Metrology & Measurement

END USER: Mitchel & Scott Machine Co., (317) 684-8247, www.mitchelgroup.com. CHALLENGE: Provide 100 percent inspection of internal thread pitch and depth and numerous external dimensions for two high-volume automotive parts. SOLUTION: Automated vision inspection and thread verification systems.

END USER: Southwest Greene International Inc., (760) 639-4960, www.greenegroup.com. CHALLENGE: Effectively measure small, complex medical parts.SOLUTION: A measurement system that combines vision and touch-probe inspection. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Hexagon Metrology Inc., (800) 274-9433, www.hexagonmetrology.us.

Alan Richter takes a Look Ahead at an automated part-to-CAD verification system for a digital optical comparator.

END USER: Milwaukee Machine Works Inc., (414) 476-3285, www.milwaukeemachineworks.com. CHALLENGE: More accurately measure and document extremely large parts. SOLUTION: An ultraprecise coordinate measuring machine with a capacity for large parts.

How microscopes and vision systems are used in machine shops for noncontact inspection and measurement.

Inspection is a crucial process in the making of safety-critical medical components. One shop offers a glimpse into its process.

The May 2011 Look Ahead column looks at a gaging system that offers an alternative to traditional dedicated gaging.

A look at portable measurement technologies and their applications.

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.

END USER: Flint Tool & Die, General Motors Co., (313) 556-5000, www.gm.com. CHALLENGE: Verify machine tool accuracy when producing large automotive dies. SOLUTION: A PC-based verification system.

Shop math remains essential because feeds, speeds, angles, and setups still have to make sense on the floor. This guide explains why stronger math skills improve machining decisions.

END USER: Delta TechOps, (866) 676-3358, www.deltatechops.com. CHALLENGE: Maximize accuracy and efficiency in inspecting complex turbine engine blades and vanes. SOLUTION: Measurement system utilizing concentrated light.