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Honda's CMM Enclosure Improves Accuracy

Controlling the environment of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) can be a difficult task. It's made more difficult if the items to be measured are 15- to 18-ton dies, which require a 30-ton crane to be moved. But that's just what Steve Brenzo, of Honda EGA in Marysville, Ohio, had to do. He found what he needed in O'Brien's Plant Office Package System. "The package that O'Brien put together was a unique solution that other companies were not able to provide," Brenzo explains.

 In automotive manufacturing, the ability to retool efficiently can be key to a successful operation. The enclosure Honda needed for its CMM had to accommodate a 30-ton crane to install and remove 15- to 18-ton dies efficiently. Once the dies were in place and ready for measurement, the environment had to be temperature-controlled within a one-degree tolerance.

 O'Brien's solution required a team of building professionals to coordinate their efforts. Luckily, their System III provided the flexibility that Honda's specific and unique demands necessitated. Wissman Door Sales supplied the large retractable roof structure, and Uptime Solutions provided the temperature control system.

 To maintain the required temperature and humidity standards, O'Brien combined its Insulated Plant Office System III walls with double-glazed windows, insulated steel doors and vinyl-faced fiberglass ceiling tile to create an environment that would allow the CMM to operate as intended. To allow room for the dies to be installed, the interior of the 30 ft by 50 ft enclosure had to be designed without any support columns. Using bar joists, System III can clear spans of up to 40 feet.

 With a rigid schedule for the CMM's installation, O'Brien had to coordinate the schedules of all of the contractors to meet the two-month deadline set by Honda. The project began with the assembly of the System III walls after the CMM instal-lation. Because all of O'Brien's products are prefinished in the factory, they arrive at the site ready for assembly. By eliminating the need for onsite fabrication, O'Brien's products can be assembled around sensitive equipment. "Because of O'Brien's expertise in manufacturing and installing their product and their ability to coordinate the efforts of an entire team, they were able to complete the project ahead of schedule and under budget," says Brenzo.

 The System III's flexibility accom-modates two-story spaces or offices with load-bearing dust covers, as well as sound and temperature control. Vertical posts allow for integrated steel load-bearing structures.