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Mobile 3-D-measurement technique ProCam for bus manufacturing
A vast number of varieties, multiple special customer requirements and a low level of automation are significant for the manufacturing of passenger busses. An automated control of individual parts and complete vehicles as part of the…
T
his article describes a new solution for precise automated digitalization of large objects. The practical application is carried out with the help of a standard (imprecise) industrial robot, a near range on-line photogrammetric system and a 3-D White Light Scanner. The tracking system…
Dirk Dusharme @ Quality Digest
Investing in capital equipment always involves an analysis of the return on investment (ROI), but never as much as during a recession. The question this year is often, "Our company is already tightening its belt, is this equipment going to help us save a lot of money in a relatively short time…
SURVICE Metrology was recently awarded a U.S. government research grant to improve upon the current methods used to measure and repair damage to composite materials associated with next-generation aircraft. The problem is that current ways of measuring and repairing damage (as a result of…
CMSC
Technology is changing the face of aerospace manufacturing and quality assurance. No place is that change more welcome and dramatic than at Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. in Hawthorne, California.
According to Paul Evans, quality assurance lead, changes in processes and systems at his…
The Infrared GPS system (iGPS) from Metris Inc. can be used to locate and track any point in a rugged indoor environment precisely and accurately. It was used by the Systems, Controls, and Components Research division at Caterpillar Inc., to calibrate the various sensors on a 420 E-series backhoe…
Olkiluoto, the world’s largest and most modern nuclear power station, with an output of 1.600 Mwatts, relies on German technology. During the final assembly of turbine manufacturing at Siemens, blades are installed to the rotor and measured in the housing. This is a balancing act between optimal…
In just the past two years, the functionality of portable computer-aided metrology system (CAMS) in harsh factory environments has improved a great deal. A few examples of today’s improved instrumentation/measurement technology are laser trackers, digital photogrammetry systems, laser radars,…
CMSC
As the world leader in armored prestige vehicles, CARAT-Duchatelet counts sheiks, kings, presidents, CEOs, and other wealthy VIPs among its customers. Before stretching and armoring luxury vehicles, CARAT-Duchatelet engineers remove seats and trim, and scan the entire vehicle body using Metris K-…
CMSC
The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), a $1.4 billion research facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is a feat of precision engineering, execution, and control. Each component of the SNS machine requires exactness in location and assembly only achieved through the use of laser tracking…
In 2007, all three Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teams qualified for the Chase for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup. On top of this formidable accomplishment, RCR’s top race car drivers did great: Kevin Harvick won the famous Daytona 500, Jeff Burton won in Texas, and Clint Bowyer won in New Hampshire and…
Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are a basic requirement for any industrial manufacturing facility conforming to the specifications of drawings and standards. Accuracy needs to be observed, verified, and certified with respect to a comprehensive set of standardization rules. Highly precise…
CMSC
The Car of Tomorrow, a new racecar style for NASCAR’s NEXTEL Cup Series, made its debut in March 2007 with much fanfare. Seven years in the making, NASCAR’s research and development center rolled up its shirtsleeves and conceptualized their dream template. Their ideal racecar would implement the…
FARO
At rare moments, an idea comes along that makes people rethink how jobs are done from that point on. The engineers at Falk PLI Engineering & Surveying have hit on such an idea for one of the most basic concepts of all: measuring.
The larger-than-life nature of steelmaking would seem to belie…
With the ever-growing demands of energy, the demands on high value-added vessels, such as container vessels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, and crude oil carriers, have skyrocketed in recent years. As of 2006, shipbuilding orders received by South Korean shipbuilders accounted for 42…
Neven Jeremi
Dirk Noffke, a metrology technician at DaimlerChrysler Bremen, inspects the dimensional accuracy of the left fender on a Mercedes SLK body-in-white. The comparison between the actual and CAD data is displayed in real time on an application PC running the PolyWorks…
Belinda Jones
The 23rd Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference convened at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, July 16-20, 2007. The CMSC Society hosts this gathering each year. The organization is comprised of 3-D measurement technology professionals, service providers, and original equipment…