Product category:
Measurement systems
News Release from: FARO Technologies | Subject: CMM
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 May 2007
Portable CMM arm assists windshield
manufacturer
Form Tec, based in Martinsville, IN, USA, has purchased a FaroArm to accurately measure the curved planes of their polycarbonate-based windshields and windows.
Form Tec, a 30-year-old leading manufacturer of polycarbonate-based windshields and windows in Martinsville, Indiana, USA, needed a clear-cut method to measure the surfaces of their Shields products Form Tec provides the patented shatterproof windshields to championship race teams and marine performance builders, as well as military and safety contractors
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 5 Feb 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The company faced a common production challenge - accurately engineering and producing items comprised of curved and rounded surfaces.
Form Tec previously produced and inspected the windshields with measurements taken from hand tools, which was very time consuming, difficult and prone to error.
Form Tec soon realised that the FaroArm could not only accurately measure curved planes, but it could also drastically reduce their production time.
Impressed by Faro's inspection and reverse engineering capabilities, Form Tec purchased a Platinum 6-Axis FaroArm to solve its design and production problems.
Now they can accurately inspect windshield arcs and the hole locations used to mount the windshields by collecting reference points with touchprobes.
Faro's CAM2 Measure CAD software instantly records and maps the measurements for easy analysis and reporting.
Form Tec can utilise the information to verify measurements of newly produced windshields against in-house and customer-provided drawings.
Form Tec also uses the FaroArm to produce CAD models of shields previously manufactured without any digital documentation.
Engineers trace the edges of existing shields with a swivel-edge probe to generate CAD models and ultimately reverse engineer replicas of the existing windshields.
Before owning the FaroArm, Form Tec spent numerous hours trying to inspect and reverse engineer.
Now they measure windshields in a quarter of the time previously spent using hand tools, which has translated into huge cost savings for the production department.
Form Tec's general manager, Brad Shields, observed, "It's hard to put a number on the amount of business I would have lost had I not had the FaroArm.".
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