Multi-sensor metrology for space age technology

The Vantage is true Multi-Sensor, capable of deploying Video, Laser and Renishaw probing in a single measurement routine.

July 2005 saw the resumption of America's manned space program and with it a continuation of the scientific research only possible in a gravity and contamination free environment.

Space science has been responsible for much advancement in materials and technology, Teflon coating is just one example of where the science is being used in everyday life.

Designers have been quick to recognise the benefits of using new materials to create components that are lighter, stiffer and more accurate that those manufactured from more traditional materials.

We all benefit from the use of these technological advancements, for instance, we couldn't have contemplated carrying a telephone in our pockets 15 years ago! Stiffer and lighter materials have meant that designers can miniaturise components necessitating the need for radical advancements in manufacturing and inspection capabilities.

Production machinery has needed to work materials to smaller and tighter tolerances.

New and developing micro moulding techniques has allowed manufacturers to produce components where the detail is all but invisible to the human eye.

These advancements have created the need for better inspection capabilities.

Traditionally inspectors would use tactile methods, such as Micrometers or Co-ordinate Measuring Machines to ascertain the dimensional conformity of a component.

Often where the part might be pliable or a feature too small for probing a Microscope, Profile Projector or Video based non-contact measuring machine would be used.

These Non-Contact systems, such as the SmartScope available from OGP Inc in the USA, are capable of accurately measuring a magnified image of the component using video and edge detection techniques.

Today's manufacturers, however, cannot be constrained by the capabilities of traditional inspection methods and have challenged companies such as OGP to further enhance their technologies.

To meet these demands leading metrology companies have developed and introduced Multi-Sensor machines, one such system being OGPs SmartScope Vantage.

The Vantage is true Multi-Sensor, capable of deploying Video, Laser and Renishaw probing in a single measurement routine.

For instance, the SmartScope Vantage can measure complex and miniaturised features on a component using a combination of zoom optics and video analysis, automatically scan surface profile using an inbuilt Laser sensor and go on to measure three dimensional features using a Renishaw touch probe.

All of these sensors work within the same axis system; are programmed from a single software source and are automatically deployed by the machine without the need for operator intervention.

Measurements are made quicker and more accurately than having to use several measuring devises plus guage capability is easily quantified so process control uncertainties can be quickly characterised and managed.

Well thought out multi-sensor strategies reduce the need for operator training because all measurements are called from the one software interface.

In addition, when designing multi-sensor systems developers need to pay careful consideration to lighting sources as these are critical for the non-contact operation, poor lighting will undermine the video's edge detect and therefore it's ability to measure accurately.

Also, finding features at high magnification requires absolute control of the machine's micro motion so system developers need to design in high resolution scales and extremely stiff X, Y, Z stages.

These are some of the reasons why simply bolting a camera to a traditional CMM has not been effective.

Multi-sensors systems are most successful when the additional probes are integrated onto a video based non-contact machine.

These machines already incorporate and control advanced lighting, have optical clarity, use sophisticated edge detection algorithms and have three dimensional measurement software, so the addition of a Laser or Renishaw probe is less of a challenge.

What's most interesting, when observing mans achievements, is how developments attributed to space science have contributed in improving our ability to further explore space.

Knowledge leads to understanding, understanding leads to a thirst for more knowledge.

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