Companies collaborate to offer on-machine inspection

Delcam and Renishaw have joined forces to offer On-Machine Verification to companies seeking to increase the productivity of their machine tools. Though this technology is advantageous for companies that do not currently have existing inspection capabilities, it is also beneficial to subcontractors that need to machine larger components.

Data for the process can be collected using Renishaw's spindle probes, such as the established MP 700 or the compact OMP 400. Neither of these probes needs to be calibrated in all the vectors in which they are to be used. This reduces the number of points required to measure a given part and therefore produces shorter verification cycle times.

PowerInspect can use the data to gage surface accuracy or to measure features, such as circles, cylinders, cones, spheres and planes. The capability to program complete verification sequences off-line means that there can be minimal interruption of the machining operations, says the manufacturer.

The technology can yield time savings by enabling the quality of the component being machined to be monitored at all stages in the manufacturing process. Therefore, errors can be detected earlier, and thus corrected more quickly. Similarly, the extent of any damage caused, example, by a tool breakage, can be assessed. The user can thus determine whether the part can still be completed within tolerance or if the part will have to be scrapped. If a part has to be transferred to a dedicated CMM and the inspection indicates any errors, then the component must be returned to the machine tool and re-clamped in position before being machined again. Time-consuming for any component, this process might require hours for a heavy item, such as a large aero structure or a press tool for an automotive body panel. In addition, the setup back onto the machine tool might result in a new series of errors in the component and lead to a further cycle of inspection and re-machining.

With On-Machine Verification, the part can be inspected prior to being moved. Errors can thus be detected and corrected before the component is transferred to the CMM for its final inspection. The capability to check that the part is reaching its specifications at the various stages of the manufacturing process will save time, reduce the amount of scrap and increase confidence that time is not being wasted working on components that are already too far out of tolerance, says the manufacturer