Product category:
Measurement systems including encoders
News Release from: Ibb Technology | Subject: Twinner multi-functional measuring centres
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 24 June 2002
No problem with measuring large parts
Multi-functional measuring centres allow up to 98% of the usual measurements they require on site on precision parts to be carried out and so save on equipment, costs and time.
With the Twinner multi-functional measuring centres IBB Technology has scored a clear bullseye What is not surprising is that, with mobile measuring islands almost anyone will eventually be able to carry out up to 98% of the usual measurements they require on site on precision parts
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 16 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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And there is even better news: at the Control exhibition the company will demonstrated a further development for the complete measurement of heavy rotating parts, crank shafts and cam shafts up to 60kg in weight.
Combined with the operating and evaluating software which has also been developed, the versatile Twinner system should rapidly open up further market potential.
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The Twinner measuring island has now become established in numerous production areas as an effective substitute for standard classic manual measuring devices which are usually available.
With the multi-functional and mobile measuring centre it is now possible to measure and record almost anything produced on turning machines.
With a few hand movements on Twinner the average skilled operator can produce reliable and highly accurate calculations of external and internal diameters, internal depths, minimum/maximum diameters, eccentricity, concentricity, overall running, parallelism, straightness, ovality, symmetry, taper angle, flank diameter, thread pitch, length, face run-out, overall axial running, slot width, bore spacing for cross bores and incremental values and even angles, chamfers, grooves, ellipse, polygons and cylindrical form.
With the introduction of Twinner XL and XXL onto the market in 1998, IBB Technology extended the range of applications by offering precision measurement on crank shafts and other heavy parts.
However, although the XXL version takes parts up to 35kg in weight and diameters up to 200mm and can measures strokes up to 50mm (half stroke), managing director Gerhard Buttner explains that the application opportunities for many users - particularly those in the car industry - were still not enough and saw this as the motivation for the development of an even larger machine version.
The result was presented at the Control exhibition and certainly attracted many visitors to the IBB stand since the Twinner TXL not only deals with the literally comprehensive quality control of car crank shafts for 4, 6, 8 and 12 cylinder engines but also respective cam shafts.
Any rotationally symmetrical parts with a weight of up of 60 kg can of course also be measured and recorded.
The maximum diameter can now be up to 220mm and a part length can be handled (with the standard solution) up to a maximum of 1000mm.
Precision in engine manufacturing - the dimensions of the TXL provide an extremely solid basic construction.
The base is a sturdy granite table with longitudinal guiding and the movement slide in the longitudinal axis.
The support is a steel construction.
The workpiece is held between two centres with pneumatic adjustment (using two hands) and two location prisms.
Testpieces such as crank shafts and cam shafts can be rotated between the centres.
As an option the centres can also be supplied with motorised drive and encoder (0.02deg resolution).
By focussing on large, heavy "shaft-type" components, the Twinner TXL will clearly open up a broad range of applications.
In engine production in particular the precision of the shaft components is decisive for the quality of the overall system.
Quiet running, performance and durability, or aspects such as maintenance intervals and reliability, are important sales arguments for the manufacturer.
As a result the tolerance specifications are tight and the cost of quality assurance and data recording rises.
However, the pressure for lower costs remains.
In this context universal solutions, such as the Twinner TXL, clearly provide a welcome rational approach.
Handling is as easy as using manual measuring instruments and probing errors with the Twinner TXL are eliminated because the system operates with a constant measuring force.
Also according to IBB, by using the measuring centre and the measuring modules which are available, the features listed below can be measured and documented without using a setting master from just one item upwards, for example on crank shanks: * diameter of any bearing points.
* connecting rod bearing diameter.
* concentricity measurement between centres of main and crankpin bearing.
* connecting rod bearing lift/stroke.
* all longitudinal measurements and incremental dimensions.
* axial run-out, right and left.
* stroke deflection/angle of rotation of connecting rod pin in relation to one another.
* concentricity measurement with reference to the workpiece axis (mechanical basis).
* stroke measurement on the basis of each adjacent bearing (electronic axis formation).
* groves, width of cross slots, chamfers.
* side radius, angle of rotation for adjusting springs.
* ovality measurement for crankpin bearing, 3 tracks, symmetry, centralisation, offset, taper.
For these measuring tasks IBB offers a variety of measuring system modules which are all adapted to suit the TXL and operate to extremely high precision.
For example the diameter/stroke module has a resolution of 1 micron (0.1 micron), The measurement uncertainty U1 is + 1.5 micron +(L/100).
In addition to the tactile system the TXL also offers the adaption option of a T Cam optic with a 6.5 x 6.5mm field and a resolution of 1 micron, 0.1 micron respectively.
The accuracy achieved (depending on the sharpness of the contour and the light conditions) is 5 micron.
The edges to be measured in this way are automatically identified with an automatic graticule.
The software adjusts any displacement of the graticule.
Standard operation and control of the Twinner system is by means of a display unit with screen display for three axes (diameter, stroke, length).
The display unit has a variety of functions.
For example the stroke is automatically saved with the Maximum Value function.
Data can then be printed out.
Preset values and probe constants can also be stored.
Although the display unit is limited in function, the measurement tasks can be accomplished with this in numerous cases.
Interactive Testing System - those who value comfort decide on PC and software program and then use a graphic interactive test system with the following options: * Production of a sketch of the part with the mouse or the Twinner by scanning/probing.
* Graphically interactive test schedule creation on the screen directly onto the geometry of the part.
* Symbolic representation of the measuring points and functions on the screen.
* Options for interlinking the results/macro results.
* Display of measurement results with all the necessary functions.
* Measurement macros such as : workpiece axis/reference axis, face/radial run-out, min., max., delta, taper, radii.
* Special software for crankshafts and cam shafts.
With PC and software all testing facilities as available as symbols and are incorporated into the measurement routine when creating the test schedule.
Those who wish to gain an insight into the measuring centre for themselves and are visiting the Control exhibition should include a visit to the IBB exhibition stand in their timetable.
This is all the more appropriate because the company are also introducing the fully automatic tactile measuring system Twin Speed for the first time in Sinnsheim.
The new development measures and records a crank shaft, and also a cam shaft, completely in well under a minute.
With a performance like this the Twin Speed presents real competition to measuring machines based on an image processing system.
And it has the additional advantage of being able to reliably detect features which are difficult for imaging processing systems to define.
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