CMM Helps Small Business Sustain Large Profits
Zeiss CONTURA Coordinate Measuring Machine
In an increasingly competitive
business environment, it’s often necessary to take
risks with capital expenditures in order to stay ahead of
the curve. However, anticipating future customer needs can
be a tricky endeavor, and businesses are best served by
extensive research and analysis before taking the leap and
investing in training, equipment or software.
When Evden Enterprises, a custom component manufacturer
located in Ukiah, California, entered the market for a new
coordinate measuring machine, it knew that the CMM would
be an integral element of the company’s production
line. Evden also knew that purchasing a new CMM was the
next logical step in expanding its capabilities--and that
staying ahead of the competition while generating new business
required the right equipment and the best technology available.
Evden Enterprises’ history has been a profile of
metered expansion and prudent business decisions. Since
its inception in 1980, the company has grown from four employees
to 24. The company’s customer base grew as well and
now comprises primarily Fortune 500 companies in the mineral,
mining and oil-drilling industries. Using detailed customer
specifications, Evden transforms a variety of materials--including
stainless steel, aluminum, brass and plastic--into precision
parts used in applications as diverse as drilling equipment
sampling systems and ophthalmology instruments.
Evden already owned an ECLIPSE CMM with an ST touch-trigger
probe from Carl Zeiss IMT Corp. “In past years, increasingly
tighter tolerance requirements and more complex parts have
become standard,” says Stephen McGrath, vice president
of manufacturing at Evden. “We needed to measure parts
with extremely small hole sizes and realized that in order
to satisfy our customers’ needs, we had to move to
the next level.” In 2002, McGrath decided to replace
his company’s ECLIPSE with a Zeiss CONTURA active
scanning CMM using a VASTXT probe head.
“The scanning capability of the CONTURA and the
programming flexibility of the CALYPSO software allow us
to inspect multi-faceted parts,” explains McGrath.
“With the VASTXT, we can now perform required roundness
checks and inspect features smaller than 2 mm in diameter.
We’re also able to measure complete parts. Before,
we were only able to measure key features; the rest would
have to be checked in a cumbersome manual process.”
Evden performs in-process inspections and uses the CONTURA
to check individual operations. Instead of assessing product
quality at the end of the line, this method decreases scrap
and rework by maintaining accuracy throughout the fabrication
process. “There is no final inspection before the
part goes out the door,” notes McGrath. “We
rely on all of the different operations and steps to be
accurate on the spot.” McGrath wanted to meet targeted
true-position tolerances to 0.05 mm (0.002 in.). “With
the scanning VASTXT probe head collecting thousands of data
points in just a few minutes, we’re able to achieve
accurate and reliable results on extremely intricate parts.”
The CALYSPO CAD-based software reduces programming time
by 50 percent, allowing operators to perform complex measurements
expeditiously. The training program was equally fast; McGrath
attended the class and then trained some of his lead employees
who, in turn, trained other operators--saving Evden and
its employees travel costs and valuable time away from work.
“The software is pretty intuitive,” says McGrath.
“With CALYPSO, you don’t need an operator with
a Ph.D. in geometry. It’s the most user-friendly software
we’ve used.”
Amid a volatile business climate rife with economic obstacles,
Evden has been able to maintain its output and remain profitable.
This stands in contrast to other manufacturers that have
experienced decreases in production in recent years.
“Customers are interested in how you’re keeping
up with technology and if you’re improving your processes,”
says McGrath. “We have several larger companies that
are registered to ISO standards and review us annually,
and that’s important to them. Purchasing the CONTURA
has opened the door to more orders. This shows that continuous
improvement of processes and capabilities can lead to new
business and increase profitability.”
Zeiss CONTURA Coordinate Measuring Machine
- Active-scanning sensor for high-speed data acquisition
of multifaceted parts
- User-friendly CAD-based software reduces programming
time by 50 percent.
- Ceramic guideway technology provides high stability
against temperature changes and dynamic influences.
www.zeiss.com
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