Piston Maker Fires Up Specialized Geometry Software
Federal Products Formscan Optional Piston Software

Great drivers don't move from the interstate to the NASCAR/Winston Cup circuit with skill and determination alone; auto-racing success also has a great deal to do with what's under the hood.

 Federal Products Co., maker of precision dimensional gaging solutions, does its part to improve manufacturing accuracy and quality control for high-performance engines with its Formscan circular geometry gage with optional piston software. This software package, designed specifically to measure the unusual geometry of pistons, efficiently analyzes such features as piston ovality and skirt profile. 

Auto Parts Company Perfects Plastics with New Measuring Machine
Fischer Technology Fischerscope H100

When it comes to exterior trim components on automobiles, one of a manufacturer's primary concerns is that the plastics used are lightweight, resistant to surface damage and readily painted. However, such a plastic isn't created easily: The harder and more scratch-resistant a surface is, the more difficult it is to paint. The task facing any automotive component manufacturer is to develop plastics that come closest to achieving a balance of all three qualities. Visteon Automotive Systems' exterior systems group, which is responsible for developing new types of plastics, has found a useful new tool: the Fischerscope H100 ultra-low-load dynamic micro-indentation system.