Time to Re-inspect Inspection
New hardware and software make inspection faster—and a no-brainer to use.
“Too many companies still regard inspection as an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming operation that limits their profitability,” claim executives at Delcam (Salt Lake City, UT; www.delcam.com). That’s inspection of yesteryear. These days, inspection hardware and software measure thousands of points and report on the dimensional integrity of parts and assemblies with no muss, no fuss—all in short order.
Faster inspection setup through software
Delcam’s PowerInspect software checks the dimensions of geometric and free-form objects against computer-aided design (CAD) data. In version 6, Delcam has gone back to basics in handling geometric data sets, simplifying the addition of data, and improving reporting. For instance, a new interface in PowerInspect streamlines the task of taking “simple” measurements, such as measuring the distance between two points or two planes, or the centers of two circles, or checking the thickness of a section. The interface lets operators easily add and remove points during an inspection from a set of measurements defining a feature. (Points might need to be added to collect extra data from a suspect area, while “rogue” measurements can be deleted to prevent them affecting the overall inspection result.)
The new interface also speeds up the analysis of problem areas. First, point attributes can be displayed separately either as dots or as needles proportionate in length to the extent of the deviation. Second, individual points can be used in multiple part features. For example, two sets of points can be used to check the circles at the top and bottom of a cylinder, and then combined to produce the inspection report for the cylinder itself. PowerInspect can display feature measurements as surface points to compare with an imported CAD model.
Another new, yet simple, feature in PowerInspect is the ability to stop an inspection mid-stream. This lets operators report on out-of-tolerance parts as soon as they’re found, rather than waiting till the entire inspection program is completed, a time-saving benefit when measuring numerous complex components.
New wizards in Qualify 11 computer-aided inspection software from Geomagic Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC; www.geomagic.com) help simplify the creation of inspection programs. Automation Designer uses a drag-and-drop interface for creating, modifying, adding, or removing inspection steps—no need for macros or special programming. Another wizard lets operators transfer existing inspection processes between reference models for re-use when part designs change. The wizard then guides the operator through that existing inspection process, highlighting the steps that need to be revised for the new part. Geomagic Qualify 11 also includes options for constructing new features, simulating tab and slot alignment, and defining midpoints.
One-click automation in the latest version of Focus Scan from Metris (Brighton, MI; www.us.metris.com) also speeds inspection programming. An operator need only click on a CAD surface area; a macro in Focus Scan does the rest: It automatically defines a scanner path with optimum probe angles. Scan path visualizations help operators validate the resulting scan program. These visualizations include collision detection between scanner and part, as well as an estimate of the inspection time based on the inspection machine in use.
Seeing better yields speedier inspections
The latest in inspection machines are the “eyes”—the laser scanners. Consider the XC65D from Metris This multilaser scanner can capture 3D details of features, edges, pockets, and ribs—even the bore of a hole and the flanges of a notch—in a single scan and without user interaction. This ability comes from three lasers in a cross pattern. These laser stripes, projected from three sides, capture the entire 3D-ness of an object. This scanning eliminates the time-consuming probe head indexing that comes when making multiple scans of the same feature using different scanner paths and orientations. The XC65D in cross scanner mode can register 25,000 points/second; in line scanner mode, 75 lines/second (75,000 points/second). It can scan an area measuring about 3 in. square from approximately 3 in. away or, with the longer stand-off XC65D model, 6.7 in.
New CMOS technology also lets the XC65D sense dynamically change the intensity of the laser source from point to point on the object under inspection. This lets the scanner, without operator interaction, inspect nearly all materials and surface finishes, including shiny surfaces and abrupt surface transitions under any lighting condition. On the factory floor, the XC65D can scan similar parts in different manufacturing stages; initially dealing with bare sheet metal parts and finally scanning finished products painted in any color.
Likewise, Faro Technologies Inc. (Lake Mary, FL; www.faro.com) has introduced two new models of phase-shift 3D laser scanners: the Faro Laser Scanner Photon 120 and 20. Both scanners can measure up to 976,000 points/second—an eightfold increase in speed compared to previous Faro laser scanners. The Photon 120 can scan objects up to about 500 ft. away, while the Photon 20 can scan objects within about 66 ft. The long range of these scanners, particularly the Photon 120, reduces the need to reposition the scanner or the object under inspection. The overall result: increased productivity.
