Coventry-based steering system
specialist Pailton Engineering has
added to its quality assurance
equipment with a 7-axis Absolute Arm
featuring an RS5 laser scanner. Supplied by
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (https://
is.gd/anokem), this articulated measuring
arm offers tactile probing and surface
scanning of steering parts to generate a 3D
image of intricate products on-screen, with
precise measurements of geometry.
The Absolute Arm has certi cation in
accordance to ISO10360-12 for probing
accuracy, while scanning accuracy complies
with ISO10360-8 Annex D standards.
Designed for lightness and usability, the
company’s engineers are already putting the
equipment to good use, performing high
QUALITY & METROLOGY CONTROL & ASSURANCE
speed 3D scanning on various surfaces and
features.
“We have the capabilities to measure
very large products by creating what we call
a ‘leap frog’ alignment,” explains Matthew
Pease, engineer at Pailton Engineering.
“After, we can move the arm into a new
position, where we can still reach and remeasure
the same features used to create
the leap frog alignment, and gain access to
areas on the product inaccessible from the
original arm position. This enables us to
move around large products to gain full
access to all characteristics requiring
measurement.
“All measurement data can be combined
and used to de ne the actual and theoretical
features and characteristics for GD&T
requirements,” he adds. “The information
can be presented in a single report using the
master alignment strategy to drawing. A
good example would be measuring a large
vehicle, which would require the Absolute
Arm to be continuously repositioned to
perform a complete inspection.
“With a fully certi ed, wide scan line
capable of 752,000 points per second on
any surface, this investment has
transformed our quality assurance
processes. The scanner also allows for
reverse engineering capabilities by scanning
an item, then creating a mesh to be
rendered for a fully surfaced CAD model.”
Further north, Shef eld-based AMB, which
predominantly supplies pump wear parts for
OEMs in the energy sector, has added an
Xtreme 500 CNC CMM from Aberlink
(https://is.gd/pewaro) to its capacity. The
machine offers travels in the X, Y and Z axes
of 400 by 400 by 270 mm.
AMB’s CMMs are housed in a dedicated
temperature-controlled room. To ensure the
absolute repeatability of parts, all work
The latest metrology solutions remain in demand, including
measuring arms, CMMs, form measuring systems, length measuring
machines, optical imaging devices and laser trackers, as Steed
Webzell discovers
An engineer using
the Absolute Arm to
measure a steering
drop arm at Pailton
Engineering
Demanding quality
www.machinery.co.uk | MachineryMagazine | @MachineryTweets | April 2020 41
/www.machinery.co.uk
/anokem
/pewaro