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New metrology lab is open for business
A
Millbrook Proving Ground product story
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk editorial team
Mar 4, 2002
A new, independent metrology laboratory, equipped with one of the UK's most advanced coordinate measuring machines, has been opened to serve a wide range of engineering industries.
A new metrology laboratory, equipped with one of the UK's most advanced Coordinate Measuring Machines, has been opened at the Millbrook Engine Technology Centre in Bedfordshire.
The facility is available to independent projects from customers who do not use Millbrook's other test and development facilities and is expected to attract business from industries as diverse as aerospace and food processing.
The Brown and Sharpe Leitz Chameleon 9159 scanning Coordinate Measuring Machine(CMM) can generate smooth profiles of components up to 1,850kg and 1,530 x 925 x 865mm.
"Most CMMs take a series of measurements around the product and use sophisticated algorithms to join up the points" explains Martin Hughes, Millbrook's manager - powertrain operations.
"A scanning probe stays in contact with the test surface, so every detail is faithfully recorded to an accuracy of +/2.5 micron, depending on measurement distance." Possible uses for the scanning CMM include checking manufactured components against design specifications, checking components and tooling for wear, or generating CAD drawing from hand-made prototypes.
In the aerospace industry, scanning CMM are already used for checking turbine blades for distortion.
Other facilities available at the new Metrology Laboratory include a surface finish analyser, a contour analyser and a roundness machine that can accept components up to 500mm high, making it suitable for most automotive crankshafts.
To help ensure consistency, air temperature within the laboratory is held at a constant 20degC +/-1degC and humidity is held at 47%RH +/- 7%RH.
"The Metrology Laboratory is the first part of Millbrook's new Engine Technology Centre (ETC) to be fully commissioned" says Hughes.
"The scanning CMM alone is valued at more than GBP 100,000, making it a significant addition to the GBP 6 million already invested in the ETC.".
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