Inspection & Quality

The Inspection Arsenal Loc-N-Load quick-swap fixture system from Phillips Precision Inc. can now be ordered with air assist. Let your CMM and fixture plates do the heavy work. With a flip of a switch and one pinky finger, inspectors can easily glide the weight of an anvil across the granite.

Beamer Laser Marking Systems says it builds the Beamer laser marking machines around productivity and precision. Benchtop, full-enclosure and XL models are available. The newest machines have a larger Z-axis travel, an enhanced fiber- laser power source and more user-friendly software, enabling them to replace old and inefficient parts marking technologies, according to the company.

SICK announced the launch of the TriSpector1000 vision sensor for cost-efficient and reliable 3D inspection. The TriSpector1000 is a stand-alone, configurable 3D vision sensor that reliably inspects objects regardless of variations in object color, shape or position.

Schaumburg-based Heidenhain recently introduced the VS 101 camera system as a new feature of its flagship TNC 640 mill-turn machine in order to automatically monitor the setup situation and machining result, according to a a company news release.

MVTec LLC, Boston, has optimized the functional range of its HALCON software for machine vision with an integrated development environment (IDE), according to a Feb. 16 company announcement. The upgrade is expected to roll out Feb. 29.

New design features of the ECA 4000 absolute ring encoder make it suitable for use in angular motion feedback, according to a Feb. 16 announcement released by Heidenhain Corp., Schaumburg, Ill. The next generation encoder builds on the success of its predecessor, the ERA 4000 incremental ring encoder that has been used for more than a decade in applications involving machine tool rotary tables, semiconductor wafer motion stages and robotics.

Mahr Federal Inc., Providence, R.I., recently introduced the next generation of waterproof digital calipers with the new MarCal 16 EWR. Featuring an ergonomic design with lapped guideways and a larger display, the MarCal 16 EWR is said to offer IP 67 protection against dust, coolants and lubricants, according to a Feb. 12 news release.

GTI Predictive Technology, Manchester, N.H., today announced the immediate availability of GTI PowerReader, the latest tool in the GTI Predictive Technology Tool Box. The GTI PowerReader allows users to optimize machine cycles to help increase output and avoid new capital equipment purchases, according to a GTI Predictive Technology news release.

The FlyMarker mini, a battery operated hand-held dot peen marking system, weighs 2.7 kg and is designed for durable markings of big and unmovable work pieces directly on-site, according to the German company Markator, which produces industrial marking systems.

Designed to improve the manufacturing process, the new Walter Tool-ID system reportedly allows users to transfer tool data from the presetting device to the machine tool and evaluate the parameters that are run on the machine, according to a Feb. 2 news release from Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis. The tool data, which may be contained in a laser-engraved matrix code on the tool, can be picked up using a scanner and automatically transferred to a machine control unit, the company explained, noting that "time-consuming and error-prone manual data entry" may be cut from the equation.

The Keyence Corporation of America, Itasca, Ill., recently added a new product to its popular IV Series vision sensor family—the IV-H vision sensor—that reportedly increases the stability and functionality of visual inspection, the company announced in a Jan. 29 news release. The new IV-H models boast increased stability and versatility with a brand new toolset.

Perceptron Inc., Plymouth, Mich., recently launched a full range of 5-axis coordinate measurement machines (CMMs) complete with the Renishaw® REVO-2 scanning probe and a fully-integrated universal CMM controller and MODUS® metrology software. The company combined the metrology stability of the COORD3 Universal CMM with the latest Renishaw REVO-2 5-axis measuring system, according to Perceptron CMM Product Sales DirectorElliott Mills. This combination, he added, minimizes CMM dynamic error for high-speed probe motion because all of the part feature scanning motion takes place within the head of the REVO-2, which is said to be the only scanning system for CMMs that simultaneously controls the motion of three CMM and two probe head axes. At the same time, the company added, the REVO-2 also collects workpiece data using its range of 3D tactile probes, surface roughness measurement probe and non-contact vision probe.