Air-assisted measuring productivity

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END USER: Neenah Foundry Co., (920) 725-7000, www.nfco.com. CHALLENGE: Increase productivity and worker safety when measuring castings on a coordinate measuring machine. SOLUTION: A system that enables a CMM operator to load and unload castings in fixtures with minimal lifting, bending or twisting and easily move parts into the CMM’s measurement zone on plates supported by air. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Mod Tech Industries Inc., (715) 524-4510, www.modtechindustries.com

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Neenah (Wis.) Foundry Co. manufactures gray and ductile iron castings for the municipal market, such as manhole covers, grates and frames, as well as industrial components for the heavy truck, off-highway, HVAC and agricultural sectors. To ensure dimensional requirements and specifications are met during the initial sample process and monitor tooling wear via periodic measurements of castings throughout the life of the component, the company performs measurement on a coordinate measuring machine. Nee- nah’s CMM has a measuring envelope of approximately 3 ‘×3 ‘×4 ‘.

The castings weigh from 5 to 250 lbs. Positioning castings on the CMM table for measurement can be a challenge. Although Neenah uses a hoist for the heavier parts, the parts have to be positioned near the center of the CMM. In addition, workers find it time-consuming to change each part because of the setup time required, according to Dale Allen, the company’s metrology supervisor. For example, it may take 5 minutes or longer to set up a part on the CMM in preparation for the measurement program and just as long to disassemble the setup. This time is unproductive because the CMM is idle.

Courtesy of Mod Tech Industries

The AAM system from Mod Tech enables a CMM operator to move parts to be measured on a plate that’s supported by air.