Measuring the ‘real’ edge contour

END USER: OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH, +49 (7082) 491112, www.otec.de; OTEC Precision Finish Inc., (401) 398-0045, www.otecusa.com.
CHALLENGE: Achieve a higher accuracy and resolution when measuring cutting tools and components.
SOLUTION: An optical 3-D measurement system.
SOLUTION PROVIDER: Alicona Corp., (630) 372-9900, www.alicona.com.

Whether on a cutting tool or other machined component, a smooth surface can enhance a part’s functionality and aesthetics. OTEC Präzisionsfinish GmbH, Straubenhardt, Germany, offers drag finishing machines for imparting fine surface finishes on parts and cutting tools. (OTEC Precision Finish Inc. is located in North Kingston, R.I.)

As a specialist in mass finishing machines, OTEC has a wealth of experience with both optical and tactile measuring techniques. However, when OTEC needed higher-accuracy measurement of cutting edge radii and chipping—as well as rake, wedge and clearance angles—on cutting tools processed in its finishing machines, the existing systems didn’t provide the needed accuracy. Therefore, OTEC decided to replace its optical edge measurement system and tested various replacement options.

Courtesy of Alicona

InfiniteFocus verifies dimensional accuracy of cutting tools by measuring radii, various angles, cutting edge chipping and deviation from the target geometry.

During testing, OTEC focused on achieving high accuracy when measuring cutting edges with radii smaller than 10µm, as well as ease of use, suitability for measuring a range of materials, easy positioning and changing of the tool or part to be measured, high-resolution measurement of highly polished surfaces and easy-to-understand documentation of measurement results. As a result, OTEC selected the InfiniteFocus optical 3-D measurement system from Alicona Imaging GmbH, Raaba/Graz, Austria. (Alicona Corp. is located in Bartlett, Ill.)

“The main reason to go with Alicona for edge measurement is quality,” said OTEC General Manager Soran Jota. “We achieve higher resolution and accuracy for a wider range of applications.”

Jota added that OTEC uses InfiniteFocus to traceably and repeatably measure the complex geometries of deburred, ground, smoothed and polished components, because a precise 3-D measurement technique is needed to define an edge in the micron range.

Courtesy of Alicona