A mini propeller for the aorta will support weak hearts in patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency. German medical technology company, CardioBridge, is working on the market launch of the tiny pump. A multisensor measuring machine from ZEISS is accompanying the development and ensuring the quality of all components.
A multisensor measuring machine from ZEISS accompanies the development of the Reitan catheter pump on the road to market approval and ensures the quality of its components.
The Challenge: 50 exact single parts
In almost 10 percent of heart attack patients, there is a risk of cardiac shock: the blood no longer circulates properly and can lead to organ failure. The solution for many patients in the future could lie in the Reitan catheter pump.
“This pump helps the heart regenerate and supports circulation at the same time,” explains Klaus Epple, Research and Development Manager at CardioBridge GmbH.
When folded, the device has a diameter of only around three millimeters, unfolded 15. It is implanted in the aorta via the femoral artery in the upper leg. Once in place, the propeller unfolds and pumps blood with a speed of 13,000 rpm. For everything to work properly, the device must not deviate by more than 15 micrometers from the ideal dimensions. Furthermore, the 50 different parts that go into the pump must be produced with exact precision and interact with each other seamlessly.
The company receives the parts – primarily cast, turned and milled parts just a few micrometers in size – from different suppliers. This made reliable incoming inspection that much more vital: “We can only assess the results of our developments if we know the accuracy of our components,” explains Epple.
The Solution: O-INSPECT multisensor measuring machine
CardioBridge purchased an O-INSPECT multisensor measuring machine from ZEISS to ensure that all the parts of the pump comply with the specifications. Measuring technicians use O-INSPECT to measure each component – with the optical or contact sensor depending on the size, geometry and surface finish.
“Thanks to the two sensors on ZEISS O-INSPECT, we can precisely measure all of the different parts,” says the satisfied head of development. The user-friendliness of O-INSPECT is also vital to ensuring that the measuring results are available shortly after a part is received. As a result, the reliable and practical measuring machine is playing a big role in bringing the pump to market in the near future – and ensuring that patients’ hearts keep beating.
Driving the Next Industrial Revolution: Here’s how ZEISS is helping Oerlikon ensure that all AM components reach their desired geometric accuracy and specified mechanical characteristics.
Until recently, additive manufacturing (AM) was thought to have value solely in prototyping new products or designs. Today, however, it is evolving into a game-changing production technology, with companies like Oerlikon at the forefront of industrializing this technique. In their Munich-based Innovation and Technology Centre, Oerlikon places priority on attention to detail throughout the entire AM process chain—from the initial research and development to final product inspection. To ensure that all AM components reach their desired geometric accuracy and specified mechanical characteristics, Oerlikon chose ZEISS to supply the lab’s microscopy and metrology solutions.
Additive manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, is a production technology that is driving the next industrial revolution. In metal AM, all products start as a digital model. AM equipment reads the data from this model to build the product by adding layer upon layer of metal powder. This powder is fully melted to the layers beneath it using a high-powered laser or electron beam. The process is repeated, layer by layer, until the part is complete. Using this technique, objects can be made of customized metal alloys in virtually any shape. The advantages are apparent: Additive manufacturing delivers the freedom to innovate, enabling production of parts with lower weight, higher temperature resistance, and improved mechanical performance—characteristics demanded by aerospace, automotive, medical, power generation, tooling, oil and gas, and other industries.
Integrated Development
Oerlikon Group, a leading producer of metal powders, recently formed the company Oerlikon AM to focus on additive manufacturing. In its Munich Innovation and Technology Centre, Oerlikon connects the dots between materials science, component design, process engineering, production, and post-processing. Under the leadership of highly regarded materials research scientist Blanka Szost, a young, international team of researchers, engineers, and metallurgists is dedicated to driving the integrated development of new materials, production processes, software, automation and post-processing solutions.
The ZEISS instruments are engaged in a wide range of analytical and inspection tasks—from metallographic investigation, in-process analysis, dimensional measurements and inner structure examination—to surface characterization and final quality control.
Oerlikon’s new Munich microscopy laboratory is equipped with a ZEISS Comet 6 3D scanner, a ZEISS Stemi 508 stereo microscope, a ZEISS Smartzoom 5 digital microscope, a ZEISS Smartproof 5 confocal microscope, and a ZEISS MERLIN field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The diverse characterization and measurement capabilities delivered by these solutions are enabling thorough study of material properties, allowing scientists to compile comprehensive data for verifying the quality of printed parts.
“A reliable quality check as well as precise measurements are necessary to reveal product properties in their entirety,” process engineer Luke Dee says. “Every component produced by our AM machines undergoes a dimensional inspection to ensure that part geometries are within tolerance.”
Alper Evirgen, metallurgist at Oerlikon AM, adds, “In this regard, ZEISS Comet 6 16M is a crucial tool for assessing the dimensional accuracy of the designs and components. Its 16 megapixel camera provides the needed precision to produce the highest quality 3D scan data. ZEISS Comet 6 16M is one of the best solutions available for supporting AM.”
Ensuring Successful Process Flow
Another important challenge is to produce components with the desired microstructure while minimizing variation from part to part.
“We carefully control all production parameters and post processing conditions which could markedly affect our final product microstructure and therefore, final properties,” Evirgen says.
To further assure a successful process flow, Oerlikon employs the ZEISS Smartzoom 5 digital microscope and the ZEISS MERLIN FE-SEM. Process engineers, powder experts and metallurgists use this suite to characterize the powders, alloys and the printed materials. The instruments help them identify changes to micro-structure during the entire manufacturing process. Specifically, the ZEISS Merlin FE-SEM reveals further details for both process powders and final products with its high resolution imaging and compositional analysis capabilities.
To meet the strict surface quality requirements in industries such as aerospace or medical, scientists meticulously inspect each component produced in the Munich facility via surface texture measurements. “We benefit greatly from the high accuracy of the ZEISS Smartproof 5 confocal microscope when obtaining surface roughness profiles from the final products. A significant advantage to using this microscope is that there is no damage to the analyzed surfaces, because confocal technology uses light scattering principles. No surface contact is required during analysis,” Evirgen notes.
Referring to the success story of Oerlikon’s implementation of ZEISS instruments in their laboratories, Szost, who is the head of Additive Manufacturing Competence Centre of Oerlikon AM, comments, “In materials science terms, AM is like discovering a new universe, and the field of microscopy is like the telescope we need to explore it. ZEISS provides us with the equipment we need to continue driving the industrialization of Additive Manufacturing.”
As one of only a few companies able to provide the entire process chain—from powder production, processing and handling—to the final component production, Oerlikon will continue using ZEISS equipment to lead the development of its AM technologies.
Daesuk Chung of ZEISS sat down with Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News to talk about the latest technology and manufacturing trends driving the metrology sector. Article by Stephen Las Marias.
Daesuk Chung is the regional sales manager for Asia Pacific, industrial metrology business group, at ZEISS. At the recent EMO Hannover 2019 event in Germany, Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News sat down with Chung to talk about the latest technology and manufacturing trends driving the metrology sector.
Tell us some of the technologies you are showcasing at the event.
Daesuk Chung (DC): We are actually celebrating the 100th year anniversary of our business division—IQS (Industrial Quality Solutions)—this year commemorating 100 years of the first measuring technology presented by ZEISS in an industry fair. At this year’s show, we have four different categories in our booth: first is the quality lab with our flexible bridge-type CMM solution PRISMO and new sensors.
Next, we have solutions for productivity, which is getting more and more important. We are presenting some concepts on how customers can reduce their cycle time in order to enhance their productivity. We have new machines designed for measuring—but we now understand that you need flexible solutions on the shop floor. We already have special machines designed for shop floors—but very often they have some limits in terms of measuring volumes, for instance, or there is not enough choice of different models; depending on the tolerance and measuring volume, customers have certain preferences. With our new concept and design, customers will have that flexibility.
Then, we have two sectors where we are showing our new strategic initiatives. In the past, we are only focused on bringing new products—we are a hardware-oriented company. We are now trying to be more of a solutions provider. You will see our offerings related to e-mobility solutions.
And that is a trend. Due to issues like climate change, and the Dieselgate scandal a few years ago, all of the car manufacturers now, especially in Germany, are strongly pursuing the concept of new-energy vehicles. Fuel cell cars, electric vehicles, for instance.
We are now collaborating with a lot of customers already who are manufacturing components for electrical engines, for instance. So far, not many metrology manufacturers have sufficient knowledge or experience about NEV market, but we do have from many reference projects in recent years. So, we are now showing concepts for those customers who are now entering that market; we are showing them examples and strategies in dealing with those special components.
Finally, additive manufacturing is another big trend in our industry, especially in the aerospace and medical sectors, where there is a need to bring customised products or solutions. These sectors are driving the need for additive manufacturing. But again, it’s a totally new process, and many manufacturers who are entering this segment don’t have enough experience. We are now capable of analysing the whole manufacturing processes and can suggest our customers what kind of solutions they need for whatever application they have. We have these solutions because of our wide range of portfolio and knowledge about every single step of manufacturing process.
With the e-mobility trend, how have the market requirements changed?
DC: On the one hand, many manufacturers and customers feel very unsure of the market situation in the coming years. Nobody can really predict how the market will change. Many people know that it will come, except for the real market size of electrical vehicles, for instance, and what will happen to conventional technology.
It does not mean that the number of cars with the combustion engines will not increase, the technology will stay and production will increase, but nobody can really predict.
At the moment, it is difficult to make any kind of forecast or prediction. But it will definitely come, many governments around the world started adapting regulations to put a lot of pressure on the industry, as well as introducing subsidies making the electric vehicles more attractive. Existing car OEMs who are only relying on combustion engines are now starting to enter into the NEV market, and they are all looking for new suppliers and technologies.
How different are the technology requirements?
DC: The way how they use the quality assurance tools, like the CMMS, is not different. But the truth is, we are now dealing with completely different components, so the parts that are built for the assembly of combustion engine and electric engine are completely different. While the machine usage is the same, there are more aspects that you have to consider. For instance, the hairpins inside the stator, which are very significant components of electric engines having a flexible structure and being coated with a sensitive lacquer layer and therefore create challenges for reliable tactile inspection. An automated ZEISS coordinate measuring machine, equipped with confocal light or laser triangulation optical sensor, is one option to accurately measure the shape and lacquer thickness. Another more manual, flexible tool is a standalone ZEISS optical fringe projection sensor or a ZEISS handheld laser scanner
In those kinds of special applications, you need a special sensor, a special software, or a special knowledge to solve those issues. That’s the basic concept of how we approach the customers.
From your perspective, what are the opportunities for growth in asia, and specifically, southeast asia?
DC: We are seeing that the positive economic growth in the past 10 years will now be unachievable, so everybody is a little bit worried about it, considering the trade war between China and the US; and the smaller trade war between Japan and South Korea in terms of the semiconductor segment. But for the Southeast Asian market, I am seeing big opportunities because with the trade war between China and the US, many companies who are producing their products in China are now planning now to move their production to some Southeast Asian countries. Vietnam, for example, is often being mentioned as the best alternative relocation site from China.
There are also other markets who are benefitting from this. That is why I am quite positive now of the business in Southeast Asia.
Are there industry segments that you expect to see high growth potential in the southeast asian market?
DC: The automotive sector, where we are quite strong already. We have countries like Thailand, where the market is still quite big; Vietnam brought its own brand—VinFast—this year, and we are also getting a lot of benefits from that.
In general, the automotive sector is one segment in which I expect a lot of growth in the future. But it is not the only sector that will have that potential; the aerospace sector is also quite growing, especially the MRO, where I see a big growth potential.
Medical is another sector that shouldn’t be neglected; still, maybe it is not as big as of the moment in Southeast Asia, but I expect strong growth in the coming years.
How will the additive manufacturing sector impact the metrology segment?
DC: The aerospace and medical industries—these are the two sectors that will have a big impact on additive manufacturing, because you need individual and flexible parts and manufacturing process to produce them. If we just take an example from the medical technology side, there is a growing demand for artificial implants due to ageing population in many industrial countries. Additive manufacturing can provide cost effective solution for individually customised solutions. In line with that is the growing demand for quality control of those parts produced on 3D printers. Many people only think about dimensional checks or digitise the surface freeform with a 3D scanner. But in reality, you have to start from the material itself—you have to do the internal inspection; you even have to control the quality of the metal powder. You have to use high-quality microscopes to analyse the real sizes of the powders, or the content of the powders, etc.; they all have to be inspected in detail. That is why we see a very big potential for additive manufacturing. I am very confident that we will get a lot of benefits from the developments in this sector.
ZEISS’ investment in Senorics marks the start of a technology collaboration with the sensorics startup based in Dresden, Germany. The partnership aims to further the joint development of small and cost-effective sensors for industrial use in quality assurance and in process monitoring, e.g. on production lines for foodstuffs, agricultural products, plastics and medicine.
ZEISS can draw on its longstanding, extensive knowledge in the development, manufacturing and marketing of optical and photonics systems, as well as the digital solutions that go with them – particularly in quality measuring technology. At the same time, the company is actively shaping global markets in the field. Senorics now stands to benefit from this expertise.
And ZEISS will get the chance to use the Senorics technology to tap into new applications that it was previously harder to do with the technologies in its portfolio.
“We will begin by examining common application cases. Senorics’ innovative technology has the potential to create compact, cost-effective sensors for applications such as compositional analysis. The investment is a way of consistently implementing our strategy in the field of Advanced Sensor and Data Solutions,” says Dr. Philipp Strack, Head of ZEISS Ventures.
“The fact that ZEISS has approved the quality of our technology and would like to use it in the future considerably increases our customers’ trust,” says Dr. Ronny Timmreck, CEO of Senorics GmbH. “Moreover, the collaboration with ZEISS supports us with both the development and marketing for our technology. What’s more, the collaboration with ZEISS following the closing of our seed funding round in late 2018 was a further milestone in the long-term advancement of Senorics.”
Here’s how BMW in Munich was able to increase process reliability for front and rear end assembly. Article by Carl Zeiss.
The ZEISS T-SCAN fulfils the highest demands with regard to ergonomy. For this reason, larger components can also be scanned without fatigue.
The front-end decisively characterises the silhouette of a vehicle. For this reason, perfect assembly and strict adherence to the joint plan are of great importance to car maker BMW. For a long time, gaps have been tested only with gap gauges. In this process, deviations of tolerances are effectively visualised, however, it does not contribute to determining the cause of an error. In the past, in order to track down this error, vehicles with a conspicuous joint and gap profile, therefore, had to be driven to the measuring room and measured there.
So, the department searched for a digitising system to optimise the assembly process. It should be used right after the final assembly and should provide as precise results as did the system in the measurement room.
Intuitive 3D Scanning
The hand-held ZEISS T-SCAN laser scanner enables fast, intuitive, and highly precise 3D scanning. Hand scanner, tracking camera and the touch probe are perfectly matched. The modular system can thus be used for numerous applications. Here, the unique scanning speed and the precise measurement results are of great value. This is because the surface of the component is scanned contact-free and lightning-fast with the help of the laser line generated in the hand scanner. Around 210,000 points per second are recorded—more than with any other conventional method. As the tracking camera detects the position of the scanner, 3D surface data can be calculated with the help of triangulation.
With the touch probe, it is also possible to take tactile measurements of additional single points, for example, in order to capture hole edges or not observable depressions. The data captured with the ZEISS T-SCAN thus describes the actual state precisely. This can then be easily compared with the target specifications, as defined in the CAD model. Deviations can be quickly detected in a user-friendly way with a false colour comparison of the entire surface.
As the ZEISS T-SCAN also fulfils the highest ergonomic demands, fatigue-free scanning even of larger components is possible. Thanks to the light and compact scanner housing, the ZEISS system can also easily capture data in areas that are difficult to access. The intuitive and easy handling extend the range of applications or user groups.
Single point 3D data acquisition at optically inaccessible areas with the touch¬probe ZEISS T-POINT.
Faster Evaluation
Since March 2016, three assembly workers have been inspecting front and rear ends of an average of six completely finished vehicles per day. As a result, joint and gap widths of the two-part and rounded off radiator grille, the so-called BMW kidney, the headlight, and the bumper are measured. The briefly trained operators of the ZEISS T-SCAN capture 80 to 90 measurement points at the front end and 40 measurement points at the rear end of the various models. The measured actual values are then compared with the set values of the CAD model. Within two hours, it can be determined whether the front and rear ends show any defects. In this way, the quality engineers of assembly and body construction can counteract much faster.
For the quality and process engineers, the ZEISS system is therefore an important prerequisite to more effectively control in-house processes as well as those of the suppliers. Thanks to the portability of the ZEISS T-SCAN system, the apparatus for the assembly of the front and rear end can be measured directly in the production hall.
The time saved on measurements helps MAPAL Dr. Kress KG develop innovative tool solutions even more quickly for trends that will play such a pivotal role in the future. Contributed by Carl Zeiss Pte Ltd.
These days, employees from the development department at MAPAL Dr. Kress KG generally know within an hour if new tools will offer the level of precision their customers require. Instead of having to wait days for a service provider to deliver the measurement results, the company started performing onsite measurements at the beginning of 2018.
With the high-precision coordinate measuring machine (CMM) ZEISS PRISMO ultra, MAPAL inspects the workpieces machined with the new tools it manufactures. The time saved on measurements helps this global company develop innovative tool solutions even more quickly for trends that will play such a pivotal role in the future like e-mobility.
With the high precision coordinate measuring machine ZEISS PRISMO ultra, MAPAL inspects in-house the workpieces machined with the new tools it manufactures and generally gets results within one hour.
How a Workpiece Ensures a Precise Tool
“We need extremely exact measurement results to develop high-precision, innovative tools and tool solutions,” says Dr. Dirk Sellmer, vice president of R&D at MAPAL. For years, the company had an external service provider measure its workpieces and tools. Seller compares MAPAL’s tools to “Lego blocks that are combined to create complex solutions.” To deliver these bespoke products to the customers more quickly, the company invested in an extremely precise CMM from ZEISS.
In January 2018, two employees began working with the ZEISS PRISMO ultra. Almost a year later, Sellmer has reached the conclusion, “The investment has paid off.” The measuring machine provided MAPAL with the necessary precision and was immediately running at full capacity. The two employees from the development department, who alternate between the measuring system and the production machines every two weeks, inspect the department’s tools on the CMM.
Most importantly, however, MAPAL employees measure workpieces that are machined in the development area with the company’s own tools, thereby determining the workpieces’ precision and stability under manufacturing conditions. Precision is on everyone’s mind because most MAPAL tools and tool solutions are used when components need to be machined with a very high level of accuracy.
The stator housing for an electric motor is one example of how MAPAL is successfully meeting its customers’ requirements. The challenge with this cast part is to create the primary, large-diameter borehole that runs through the entire component—all with an accuracy of just a few microns. For perpendicularity, the tolerance is just 30 microns (0.03mm) and, for coaxiality, 50 microns.
The Right Tool for Stator Housings
These are extremely narrow tolerances for such large boreholes. Yet, a closer look at the design of the electric motor illustrates why these stringent requirements are necessary. Take for example the permanent magnet synchronous motor, the most frequently used motor design in new energy vehicles (NEVs). The stator is the stationary component within the motor. Coils or copper wires known as hairpins are attached. These generate a current that creates a rotating magnetic field. The rotor is located within the stator and, thanks to its own constant magnetic field, follows the magnetic field of the stator. The three-phase current of the rotor causes it to rotate in synch with the magnetic field.
The rotor cannot move unless there is a gap between it and the stator. However, the rotor is subject to considerable magnetic resistance, which in turn reduces the magnetic flux density and with it the power of the motor. Thus, designers make this gap as narrow as possible.
To ensure that the manufacturing process does not compromise the component’s design, MAPAL offers its customers a high-precision tool which is also very light for its size.
First, a borehole is made in the cylinder for the stator housing. This means that a tool approximately 30cm long creates a hole in the outer die-cast layer of the housing. Then, the surface is carefully ground down. Tools for the highly precise machining of primary boreholes for stator housings have been part of MAPAL’s product portfolio for one-and-a-half years. And since not all housings are identical, these tools are customised for each customer.
On-site Measurements for Reduced Wait Times
Automotive manufacturers generally provide 10 to 30 housings that MAPAL must then machine with the corresponding tools in its testing area. The measurements performed after multiple rounds of machining serve as the basis for optimising the highly complex tool solutions in line with the customer’s needs.
Before purchasing their own CMM, MAPAL had an external service provider measure its workpieces and tools. However, the company’s measuring expenses rose significantly within the span of just 10 years. MAPAL increasingly manufactures the tools for its customers and takes on pre-series production. Numerous measurements are performed to ensure that the customer has all the information they require. The need for more measurements also increased outlay.
Yet as the company considered whether or not to invest in a CMM, it was not the costs that ultimately tilted the balance, but time.
“We used to have to wait two to three days for measuring results. This is no longer the case,” explains Sellmer. Now, these are generally available within an hour.
Since the employees performing measurements at MAPAL have also received metrology training, there are fewer artefacts. “Since our team also works with the machines used in production, they have a highly developed intuition and know, for example, where contaminants might have impacted the measurement result,” says Sellmer.
Moreover, the components are now clamped in the machining fixtures for measurements and measured on the company’s premises. This reduces potential artefacts caused by removing the workpieces from the fixtures or preclamping them. Another significant benefit for MAPAL is the ability to intermittently perform unplanned measurements, such as with thin-walled components like a stator housing. This way, the company can see how fixturing impacts machining.
Dr. Sellmer highlights yet another key advantage: the improved communication between engineers and technicians. They can now discuss the results at the measuring machine, rather than relying solely on measurement reports. And this promotes knowledge sharing. “We now achieve our goals significantly faster,” concludes Sellmer.
ZEISS has successfully completed the acquisition of GOM GmbH, a provider of hardware and software for automated 3D coordinate measuring technology. GOM will become part of the ZEISS Industrial Quality & Research segment.
Both ZEISS Completes GOM Acquisition have enjoyed strong growth in the past years and proved successful on the market. The aim is to further strengthen this leading technological position together, especially in the area of optical digitization systems. The combination of existing products and solutions as well as joint innovations in the future will lay the foundation for shaping and entering new markets.
GOM develops, produces and distributes software, machines and systems for industrial and automated 3D coordinate measuring technology and 3D testing. Founded in 1990, the company is headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, and has a global workforce of about 600 people. Its customers include companies from the automotive, aerospace and consumer goods industries as well as research institutions and universities.
The legal form of the GOM companies in Germany and abroad will remain unchanged, and cooperation with the global sales partners will be continued.
ZEISS is expanding the industrial metrology and quality assurance portfolio of its Industrial Quality & Research segment by acquiring GOM, a leading provider of hardware and software for automated 3D coordinate measuring technology. Both ZEISS and GOM have enjoyed strong growth in the past years and proved successful on the market. The aim is to further strengthen this leading technological position together, especially in the area of optical digitisation systems. The combination of existing products and solutions as well as joint innovations in the future will lay the foundation for shaping and entering new markets.
“Our growth strategy expressly mentions the targeted acquisition of highly innovative solutions, technologies and companies, which can reach their full potential as part of the ZEISS Group,” said Dr. Michael Kaschke, President & CEO of ZEISS. “By acquiring GOM and thereby expanding our solutions portfolio, we are bolstering the leading position of our Industrial Quality & Research segment and will be able to offer even better solutions for our customers. This is entirely in keeping with our corporate strategy, which is focused on our customers’ success.”
Combining the ZEISS product portfolio with the optical 3D measuring technology from GOM has the potential to create new opportunities and expand market access for Industrial Quality & Research. GOM offers cutting-edge solutions for surface digitisation, which will strengthen ZEISS in this area. Dr. Jochen Peter, Member of the ZEISS Executive Board and Head of the Industrial Quality & Research segment, explained: “With this acquisition, we are pursuing our goal of achieving a leading position in the area of surface measurement and digitisation. Customers and users in both areas will benefit from the strengths of GOM and ZEISS in the areas of software and hardware.”
“Being part of the ZEISS Group will open up new opportunities for GOM in the future, which will also positively impact the site in Braunschweig and our business partners. By pooling ZEISS and GOM’s process and solutions know-how, we can tap into new customer segments and applications,” said Dr. Detlef Winter, Managing Director of GOM.
Precision For Guaranteed Stability Using 3D Scanners PERI checks key components for formwork and scaffolding systems with ZEISS COMET and ZEISS T-SCAN. Article by Carl Zeiss.
“There is always something being built here,” said Daniel Steck as he enters the extensive premises of PERI, one of the world’s largest producers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems. Together with a colleague, Steck is responsible for measuring technology at company headquarters in Weißenhorn, Germany. Prototypes, reference gages and initial samples all make their way to his measuring lab.
When Steck joined the Quality Assurance department three years ago after studying to become a mechanical engineer, the company was still performing manual measurements with a profile projector. This was not only time-consuming, but also meant the measuring results could not be reproduced. “Each person had their own approach to measuring which led to different results,” recalled Steck. This is a common problem with manual measurements.
As the functionality of in Weißenhorn inspected component has to be guaranteed so that they can later be used without any problems, the company had to find a solution everyone could count on. “Ultimately, it comes down to making sure people are safe when constructing framework and scaffolding.”
Precise Acquisition Of Component Geometry With Optical 3D Scanning Systems
“We use the parts we produce ourselves as much as possible,” explained the quality assurance expert. For example: a ledger UH – the horizontal bar on the scaffolding – comprises a pipe, wedges, and wedge heads welded to both ends. This ledger UH is later mounted between the scaffolding uprights. The shape of the individual components ensures a secure fit. The resulting tension is essential for the stability of the entire solution: “Without this, the ledgers might come loose.”
Thus, PERI employs this design for all its scaffolding worldwide. To ensure optimum quality, all components are first measured individually and then again following assembly – the exact tolerances are specified in the design drawings. A thorough inspection requires an extremely exact capture of the entire component geometry.
PERI first conducted a benchmarking analysis and opted to purchase an optical solution that would meet their special requirements. They quickly set their sights on ZEISS and immediately decided to purchase two measuring systems for inspecting the entire spectrum of PERI components: ZEISS COMET and ZEISS T-SCAN. Steck was pleased with this decision. “Learning to operate these user-friendly systems was no sweat. That helped me a lot when I was still learning the ropes,” said Steck, who started using the new systems as soon as he joined the department.
He measures the smaller, individual parts like ledger heads and wedges with the ZEISS COMET. The fringe projection system captures data at a rate of 1.25 megapixels per second with great precision, speed, and largely automatically.
The parts are positioned on the rotary table and fixtured as needed. After that, the measuring system runs automatically: “It is really great knowing you can trust the system, freeing you up to do other things during the measurement.”
Measurement Of Larger Components With The Hand-Held Laser Scanner ZEISS T-SCAN
With ZEISS T-SCAN, Steck measures larger components like formwork elements and the aforementioned ledgers UH. He takes the manual laser scanner and first measures the ledger pipe by itself and later the entire welded construction, including ledger heads.
“This is also quick and easy,” he reported. Steck demonstrates how ZEISS T-SCAN achieves the perfect measuring distance, using a green dot that intersects with the red laser stripe. He then moves the scanner over the upper and lower side of the component just once.
Generating precise, repeatable results is particularly important for initial inspection. “We have suppliers from all over the world. They receive standard test protocols with the measurement reports created with the ZEISS systems – this way, everyone is on the same page if any improvements are necessary.”
If the component meets PERI’s specifications, then random sampling is performed at regular intervals. The same process applies to new potential suppliers. During the approval process, inspection gages are created for individual components so that the team in the Incoming Goods area can perform quick, reliable measurements to check the products’ dimensions and functionality.
The quality of the inspection gages is also checked with the ZEISS measuring systems prior to use, and these are then recalibrated regularly.
Reconstruction of CAD Data With Reverse Engineering
In addition to these standard requirements, reverse engineering is also part and parcel of the engineer’s work. “Until now, reverse engineering has simply not been an option when dealing with old tools and their replacement parts. Often there are not any design drawings available.” That is why Steck scans these older components with the ZEISS COMET to create drawings based on these precise 3D models, including the exact tolerances. “For us, this is more than just reverse engineering – this is how we keep knowledge in the company.”
Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News is pleased to conduct an interview with Hendrie Viktor, Regional Director at ZEISS Southeast Asia regarding current trends in the manufacturing and metrology industry.
1) Could you provide us with an overview of the current trends regarding the manufacturing industry in Asia?
In an attempt to soften the effects of globalisation, productivity and quality gain drives are most evident. Competing with neighbouring companies are no longer enough to secure one’s business interests. Through globalisation and commoditisation to some degree, the bar on price and quality has been raised exponentially. As a result, some manufacturing industries were adversely affected by consolidation. In my opinion, Asia in particular has been subjected to this harshly but responded well over the past decade—a great example are the quality gains on “Made in China” over the last few years. The relentless expectations on price competitiveness and quality standards has reached a point where traditional, incremental cost and quality gains are no longer enough and reaping the benefits of smart manufacturing or industry 4.0 is crucial.
2) To keep up with these manufacturing trends, what are the newest developments or technological advancements in ZEISS’s metrology solutions?
We address our customer’s ever-increasing productivity and quality requirements through solutions that enable manufacturers to inspect or measure faster and more frequently than before. Gone are the days of random sampling in a quality lab. In-process inspection and shop floor metrology have brought significant time savings and quality gains. Multi-purpose measuring instruments have replaced the need for multiple set-up’s, and workflow solutions have brought insights into manufacturing processes and quality that were previously unseen.
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions has been and still is at the forefront of the inspection and dimensional metrology transformation and plan to keep it this way moving forward. We continue to make significant investments, at least 10 percent of our revenue, into R&D annually in order to continue to deliver market-shaping innovations.
3) With increasing digitalisation of the manufacturing sector, what are the main challenges faced by the metrology industry?
Firstly, the sudden shift can be overwhelming and we’ve seen countless processes being digitalised for the sake of it—with huge amounts of digital data being collected, but not put to good use. Determining where, when and how frequently digital data needs to be collected as well as how it will be put to valuable use is crucial but it remains a great challenge for many since skill shortages in the field of digitalisation exists. There is also data and platform incompatibility, or rather standardisation hurdles to overcome as suppliers mostly develop their own Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platforms. Lastly, data handling and security still deters many companies from taking that leap.
4) How do you think these challenges can be overcome?
Relevant education and continued learning will go a long way towards addressing hesitation and will help ensure digitalisation efforts pay off. I see the need for industry and universities or technical schools to work hand in hand. That will stimulate the need for faster adoption. Alliances between machine manufacturers can address platform and standardisation issues to unlock IIoT benefits. Such an example can be seen in the recently founded ADAMOS alliance, of which ZEISS is a founding member of.
5) Moving forward, where do you think the industry is headed in the next five to 10 years?
With the pace of today’s change, it would be difficult to even predict this with some degree of certainty. I think the value-add from productivity and quality gains through digitalisation and new manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing is going to be tremendous that consolidation is going to happen on a much broader scale. I see low volume, high mix through flexible manufacturing becoming a norm and thus bringing manufacturing closer to the end user, further reducing non-value-added costs. This will call for a very different approach to metrology.
