Casting Inspection Made Easy With 3D Scanning
Highly precise and reliable part inspection is crucial for product quality and reliability in the industrial and manufacturing sector. In the course, if digitalization, metrology 3D scanning technology has proven an excellent tool, facilitating workflows while significantly shortening them at the same time. With the increasing invaluable and affordable metrology 3D scanners, the gap between 3D scanning and other measuring technologies is closing.
Despite efficient and high-quality metrology 3D scanners have become growingly accessible, the learning curve of the devices is usually high, the software complicated to operate and the effective capturing motion of the scanner a task the machinist first needs to get used to. This real customer case on inspecting casting parts unpacks how to precisely inspect industrial parts at ease.
High-Quality Cast Parts for Demanding Applications
Many times, when a batch of castings dispatches the factory, customers require a detailed inspection report prior to processing the pieces in-house. Obtaining a detailed inspection reports of complex cast parts with blue laser metrology 3D scanning has never been easier.
In this highlighted case the product of interest had some very complex characteristics. The casting was irregular in shape and featured several curved surfaces, presenting a challenge for manual measurement. The hurdles of applying a CMM for measurement in this case were the need for a large work volume along with the danger of damage that can occur easily with a CMM. But most importantly, the inner cavity of the casting needed to be measured precisely as well.
Considering all factors, using a non-contact high-precision 3D scanner to inspect the casting was the ideal solution.
3D Scanning & Inspection for Quality Control of Castings
In the first step of the process, the entire body of the casting was scanned to acquire the part´s external shape. As the casting was heavy and difficult to move, the Shining3D FreeScan UE, weighing 750g, enabled the operator to move it around the part flexibly and scan from different angles to obtain the complete 3D data.
In order to inspect the internal cavity of the casting, it was necessary to cut and slice the casting to be able to acquire the data of the part´s internal structure. Complete and error-free data was obtained due to the capability of the software enabling seamless stitching together of all the parts.
Iron cast parts can be affected shrinkage due to temperature changes during the casting process. Especially in the internal cavity, poor control can lead to uneven wall thickness and affect product performance. This unpredictable variable can be avoided effectively by regularly conducting internal cavity inspection with a 3D scanner.
Casting Inspection
The obtained data was imported into Geomagic Control X for inspection. Using a 3rd party inspection software in direct conjunction with the Shining 3D FreeScan UE enables the direct output of a set of required reports, in this case the machining allowance report, appearance and internal cavity report, as well as a full dimensional report. A total of 46 points were measured.
Non-contact, high-precision, efficient measurement tools are the key to obtaining detailed and accurate inspection results; operating flexibly in a wide range of environment settings and enabling large-format scanning and rapid access to high-quality 3D data of castings provided by detailed inspection reports.
For more information: www.shining3d.com
