Inspection & Quality

A new camshaft gage that features two independent opposed measuring heads for measuring key parameters including cam lobe chatter and straightness is being introduced by Adcole Corp. The Adcole 1302 dual-head camshaft gage features two independent opposed Heidenhain side wall measuring heads with ±10 mm travel for measuring sliding cam components with submicron accuracy.

High school manufacturing programs teach students to create production parts, preparing them for careers in industry. Those parts are primarily for terrestrial applications. However, unique and exciting opportunities to produce parts for use above the earth are available to partner-schools in a 14-year-old government program called HUNCH (High schools United with NASA to Create Hardware).

Where is the field of inspection headed and, more importantly, where do the manufacturers that depend on it desire it to head? In 2014, the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) combined forces with the University of North Carolina-Charlotte to find out.

Hassay Savage, which manufactures and supplies micro cutting tools such as broaches, round tools, reamers and drills, was searching for a new method of qualifying its micro cutting tools when company owner Robert Savage watched a demonstration of the Zoller Inc. »pomBasicMicro« at an American Gear Manufacturers Association event. Soon after, Savage purchased the »pomBasicMicro« as the solution he was seeking.

The MarSolutions team at Mahr Federal has developed a customized rpm gage for the dynamic measurement of cylindrical parts such as commutator shafts, turbocharger turbine shafts and other precision shafts in electric motors. The gage incorporates precision Vees and adjustable end-stops to support the shaft and define its axial position, and a motion belt to rotate the shaft at up to 20 rpm.

Leading drive and control specialist Bosch Rexroth has further enhanced its IMS-A position measurement system with the introduction of a DRIVE-CLiQ interface, enabling even more rapid setup. An innovative, robust and accurate measuring system, the IMS-A is, uniquely, fully integrated in the linear guide, resulting in a mechatronic system that combines the functions of guiding mechanical loads and measuring their absolute positions in a single unit.

Renishaw's new XM-60 multiple-axis calibrator is capable of measuring all six degrees of freedom from a single setup, in any orientation for linear axes. The XM-60 offers significant improvement in simplicity and time saving over conventional laser measurement techniques, according to the company.

Are you about to scrap an old machine tool and replace it with a new one? Before you do, consider what could be a much less expensive way of getting a better machine: having the old one remanufactured.

Often dictated by the production environment, part quantities and part function, the selection of a parts marking method presents a variety of choices—each of which comes with pros and cons.

Stronghold Coatings introduces Blue Dichtol, a polymeric capillary sealer for castings and composites that allows 100 percent visual inspection to ensure that porosity has been sealed. It impregnates micropores and hairline cracks without vacuum or pressure, forming a protective barrier to gasses and liquids that is not invisible when cured.

A look at "how manufacturers make the most of machine data" in CIO magazine goes over the challenges as well as the benefits of using ERP. A major source for the article is Magnus Wiktorsson, professor of production systems at Mälardalen University in Sweden. Wiktorsson outlines four key challenges for companies looking to digitize their manufacturing processes, which are worth reading.

Get two great machines in one convenient package by adding the Bench Top Micro Mark Stand to convert your portable Micro Marker into an ergonomic benchtop machine. First you have the Micro Mark portable dot peen marker from KwikMark Inc. which features a compact (3" x 5" x 6") head size, and a generous 1.0" x 2.5" marking field to suit most industrial marking applications making it ideal for hand held applications as well as on-machine integration.