From Bottlenecks To Breakthroughs With New Metrology Technologies
For over 90 years, EKATO Rühr- und Mischtechnik GmbH has specialized in process analysis, engineering, scale-up manufacturing, and assembly of agitator technologies, continually developing solutions to meet the needs of process-oriented industries. Known for creating agitators that support procedures, such as homogenizing, dispersing, and heat transfer, EKATO agitating systems are known for their reliability, durability, and exceptional quality.
With over 560 employees and 60 offices worldwide, EKATO has delivered more than 250,000 agitators, helping businesses achieve new outstanding levels of operational performance.
The Challenge: Ensure Top Quality Control of Complex, Large-Scale Components
Over the years, the EKATO engineering and quality control teams noticed customers placed higher demands on their agitator systems. The design and configuration of the agitating systems, along with the selection and arrangement of individual components, play a crucial role in improving their mechanical efficiency as well as those of the reactors and their internal structures.
Many of the company’s parts grew increasingly larger and more complex, with some reaching up to 4.6 meters in diameter and 6 meters in length. Quality control teams needed more accurate 3D measurements to assess manufactured parts against production drawings and tolerance levels.
“Unfortunately, traditional 3D spot measurement techniques were no longer sufficient; they required extensive setup, generated limited data, and resulted in production delays,” said Stefan Räuber, Head of Production Control and Test Supervision at EKATO. “Manual 3D measurements were causing major bottlenecks.”
Another issue? Custom manufacturing made inspection tasks difficult with conventional 3D measurement methods. “Since each agitator is customized to meet specific customer needs and mixing tasks, no two parts are identical. Many of them have free-form surfaces, making measurement-taking very hard. With no standardization, preparing tests and assigning equipment for quality control was very time-consuming,” explains Stefan Räuber. The EKATO team then decided to look for new 3D measurement solutions to facilitate testing and inspections. “Our main criteria was that the technology had to be portable. It had to generate very accurate measurement data—whether right on our shop floor or at the premises of our customers and suppliers,” he added.
The Solution: Improving Inspection Workflows With Creaform’s MetraSCAN BLACK+|Elite
After evaluating various solutions, EKATO chose Creaform’s MetraSCAN BLACK+™|Elite 3D scanner and integrated scan-to-CAD software. The scanner’s portability allowed for both in-house and on-site applications, while its accuracy of 0.025 mm (0.0009 in) and volumetric accuracy of 0.064 mm (0.0025 in) meant that EKATO could capture entire components—not just individual points. The MetraSCAN BLACK+|Elite 3D also offered flexibility, enabling EKATO to measure parts at various manufacturing stages, including post-weld and post-stress-relief states. With Creaform’s inspection software functionalities, teams could easily visualize scanned data and compare it directly to 3D models thanks to color-coded comparisons.
According to Stefan, integrating the two solutions into EKATO’s engineering and quality control workflows was straightforward. “The software was easy to learn and intuitive to navigate,” Stefan noted. “We were completing measurements on complex parts within weeks, drastically increasing our productivity.”
EKATO team members found that even complex measurements could be completed seamlessly, with only a short learning curve. The team confidently executed their first 3D measurement tasks in just two weeks. “The setup was intuitive, and we were up and running much faster than anticipated,” he explains.
The Results: Improved Data Quality, Productivity and Manufacturing
“Creaform’s technology has transformed our quality control process,” Stefan explains. “With MetraSCAN BLACK+|Elite 3D, we have complete part models that allow us to verify every detail—right down to the smallest variances.”
He continued: “The time savings are enormous, but the data quality is what sets Creaform 3D tech apart,” Stefan explained. “We’re able to detect anomalies that we couldn’t before. And that has been a breakthrough for us. Our experts can now focus more on improving the quality of components and assemblies—and less on labor-intensive 3D measurements. Part-fitting accuracy has substantially improved, making it easier to identify areas we must rework or change.”
Throughout the process, EKATO has been consistently impressed by Creaform’s accessibility and support. From the initial purchase to ongoing support, Creaform has been a reliable partner in EKATO’s journey toward more sophisticated metrology-based inspections. “The support team at Creaform has been exceptional,” Stefan remarked. “They’ve been there every step of the way, answering questions and helping us get the most out of the technology. It’s made a huge difference in our adoption process.”
EKATO is excited to continue expanding its use of 3D metrology. It plans to measure customer-supplied containers and perform quality checks on-site, which will further enhance its quality assurance processes. “The future is in 3D,” Stefan mentioned. “And with Creaform, we’re ready to seize new opportunities in the world of agitator manufacturing.”
For more information: www.creaform3d.com
