devices
Newbury Electronics’ managing director, Philip King (right) and Dave
Roe, Senior Production Technician, with the XT V 160.
Nikon Metrology X-ray machine cuts the price of placing BGA devices
by 70 per cent
Subcontract manufacturers of printed circuit
board assemblies (PCBAs) for applications
such as electric motorbike control, ground
movement detection and touch-sensitive
sound generation, generally use a number
of different tools for quality control. These
include flying probe testers, camera-based
automated optical inspection, and X-ray
equipment. Very few manufacturers in the UK,
however, can boast such sophisticated X-ray
inspection capability as Newbury Electronics,
following the company’s purchase of a Nikon
Metrology XT V 160.
16
Ball grid arrays (BGAs) and quad-flat no-lead (QFN)
interconnections are two features of PCBAs that require
close inspection. A challenge when inspecting modern
BGAs in particular is that they have become very complex,
with tighter pitches and smaller ball diameters. It means
they are mounted so close to the body of the PCB that there
is little space between them to enable visual inspection.
Newbury Electronics (www.newburyelectronics.co.uk)
previously used an endoscope to access and view areas
of interest, which was effective for small, basic devices,
but time-consuming. Unfortunately, the technique was
becoming ever more impractical, as it was increasingly
difficult to position the endoscope without it being
blocked by the components that invariably surround a
BGA. In addition, the smaller sizes sometimes meant
that the inspection equipment could not be used at all.
Even if the device could be positioned well, seeing far
enough down the rows of balls was also becoming more
challenging.
In some instances, faulty boards would be
returned by a customer and had to be sent
by Newbury Electronics to a bureau for X-ray
analysis. This typically took three days and
cost around £100 for the board to undergo
X-ray inspection, the fault to be fixed and
another X-ray analysis to confirm that the
board was fully corrected.
Philip King, managing director of Newbury
Electronics commented, “As a subcontractor,
we handle 10 to 15 different product lines every
day and often do not know what we will have
to produce next. PCBAs should be designed for
easy inspection, but they rarely are”.
“Accurate inspection is important not
only after repair, but also during series
manufacturing so that results can be used
for process control to maintain quality. The
larger the production run, the more potential
there is for faulty boards, wasting time and
money.”
While one-off prototype boards are
frequently produced at Newbury and five-off
is typical, recent contracts received by the
company have involved much larger volumes.
For example, Bare Conductive is a design
and technology spin-off from the Royal
College of Art and Imperial College London,
which has developed Electric Paint. Multichannel PCBAs are needed to enable human
interaction with the paint and Newbury
PCBA assemblies positioned above the X-ray source, ready for inspection
Electronics is producing 15,000 boards this
year for the product launch. For Senceive,
a University College London (UCL) spin-off
producing radio-linked sensors that detect
movement in the ground and buildings,
used extensively in the construction of
Crossrail, PCBAs are needed in annual
quantities of 1,000s. An X-ray machine was
the only realistic solution for quality control
of these larger volumes of boards and Mr
King had been researching the market for
several years. It was the manufacture of a
particularly problematic batch of PCBAs
with BGAs that triggered the investment in
the XT V160 from Nikon Metrology (www.
nikonmetrology.com), following a visit to the
factory in nearby Tring, Hertfordshire. This
X-ray machine provides a generous 400 mm
x 400 mm scan area, large enough for most
PCBAs, and its comprehensive specification
included control and analysis software.
Mr King continued, “Low-end X-ray
equipment, while cheap, provides such a poor
image as to be virtually useless, especially
given the increasing miniaturisation of BGAs.
“We knew we would only buy one X-ray
machine in the foreseeable future, so
decided to select a very capable model from
Nikon with variable magnification, a tilting
flat panel detector and a powerful, 160 kV /
20W X-ray source, which is at the higher end
commonly used for PCBA inspection.”
The machine has to be operated at the
highest power to generate a useable image
only on the densest multi-layer PCBAs, such
as those with multiple copper layers or high
copper weight. An example is the backplane
board manufactured by Newbury Electronics
for controlling the hydrogen fuel cells on an
electric motorbike being developed by an >>
News I Volume 10
17
“
Newbury Electronics’ ability to place complex devices like
BGAs and QFNs just like any other component, with the
confidence that its X-ray tests will reveal any errors, has
reduced its in-house overheads and allowed the company
to cut its charges for such boards by up to 70 per cent.
Philip King, managing director of Newbury Electronics
R&D firm. With 2,500 parts, the boards are
particularly sensitive to quality issues and
are 100 per cent inspected using the Nikon
Metrology system.
Although it has a high performance-toprice ratio, this was not the only factor
that needed to be considered before
the machine was purchased. The X-ray
output also had to be exceptionally stable,
otherwise noise degrades the image. One
of the reasons Mr King chose the XT V160
was its nanofocus X-ray spot source and
advanced image processing capabilities.
Focus of the electron beam is maintained by
a computer-controlled, electromagnetic lens
that ensures the target does not overheat
whilst maintaining a nanometer spot size,
even at high kV settings. In his view, these
features are essential if potential defects are
to be identified, especially in next generation
interconnects and packaging technology.
BGA inspection assisted by
locked region-of-interest
movements
When looking at BGA solder joints, an
operator needs to gain a clear view of the
ball interconnect under inspection. This is
18
normally achieved by combining tilt and
rotate movements and scanning down the
rows, ball by ball. The XT V 160 enables this
function using single-axis control rather than
the usual method of having to manipulate
three axes. The operator can therefore
concentrate on the inspection process rather
than on guiding the machine. True concentric
imaging makes it easy to rotate the view
point through 360 degrees around the area
of interest, which is intelligently locked onto.
Once a region on the PCBA has been
identified and positioned in the centre of the
screen, it remains fixed in position no matter
what tilt, rotation or magnification is applied.
This is a great benefit when inspecting BGA
balls and requires no special skills or training.
Excellent resolution and magnification lead to
superior defect identification. The X-ray source
is designed for a PCBA to be placed within 250
microns of the focal spot, allowing magnification
up to x2400. The board can be viewed at steep
angles of up to 75 degrees, enabling clear
views of solder joints and through-holes while
maintaining sufficient X-ray energy. Special
analysis functions are available for inspection
of semiconductor package voids, wire bonding
and BGA solder bumps.
Low cost of ownership
Once the level of capability that was
required by Newbury Electronics had been
established, the search was narrowed down
to just a handful of potential X-ray machine
suppliers. The feature of the Nikon Metrology
equipment that clinched the choice of the XT
V 160 was that although it is a high power
machine, it is of open-tube design. The latter
means that the electron beam-producing
filament can be replaced every six to nine
months for a cost of under £10 each time.
With closed-tube designs, the manufacturer
has to be called in to renew the tube
every couple of years at a potential cost of
up to £15,000, which was unacceptable
considering the lifetime cost. Carrying out
filament replacement in-house reduces
downtime to a matter of minutes rather than
days.
Mr King said, “We have been pleased with
this aspect of the XT V 160. It is no problem
to replace the filament, which takes five
minutes and requires little training.
“Nikon Metrology’s business model is not to
lock the customer in to repeatedly replacing
an expensive tube and we calculate that our
Dave Roe checking the X-ray results. The dual display facilitates combined measurement and real-time analysis.
machine will have very competitive lifetime
costs.”
Not only are the PCBA manufacturers costs
reduced, but so too are those of its customers.
Mr King indicated that Newbury Electronics’
ability to place complex devices like BGAs
and QFNs just like any other component,
with the confidence that its X-ray tests will
reveal any errors, has reduced its in-house
overheads and allowed the company to cut
its charges for such boards by up to 70 per
cent. To prove his point, he drew attention to
the company’s online PCBA cost calculator at
www.PCBtrain.co.uk
Computed Tomography extends
versatility
The XT V 160 X-ray machine’s flat panel was
supplied fitted with optional CT (computed
tomography) inspection capability. CT reconstructs a 3D image from multiple 2D
X-rays taken from a controlled angular
rotational scan, allowing the operator to
virtually rotate and slice the 3D image.
The extra functionality future-proofs the
investment in case full 3D graphic displays
are required, or if PCBA complexity
becomes so high that a standard 2D image
on the screen is not sufficient for quality
control purposes. In other words, with this
investment, Newbury Electronics is ready for
the next generation of electronics devices
and packaging technologies, regardless of
complexity.
Zero-fault PCBA deliveries
for X-ray and CT inspection of a variety of
small components, such as micro-electromechanical systems used in consumer
electronics including smartphones, as well
as accelerometers, pressure sensors and
gyroscopes. Inspection of small cables,
harnesses, plastic parts, LED lights, switches
and medical parts is also straightforward.
Dave Roe, Senior Production Technician at
Newbury Electronics said, “We have not
had a single board with a mounted BGAs
returned as faulty since we started using the
XT V 160.
“The system is just as good at picking up
QFN solder joint faults and shorts, which
are difficult to check as the leads are hidden
under components.”
Mr King added, “Our engineers were initially
sceptical but became converts very quickly,
as they were able to see results in seconds
rather than spend days waiting to get results
from a bureau.”
Non-destructive testing applications for
XT V systems extend beyond surface mount
technology to include through-hole boards,
integrated circuit bonding and wafer
level interconnectivity. Besides electronics
inspection, the machines are also suitable
Download this case study
News I Volume 10
19
Case study
X-ray inspection shifts a gear higher
at SGC - SwitchGear Company!
A line of medium voltage Switchgear cubicles.
SGC - SwitchGear Company has installed a Microfocus CT system from
Nikon Metrology to accelerate product development and to maintain
high quality standards for incoming components from suppliers. The
225 kV X-ray equipment is installed on the production floor and is used
to non-destructively inspect the quality of various components used in
their medium voltage cubicles and the integrity of welded assemblies of
SF6 filled enclosures.
SGC - SwitchGear Company is a fastgrowing, independent producer of medium
voltage switchgear. With a history dating
back over 35 years, SGC focuses on the
design and production of medium voltage
switchgear from 3kV to 36kV, suitable for
both indoor and outdoor use, that excel in
quality and safety. The SwitchGear cubicles
can be compared to switchboards for
domestic applications but operate at much
higher voltage and currents. The products
have a wide application range and are used
in electrical distribution centers, transformer
stations, wind turbines, production
20
plants, etc. The driving forces for product
development at SGC - SwitchGear Company
are customer satisfaction, ease-of-use, safety
and low environmental impact. SGC is a
global player with headquarters in Belgium
and a worldwide network of partners, e.g. in
the US, Russia, Africa, China, Australia, etc.
Exports have grown dramatically in recent
years.
Patrick De Clercq, technical Project Manager
at SGC explains, “SGC products are high
standard and have a lifespan of more than
30 years. In order to guarantee this lifespan,
product quality needs to be 100% under
control.”
The copper connectors for high power cables
are sealed in an isolating epoxy material and
reside in a pressurized, SF6 filled enclosure
(SF6 = sulphur hexafluoride, an inert gas
used as insulating material in electrical
systems). Porosity or air inclusions in the
epoxy components need to be avoided at
all costs, as these can cause internal arcs
that can result in explosions and permanent
damage to the equipment. SGC cubicles
are also known for minimum loss of power
The X-ray XT H 225 ST system is installed on the shop floor and matches the
brand colors of SGC,with Frederik Delobelle (right) and Patrick De Clercq (left)
throughout their lifetime. One of the critical
elements here is the high quality welding
of the enclosures around the connectors
to avoid SF6 leaks. As such, the quality
control of these components and processes
(e.g. the welding of the joints) is a crucial
step in the production process.
Time-consuming destructive
test methods
Until recently, SGC used destructive test
methods to inspect these epoxy components
for internal imperfections and to verify the
perfect fit of the copper tube to the resin,
where the part under test was sliced. Such
tests were not only time-consuming, but it
was also difficult to draw the right conclusions
as to whether the imperfections were
caused by the destructive tests or already
present due to the production process. To
gain better insight into the quality of the
epoxy components, non-destructive X-ray
inspection was considered as a benchmark.
After consultancy work to solve some
long-standing difficulties with one specific
problematic component, SGC was convinced
that X-rays were the right tool to investigate
the problems in the connectors and defined a
project to deploy an X-ray system.
Epoxy components filled with copper are ready for inspection in
the CT system.
with the X-ray results. The fact that Nikon
Metrology also offered a 225 kV source while
other vendors offered a 180 kV system was
an important reason to decide in favor of the
Nikon Metrology XT H 225 ST system.” By
applying a higher voltage, users can penetrate
thicker materials or higher density materials.
The 225 kV source can easily penetrate
12 cm epoxy. For metal parts, an even higher
voltage can be necessary to irradiate the
metals. For very specific X-ray scans, it is
possible to use the 450 or 750 kV systems
that Nikon Metrology has available in its
technical demonstration center.
X-rays help to achieve high
quality standards
Selection of the CT system
In the meantime, X-ray inspection and
CT have proven highly effective in many
applications. The recently installed system
is used to inspect the quality of products
delivered to SGC from external suppliers. For
parts in series production, X-rays are used
to verify quality by testing samples from the
batch. As SGC is ISO 9001:2008 certified, it
is important to constantly monitor product
quality. Correction measures are implemented
when shortcomings in the process occur.
For different parts, SGC was able to prove the
presence of internal voids in components, or
low quality seals for 100% sealed enclosures.
Before deciding to invest in X-ray equipment,
SGC performed several benchmarks with
different X-ray/CT manufacturers. As the CT
images of Nikon Metrology revealed what
SGC expected to see in the components, a
decision was easily made. Patrick De Clercq
comments “We immediately were impressed
X-ray inspection also helps to accelerate
product development. The SwitchGear
cubicles consist of many parts including
plastic injection molded components, rubber,
and metal parts. As almost all components
are engineered and designed in-house,
X-ray inspection has accelerated the product
development process by providing internal
insight in the prototypes. Mr. Frederik
Delobelle, R&D engineer comments, ”With
one specific component we had been
looking for years for a solution to optimize
the production of the part. Thanks to the
X-ray and CT images it became clear what
the real issue was, and corrective action was
taken within a few weeks. Another important
advantage of CT is that for assembled
components, CT enables us to verify whether
the assembly is accurate (e.g. if contacts are
perfectly aligned) without having to destroy
or dismantle the part.”
Future plans
SGC is currently deploying a completely
new facility to assemble a new switchgear
product. The X-ray system will play an
important role in product engineering,
incoming quality control and production
improvement. Also for SGC customers it is reassuring to know that SGC applies the most
modern technology to guarantee the high
quality standards and safety of its switchgear
products.
Download this case study
News I Volume 10
21
Case study
Video Measuring System Ensures
Diamond Quality for Waterjets
A CNC video measuring system helps Diamond Technology Innovations
produce a more accurate diamond waterjet orifice
Combining pumps, intensifiers and
articulated cutting heads capable of
producing 3D parts, CNC waterjets are
highly engineered pieces of capital
equipment. At the heart of the process
though, is the waterjet orifice an assembly
often built around an industrial ruby,
sapphire or diamond to concentrate and
maintain the strength of the waterjet
cutting stream. “Without the orifice, the
entire system is essentially useless,”
says Ted Jernigan, president of Diamond
Technology Innovations located in Olympia,
Washington.
These DTI Core diamond waterjet orifices are measured and
inspected using Nikon Metrology’s NEXIV VMZ-R3020 CNC
video measuring system.
22
A magnified scanning electron microscope is used to
show this image of a DTI Core diamond orifice. Accuracy
is important, because the company must measure
geometry features down to the micron
And with the right orifice, the entire system
can be more productive. With 30-plus years
in the waterjet cutting industry, Mr. Jernigan’s
company manufactures diamond waterjet
orifices. To guarantee circularity and other
internal geometry features, DTI invested in
a CNC video measuring system from Nikon
Metrology (Brighton, Michigan). Using the
system has shortened measurement times
and increased accuracy, which helps eliminate
geometric discontinuities of the diamond
orifice.
This is because diamond orifices can
contain sharp edges known as stress risers.
Other problems that diamond orifices can
face are inferior diamond material, poor
retaining materials and retention methods,
misalignment with the cutting head, and
inconsistent internal geometries if they are
not manufactured correctly. All of these issues
can lead to degraded jet streams, early wear
on the surrounding cutting head equipment,
less effective cutting and ultimately premature
orifice failure.
According to DTI, diamonds are the most
effective orifice for the waterjet industry
because they are at the top of the Mohs scale,
which measures mineral hardness from one to
10. Talc is at the bottom of the scale at one.
Ruby, which has been used for manufacturing
waterjet orifices for years, is a nine, and
diamonds are a 10. Even though diamonds
are only one step from rubies on the Mohs
scale, they are actually more than four times
harder, Mr. Jernigan says. “Compared to a
diamond, ruby is like talcum powder.”
To prevent these problems, DTI uses Nikon
Metrology’s NEXIV VMZ-R3020 CNC video
measuring system to inspect its diamond
orifices. The system combines highmagnification zoom optics, LED illuminators
for micron-level inspection, computer-speed
image processing, and automated measuring
and processing routines. Nikon’s VMZ inspects,
measures and reports, enabling DTI to set up
programs that accommodate a range of parts
and their inspection requirements. Prior to
using the NEXIV system, DTI was inspecting
the orifices using a high magnification
microscope, and they utilized a Scanning
Electron Microscope at a local University
on a small percentage of the diamonds
to determine how accurate the manual
measurements were.
The hardness of the orifice is important
because cutting super hard materials requires
waterjet streams entrained with abrasives to
be expelled at pressures ranging to 100,000
psi and at speeds approaching Mach 3 (three
times the speed of sound). Yet the combination
of the abrasives, high pressure and force can
damage poorly designed orifices, even those
incorporating diamonds.
With any imaging system, it all starts with
capturing a superior image, says Dennis Fenn,
district manager for Nikon Metrology. The
Nikon NEXIV series combines optics with a
A close-up of DTI’s diamond orifice.
According to the company, diamonds are the
most effective orifice for the waterjet industry
because they are at the top of the Mohs scale,
which measures mineral hardness
through-the-lens (TTL) laser system and edgedetection algorithms. The TTL laser enables
quick and accurate focus for determining
height measurements, and can be used for
surface scanning and generating point clouds,
gathering up to 1,000 points per second,
Mr. Fenn says. The laser can detect top and
bottom surfaces of a transparent layer for
measuring the layer’s thickness or the depth
of the surface beneath it.
According to the company, the LED light
sources provide a more stable high-color
temperature that does not change with
intensity, resulting in more accurate images
and shorter measurement times. Separate inner
and outer illuminator rings in the light source
have varying degree angles to the optical axis
for defining edges that are almost invisible to
coaxial top light. An image auto-focus feature
helps quickly determine surface height and
depth of small holes or steep surfaces.
Once inspection programs are run, images
can be saved to a teach file, enabling Nikon’s
VMZ video measuring system to search for
these features on subsequent jobs. Users can
preset rules for selecting the correct edge from
multiple edge candidates with a filter to avoid
abnormal points, minimizing errors. Reports
with inspection results and graphics can be
created automatically every time the program
is run.
DTI inspects and measures down to the
micron (one millionth of a meter, or about
0.000039 inch). “We supply a range of orifice >>
News I Volume 10
23
sizes,” says Adam Miranda, diamond division
manager. “Each customer has different cutting
requirements with different tolerances, and
certainly each OEM has its own standards.
Every product we supply has to be as close to
perfect as possible.”
Hole circularity is not the only orifice feature
that needs to be measured. The company
incorporates an inlet flare on each orifice’s
inside diameter enabling even distribution
of force over the entire area of the diamond
during operation, eliminating geometric
discontinuities. Without an inlet flare, stress
fields could increase, leading to chipping or
cracking. Not only producing, but inspecting,
measuring and confirming flare characteristics
using the Nikon VMZ video measuring system,
helps guarantee product performance.
DTI’s Core diamonds are engineered and
manufactured with a process designed
to ensure flawless raw diamond material,
eliminate sharp edges, use high-grade support
materials and retention methods, incorporate
alignment procedures for effective cutting,
and ensure exact internal geometries for
precise flow rate control. For example, in a 40hour glass-cutting process for a telescope lens,
an orifice failure in the middle of the cutting
process means scrapping the entire part.
In cutting titanium parts for the aerospace
industry, one of DTI’s customers says ruby
waterjet orifices had to be replaced every two
24
days. By comparison, the Core diamond orifice
had a service life of five years.
DTI emphasizes quality control throughout
the manufacturing process, says General
Manager Perry Hanchey. “We inspect as we
manufacture, and each orifice undergoes
final testing. Orifice outer diameters can be
between 0.040 and 0.070 inch while inner
diameters range from 0.003 to 0.020 inch.
We have to have a process that guarantees
hole circularity and other internal geometry
features down to the micron.”
DTI has been pleased with its video
measurement system, but even more so
with Nikon’s service. “Mr. Fenn is always
showing us the newest ways to set up things
or incorporate new features, such as a laser
that determines where the surface really is in
space, as well as analyzing it,” Mr. Miranda
says.
Download this case study
According to Mr. Hanchey, DTI’s level of
design and engineering processes set it apart
from the competition. “The ability to inspect,
measure and certify our compliance is integral
to that effort,” he says. “The training we
receive continues to help us be more efficient
in our own production and quality control
processes, and as business continues to grow,
so does the credibility of our products.”
Flexible inspection,
unbeatable productivity
Laser Radar next-generation shopfloor CMM
It is important for automotive assembly plants to
continuously monitor process quality during the
manufacturing process. Locations of holes, slots, studs,
welding lines and other features need to be measured
on the vehicles in Body-in-White (BIW) assembly. Flush
& gap of doors and other hangers also need to be
monitored and verified. These inspections ensure that
vehicles are built within the stringent tolerances set by
automotive manufacturers.
Today’s inspection methods during
automotive assembly
These measurements in the past have been primarily
performed offline by either horizontal arm CMMs or on
the production line using dozens of sensors individually
aimed at each of the features that are to be inspected.
Although CMMs provide highly accurate absolute
measurements, they tend to be slow and require an
expensive metrology lab which limits their use to offline
applications. A large amount of time is required to remove
the vehicle from the line, fixture and align it on the CMM
and then perform the time-consuming measurements. At
best, two vehicles can be inspected per shift on a CMM.
This is a very small sample considering that over 1.000
vehicles can be built each day in a single automotive plant.
Traditional inline systems can have over 100 fixed
sensors that are all individually aimed at features on the
vehicles. These fixed sensors are demanding to install and
maintain and do not provide ‘absolute measurements’ of >>
News I Volume 10
25
Dual horizontal arm setup for body-in-white inspection
the features in the car’s coordinate system.
In addition, most assembly lines now are
‘flexible’, meaning that they can produce
more than one type of vehicle. Fixed sensors
cannot be used between different vehicles
styles; every vehicle requires it’s own custom
set of sensors.
Recently inline inspection systems have been
moving towards robotic based solutions which
are flexible but rely on the robot for positional
accuracy which limits their performance.
Nikon Metrology’s Laser Radar
In each robot position, the Laser Radar can inspect dozens of features
range (up to 50m for the MV350), allowing it
to easily measure objects that have the size of
cars, trucks, and other large vehicles.
Line side inspection with the
Laser Radar
Laser Radar inspection stations can be
installed line side. A station consists of one or
more laser radars mounted on 6-axis industrial
robots. This type of robot is common place in
automotive production facilities, is very robust
and can easily handle the payload of the Laser
Radar.
The robots are used to automatically reposition
the Laser Radar so it can inspect areas that are
hidden from the line-of-sight of a single Laser
Radar location. For example the door frame or
other body panels could be blocking the lineof-sight to some features on the floor pan;
repositioning the Laser Radar to an alternate
location will make these features visible again
without the need for multiple sensors.
After the robot repositions the Laser Radar,
the Laser Radar automatically measures
alignment points on the vehicle or pallet. This
occurs each time the robot moves the Laser
The Laser Radar provides a unique alternative
to the shortcomings of the traditional
inspection methods.
The Laser Radar performs automated, highly
accurate, contactless measurements by using
a focused laser that is controlled by precision
azimuth and elevation drives. To perform a
measurement, the Laser Radar only needs a
fraction of the laser’s signal to be returned
giving it the ability to measure almost any
surface, including highly reflective bare body
panels as well as shiny painted surfaces.
This robust measurement ability means that
the Laser Radar can be used for both BIW
and end of line flush & gap inspections on
finished cars.
The Laser Radar also has a large measurement
End-of-line flush & gap measurements
26
Features such as holes, slots, pins, studs can be quickly inspected using the Laser Radar
Dimensions and location of features are measured in
absolute coordinates
Radar, guaranteeing that all measurements are
collected in vehicle coordinates and ensuring
measurement accuracy is independent of the
robots ability to repeatably position the Laser
Radar.
It can be fully automated and can directly
measure holes, studs, bolts, along with
many other features accurately from a large
standoff, eliminating the risk of ‘crashing’ into
the vehicle.
In each location the Laser Radar can
measure dozens of features on the vehicle.
These measurements are preprogrammed
in the inspection software directly from
the vehicle’s CAD model. After the initial
programming, data collection and reporting
is fully automated. Unique inspection scripts
can also be written for each vehicle style and
model made on the production line making
the Laser Radar inspection station completely
flexible. Adding vehicle styles in the future only
requires re-programming of the inspection
plan and does not require any physical
changes or new hardware.
The interaction of the Laser Radar, robot, and
analysis software are fully integrated; the
inspections are completely automated and
do not require manual intervention during
runtime, improving both the speed and
quality of the measurements over traditional
methods.
The Laser Radar measures up to 2.000 points /
second making it suitable to not only measure
features but also scan surfaces. The ability to
offline program the Laser Radar makes it ideal
for inline inspections; different vehicle models
on the same assembly line are simply a new
inspection program.
The Laser Radar is proven in industry as a
reliable precision measurement instrument
and is used in aerospace, renewable energy,
as well as automotive applications.
Laser Radar features
The Laser Radar is a programmable
contactless measurement system and has an
accuracy <0.1mm over the volume of a car.
News I Volume 10
27
NEWS10_EN_0415– Copyright Nikon Metrology NV 2015. All rights reserved. The materials presented here are summary in nature, subject to change and intended for general information only.
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