Thanks to KEYENCE IM-7030T mesasurement system ATP records data in real-time while eliminating operator errors
The correct dimensional measurement is a key factor in manufacturing processes. The compliance with the customer project and the quality of the product itself depend on it (although not exclusively). The measurement of mechanical parts has three common problems:
- Complex parts are time-consuming
- Measurement relies heavily on operator
- Operator error might occur during measurement recording
Different tools are used to solve these problems, depending on the part and the specific difficulties, but each of them has pros and cons.
Manual measurement tools, such as calipers, are easy to manage but their values rely on operator judgment. Contact measurement systems, on the other hand, might be affected by the deformation of the measured part caused by the contact (in case of elastomers such as rubber or polyurethanes). Optical measurement devices provide more consistent values and do not risk deformation but they mean an increase in required measurement time and they cannot measure non-visible areas.
To rely on an as automatic, reliable and fast measurement system as possible, at the end of 2020 ATP provided its operators with the KEYENCE IM-7030T, a state of the art optical comparator which allows to measure up to a maximum of 99 dimensions on 100 components simultaneously. Thanks to the KEYENCE IM-7030T ATP can eliminate operator errors and record data on a server in real-time while automatically creating inspection reports.
The new optical comparator, a high-precision automatic measurement tool, is located in the workshop among the production lines. It can work with pre-set programs, which the operator can easily go back to via barcode. After selecting the program, they just have to place the part on the designated board and press the start key in order to perform the measurement.
Thanks to this new device, the measurement values won’t be inconsistent or affected by the part deformability anymore; in addition, they will be handled in real-time on ATP servers according to industry 4.0 strategies, directly from the company software while generating quality reports and detecting Cp/Cpk values.
In case of unscheduled measurements, the comparator provides for some fast-measurement functions with optical recognition of the main parameters to measure.
The version chosen by ATP allows for an optical measurement as well as a measurement with optical probe and sensor for measuring heights, becoming in most cases a great alternative to conventional CMM 3D measurement methods, with a considerable reduction of the cycle times.
In every stage of the manufacturing process, from placing the part to end of production, ATP can perform and record accurate, repeatable and fast measurements. Once again, ATP has chosen uncompromising quality!