October 2020 Metrology News Magazine
Editors Message:
It seems that everyday we are reading about how artificial intelligence is going to change the way we live and interact in our personal worlds. Industry 4.0., IIoT and Smart Factories have been written about aplenty over the past two years; how manufacturing is entering its 4th revolution, and all that it means it terms of closed-loop manufacturing, metrology centricity and improved end user product quality. It appears ‘that time’ has now arrived, and quicker than many had anticipated. This month Metrology News has increasingly reported, not just on theoretical stories, but actual new products launches that are going to have a profound effect on how manufacturing is performed going forward. Indeed, recently we restructured the Metrology News home page to accommodate new dedicated sections for both Machine Vision and Artificial Intelligence.
This month we reported the launch of a 5G vision system, with real-time mobile edge computing, that allows generated point clouds to be transferred, in a compressed format, via mobile network with virtually no latency paving the way for a wide-range of data-intensive in-process applications. In addition we reported on deep learning driven optical inspection products that will automate the current labor intensive inspection tasks of looking for functional surface and cosmetic defects in a wide array of high-volume manufactured products. We also reported on the launch of deep learning platforms to analyze manufacturing data and provide insightful feedback directly into production processes.
In October the editorial focus of Metrology News has been multisensory technology, and its role in providing a single measuring platform, to measure all necessary part features and characteristics. We can walk into quality labs every day and witness the smorgasbord of measuring devices and the necessity to pass product from device to device to capture the complete picture of the part signature for comparison against its nominal twin. This inspection methodology will have a very limited space in the ‘factory of the future’ increasingly necessitating single ‘measure-all’ work stations. Digging into the multisensor world is more complex than one first envisages as traditional CMMs can now utilize tactile, optical and laser scanning sensors. Optical VMMs can measure using optical, tactile, laser point and laser line sensing and inline robotic measuring sensors are now available incorporating, within a single sensor body, multiple sensor technologies to eliminate any wasted measuring cycle time mandated by sensor change-overs. We highlight in this months newsletter a few of the multisensor stories published over the month.
October was the first month that we have published over 100 articles providing an indication of current sector dynamics and just how much news there is to report. Of course we spend more time researching and following new stories than in the physical reporting of the news; this will surely continue as the evolving world of manufacturing continues to gather pace. The complete library of October articles can be accessed by clicking here.
We have published our 2021 Editorial Calendar providing an overview of our planned monthly focus for next year.
We also reported “there’s a whole lot of searching going on” as over the past 90 days some 60,000 visitors having landed on Metrology News article pages after performing specific searches in Google and other internet engines. This is a good omen for the industry going forward into what remains an unpredictable 2021. We hear good news and success stories all the time from around the industry, as companies restructured market outreach programs, following the cessation of exhibitions and other physical presence events this year.
A great deal of uncertainty is still surrounding the physical events schedule for 2021. Even if events take-place, will visitors attend, or will they remain cautious and continue to research and educate digitally as has become the 2020 norm. Hindsight is 20/20 – and maybe 2020 just happened to have become the year where the real importance of physical events was truly realized. After all manufacturing is dramatically changing, and the role of manufacturing metrology within it, so why would the exhibition industry feel they have the right to continue without due recognition of the digital transformation that is ever present in the industries they purport to support? Putting up a display for a few days event, committing huge resources to planning, managing and operating the event-stage, and with limited or no tangible ROI, would certainly struggle to get the investment authorization if it was for a piece of manufacturing technology. But how we all miss physical event networking …
As usual I welcome your comments, news and views – my inbox is always open.
Keith Mills – Publishing Editor
Deep Learning Delivers Automated Surface Defect Detection
Thousands of components and products made for automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer electronics have specific demands on surface quality, both for cosmetic and functional purposes. From a cosmetic perspective, how something appears or feels to a customer affects its value and its overall quality impacting the way a consumer perceives … read more
Huawei Unveils First 5G MEC Industrial Vision Solution
At the PT Expo China 2020, Beijing, Huawei has launched the first 5G MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) based Industrial Visual solution for manufacturing industry. The solution encompasses the lossless compression-capable SDK, MEC platform (MEP), user plane functions (UPFs), lossless decompression service, and machine vision apps. The lossless compression-capable SDK is … read more
Laser Scanners Transition to Automatic CMM Measurements
Laser line scanners are well respected and intensely utilized on manual portable arm coordinate measuring devices, for both reverse engineering and part inspection, in numerous industries, including automotive, aerospace, tooling, and prototyping. The use of laser line scanners on traditional fully automatic CMM’s has been presented at trade-shows for more … read more
‘Mind the Gap’ – Multi-Technology Robotic Sensor
The ZEISS AIMax digital-optical 3D sensor is the new benchmark in robot-based 3D inline metrology for sheet metal processing and car body construction. The unique combination of three measuring principles in one compact sensor enables the measurement of complex geometric characteristics such as holes, bolts, and gap and flush with … read more
Multi-Sensor Platform Embraces Universal Measurement
The Renishaw REVO system delivers high performance two and three axis tactile scanning, non-contact optical inspection, non-contact structured light scanning and surface finish analysis expanding available measurement capabilities on a single CMM platform. The REVO system offers five automatically interchangeable probe families, each specifically designed to maximise the advantages of … read more
APDIS Laser Radar Inspection System Halves Measurement Time
After thousands of hours of rigorous testing, a new Laser Radar system that delivers a paradigm shift in shop floor quality control has been introduced by Nikon Metrology. The APDIS Laser Radar, an automated, non-contact metrology solution, inspects features at double the speed of the previous version and delivers high … read more
Micro-Mirror Array Lens System Revolutionizes Microscopy
Traditional inspections systems offer shallow depth of field meaning that parts of the sample may not be in focus, which can lead to missing features, user fatigue, and incomplete inspection. The new ZEISS Visioner 1 revolutionizes the world of optical inspection and documentation. Driven by the unique Micro-mirror Array Lens System … read more
Coordinate Metrology ‘Comes of Age’ To Pace Production
Metrology News recently visited British CMM manufacturer Aberlink, renowned for its design innovations, to witness the physical launch of EXTOL, the world’s first CMM to utilize the delta mechanism. Located in a quintessentially English Cotswold country-side location, with close by neighbors of Renishaw and Dyson, innovation seems to be in the … read more
The ‘Inside Story’ of Computed Tomography
Computed tomography (CT) is the most effective technology for non-destructive testing (NDT). The dataset obtained from a CT scan allows users to examine material samples, observe defects, perform measurements and identify materials with different densities. Engineers, builders, researchers and scientists can therefore discover features that could not previously be examined … read more
Multisensor CMM Offers Large Part Inspection
The OGP FlexPoint multisensor Coordinate Measure Machine (CMM) feature the VersaFlex patented multisensor array that offers up to three simultaneously available sensors on an articulating probe head. FlexPoint users gain the ability to measure parts with a scanning probe, telecentric optics, and the TeleStar interferometric laser without experiencing down time while … read more
Is Sweden Holding the Recipe for Digital Metrology in Smart Factories?
Sweden, with just a little over 10 million population, has been the birthplace of a long row of successful companies with a global reach. The country’s forward thinking culture, and digitally connected economy, has a lot to do with this according to the country’s official website. As iconic as Swedish meatballs, … read more
AI-Powered Handheld Scanner Software Doubles Resolution
Artec 3D has announces the successful development of a proprietary AI Engine that more than doubles the resolution of its Eva and Leo handheld scanners to 0.2 mm in its newly released HD Mode. Artec 3D is the first company to utilize deep convolutional neural networks to reconstruct 3D surfaces … read more
3D Scanner Projects Deviations Directly Onto Part Surface
SMARTTECH3D has announced the launch of its new 3D scanner. The MICRON3D green stereo 9 Mpix scanner incorporates a new function offering of the direct projection of a deviation color map directly onto the part surface. As manufacturing enters the new epoch of revolutionary technology, embracing Industry 4.0, smart factories, automated … read more
High Accuracy 3D Optical Profiler System Launched
Santec Corporation, a leading manufacturer of advanced optical components, tunable lasers, optical test equipment and OCT systems, has announced the launch of its 3D Optical Profiler, OPS-1000. Supporting R&D and production environments the OPS-1000 delivers fast, accurate and wide 3D object scans with high sensitivity capturing surfaces. The Santec Optical Profiler … read more
Improving CMM Productivity with Automation
Loading and unloading parts onto a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is one of the most tedious tasks and, in many cases, the bottleneck during automated CMM part inspections. By adding collaborative robots to the inspection process, CMM users can increase part inspection throughput significantly. Collaborative robots are easy-to-use, require no specialized … read more
BMW Sets Out 7 Principles For Use of Artificial Intelligence
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is a central element of the digital transformation process at the BMW Group. The BMW Group already uses AI throughout the value chain to generate added value for customers, products, employees and processes. Michael Würtenberger, Head of ‘Project AI: “Artificial intelligence is the key technology … read more
Data and Information Rich – Closing The Loop
Data Rich and Information Rich One of the long-standing challenges of managing a 100% data sample is being data rich but information poor. In today’s modern manufacturing facilities, the fast cycle times and large data sets can often paralyze the people responsible for managing the overall quality of the parts produced. ….read more
Siemens Machine Tool Fingerprinting Enables Process Quality Optimization
Siemens is extending its edge application Analyze MyMachine / Condition with a corresponding Mindsphere application and thus demonstrating how edge computing and cloud computing can be intelligently combined. The Sinumerik Edge Application Analyze MyMachine / Condition, which the company presented last year at the EMO exhibition, uses high-frequency CNC data … read more
How AI Platforms are Revolutionizing Industry
Breakneck speed, unprecedented development and unhindered feasibility are just some phrases attached to the spread of AI across various industrial sectors in general. Artificial Intelligence (AI), as it stands today, is at an important juncture. The current potential for market growth in AI is extremely high. The market, which is … .read more
Nikon Metrology Divests CMM Manager Software To QxSoft
Nikon Metrology has announced that US based QxSoft LLC has acquired Nikon Metrology’s CMM-Manager business. CMM-Manager is a task-oriented and highly intuitive 3D metrology software package for vision, manual, and CNC coordinate measuring machines that is compatible with a wide range of machine brands and probing systems without the need for … read more
Blue Laser 3D Line Profile Sensors Launched
LMI Technologies (LMI) has announced the release of its Gocator 2430/2440/2450 blue laser line profile sensors. The latest addition to LMI’s popular 2400 series, these new blue laser models are designed for 3D scanning of shiny metal surfaces in electric vehicle (EV) battery inspection, rail geometry inspection, small to medium-size … read more
Scanning and Point-Cloud-Based Inspection in ‘A’ Class of its own
Eifel Inc. is a leader in production and prototype tooling for automotive interiors. They also provide tooling for the medical and aerospace industries and specialize in product development through production tooling. They build molds for such products as steering wheels, air bag housing units, center consoles, headlamps, seat back panels … read more
Fabrication Company Install Advanced Automated 3D Inspection Cell
PLÅTSON in Sweden is a 70 employee business performing sheet metal fabrications with plants located in the coastal towns of Oskarshamn and Västervik. One of its innovative products, CIT I LÄ, is height-adjustable glazing for patio and decks that provides adjustable height screening to cope with the capricious winds coming … read more
Academic Nucleus For ‘Data Driven Metrology’ Announced
Three UK universities are combining their specialist expertise to form a new virtual centre for data-driven metrology to assist UK manufacturers in achieving efficiency gains, cost savings and manufacturing process flexibility. The project will also deliver benefits in terms of more reliable products, lower environmental impact from manufacturing processes, and better … read more
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