CARL ZEISS ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF ANDREW SISLER

MAPLE GROVE, Mar 30 —Carl Zeiss announced today at WESTEC 2009 (Booth #3512) the appointment of Andrew Sisler as Vice President of Sales. In this position, Sisler will lead the business efforts and new business development in North America.

I am excited that Andy has joined the Carl Zeiss team,” said Greg Lee, President and CEO of Carl Zeiss IMT. “He brings more than 20 years of distribution and technology leadership experience to Carl Zeiss and will help us continue to grow our already strong presence in North America. His vast experience as a sales executive in B2B is another stronghold for Carl Zeiss in addition to his team-oriented approach and competitive drive.”

Prior to joining Carl Zeiss, Sisler was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for CRST Van Expedited. Before working at CRST, he held various leadership positions at Bandag, Inc. including Vice President of Sales and Support as well as President of Bandag, Canada Ltd. 

“I am very proud to be joining the Carl Zeiss team and being part of a successful, global company that is known for its long history of developing leading-edge technologies and products,” said Sisler. “I am very enthusiastic about the products and look forward to contributing to the continued success of Carl Zeiss.”

Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology is a member of the Carl Zeiss Group. It is the global leader in CNC coordinate measuring machines and complete, multi-dimensional metrology solutions for a wide variety of industrial sectors. Approximately 1,500 employees at three manufacturing locations and more than 100 sales and service centers serve customers around the world. 

Carl Zeiss is a globally leading international group of companies in the optical and optoelectronic industry. In fiscal year 2007/08 (ended 30 September), the Carl Zeiss Group, which is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, generated revenues totaling EUR 2,731 million. The Carl Zeiss Group has approximately 13,060 employees, including about 4,620 outside Germany. 

Further information is available at: www.zeiss.com and www.zeiss.com/imt    

Metris Launches 7-axis MCA v2.5 Articulated Arms

LEUVEN, Belgium, Mar 30, 2009 - At Westec 2009 in Los Angeles (US), Metris launches the new 7-axis MCA v2.5 range of articulated arms with a measurement volume between 2.4 and 3.6m diameter. Battery operation and wireless data communication enable users to quickly set up the portable system and efficiently utilize it at any location. MCA is part of an integrated solution that allows handheld inspection jobs to be tackled faster by combining top-class laser scanners with flexible touch probing.

Growing demand for handheld scanning

Driven by a growing market demand for handheld scanning solutions, articulated measuring arms are increasingly equipped with laser scanners to realize a Digital Inspection Process. The concept of digitizing samples up-front and running inspection on the digital copies of the samples offers distinct flexibility and automation benefits. Powerful handheld Metris solutions – combining an MCA with a digital ModelMaker laser scanner – provide a broader application scope, better ergonomics and unparalleled productivity.



Truly stand-alone measuring arm

The MCA truly operates as a stand-alone metrology solution that can operate at any indoor and outdoor location. Users mount the arm quickly and securely using the integrated 3 ½”x8 adaptor or a powerful magnetic base to reliably clamp the arm to metal surfaces. A charged battery provides hours of measurement autonomy, for both the arm and scanner. Wireless data transmission swiftly transfers individual point coordinates or point clouds to your laptop. This ensures that the focus is on the inspection job rather than wasting valuable time on resolving setup issues. The resulting graphical reports provide geometric insight on the spot, or can be consulted at any convenient time.

Quick and repeatable sensor exchange

The 7-axis MCA offers the possibility to combine laser scanning and tactile measurement in a single inspection job. When switching between probe tips, MCA avoids human error through automatic probe recognition. Metris also redesigned the patent-pending floating probe to further enhance ergonomics. To facilitate pipe bending measurement, MCA now supports a range of laser forks.

MCA features improved ergonomics

MCA features premium encoder technology, optimized tube length ratios, a counter balance for lightweight handling, and an ergonomic handgrip with integrated buttons to guarantee smooth and accurate operation. The magnetic brake is an ergonomic feature that guarantees effortless operation during prolonged scanning tasks. In addition, MCA automatically activates the magnetic brake to establish smooth parking of the arm in secure resting position.

A complete all-Metris solution

Digitizing entire parts and processing the acquired point clouds in Focus Inspection speeds up every step in the Digital Inspection Process, from straightforward data capture to evaluating geometry using graphic comparison reports. Metris supplies a complete handheld scanning solution, including MCA articulated arm, top-class digital ModelMaker scanner and fully-featured point cloud processing software. A one-stop-shop offering fully integrated metrology solutions provides the best guarantee for smooth and reliable system operation and solid product support.

About Metris

Metris (Euronext – MTRS) designs, develops and markets a unique range of 3D hardware and software inspection systems servicing design and manufacturing industries.

The company’s reliable and innovative metrology solutions cover the full range of measurement volumes required by automotive and aerospace customers, in both fixed and portable configurations and with optical and touch sensors.

Metris Headquarters are based in Leuven, Belgium, with additional production and development centers in Belgium, UK, Italy, US and China. Metris provides a worldwide network of sales and support offices located in Europe, Asia, and America.

For more information, visit www.metris.com.

Carl Zeiss to focus more on services to drive their growth in Indian market

Modern metrology products with scanning systems and wide range of services with strong customer focus are expected to further grow Carl Zeiss presence in India.

Dr. Ohnheiser, an authority in Industrial Metrology, with more than 25 years of experience in Carl Zeiss – an Industry leader, shares his views on opportunities in the current market scenario and strategies his company would adopt for growth. Dr.Ohnheiser heads the global business of Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology.

Can you please tell us about the technical advancements in Metrology over the years?

What I can see in the Metrology business is that the future in the probing technology will be mainly, solely scanning systems. If you look at the modern metrology products you will see that they are not only scanning products but products with integration into a system like a handling system. This is something that gives the advantage for Carl Zeiss in the market.

What are your strategies to utilize the Indian Engineering skills for your global operations?

A big part of our team in India is excellent educated and well trained to support the customers. We also have a big team in the services and in the applications. If I look into engineering inputs we see two major parts. One is we continuously improve on our application side, including development of local service software and its adaptations. There is a local demand for software adaptations for customizing. So we are building up a software team for doing this localization. The second thing that we are building up is a project group, which means that we are handling projects with integration with the material flow and integration with the processes. So this is special skills which we are developing here in close coordination with our global team.

Would this be used by your global team or is it only for India now?

We already have our teams at various countries looking at India to work closely with the team here. So their experiences in the project business, handling systems and material flow could be used to engineer and execute projects together.

Do you have any plans to start manufacturing Carl Zeiss machines in India?

It is in our wish list. It very much depends on the number of units we are selling here. Once again I think at the moment it is most important to be ahead in the application and having the local capabilities for software and for application. That is the key focus in our strategy now.
It may take some time to start manufacturing Carl Zeiss machines in India. It is very dependant on the suppliers we have developed and also dependant on the number of units that we can sell in India. Clearly if the market is continuously developing as it does, that is an option and a prospective for us in future.

Are you increasing your head count in India?

We have increased our strength in the last one and a half years by more than 50% and we have still hired people in the last few months.

Considering the current market dynamics, which are your preferred verticals to drive your growth in India?

It is true that our main installations till now are around the automotive Industry. But nevertheless we have strong legs in Aerospace industry which is clearly developing in India. Power, Energy, transport or any industry where precision is of importance are our prospects. Carl Zeiss products are used to achieve better quality in high precision parts where ever they are needed, say in energy technology like big turbines, big engines, big generators, wind mills and so on. Beside the automotive sector we continue to develop our business in the Aerospace Industry and in the Energy sector.

What future you foresee for Carl Zeiss in India, in the background of India becoming the global manufacturing hub? What role you like to play?

We are clearly giving a contribution to the quality of the manufactured products that meets the expectation level of the customers. Our products can really improve the quality of the parts manufactured. The very fact that a company is using Carl Zeiss machines will give their customers and prospects a better confidence that the quality is well taken care of .

What are your strategies to address the Indian market especially in the wake of the current slow down and the competition from other players?

Our strategy during the last few years was not to focus only on selling products but on strong focus on developing our services. Classical services like technical services but also new services like application service. This is now a very important factor in a weaker period of business cycle because our customers realize that we are available for him and they can rely on us. On the other hand it is important because part of our business is services. That is important for the challenge in the Indian market and we clearly believe that being a service and a solution partner for our customers we are much ahead of our competition.

Originally posted at http://machinist.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1921&Itemid=2

3D scanner made entirely from Legos

We've seen some pretty cool Lego creations over the years, and this one is no exception -- if anything, it gets bonus points for not only being a pretty sweet hack, but for enabling sweeter, more complex, hacks in the future. The 3D scanner was built by Philo Hurbain, who was looking for a way to model complex Lego parts for use in the LDraw CAD program. This bad boy -- including drive components and sensors -- is entirely made from the colorful plastic toy, except for the probe needle (an old school sewing needle, apparently). The "brain" of this thing is Mindstorms NXT. But that ain't all! Check out the device in action as it models a tiny Lego frog.

To See The Video Click Here

OptiCell Demo Centre Launched in Turin by CogniTens

CogniTens, part of the Hexagon Metrology group and a leading provider of 3D optical measurement solutions, announced the launch of a European demo centre for its fully automated 3D measurement system, the OptiCell. This comes following increased customer interest and growing demand by industrial companies for a robotic driven metrology system in the shop floor environment.

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Bowes Uses Delcam Software for Airbus Interiors

BIRMINGHAM, UK, Mar 19, 2009 - Delcam’s CADCAM software has been used by Bowes Design and Development in most projects it has undertaken for the last 15 years, including two projects within the development of the cabin interiors for the Airbus A380. The first project was to develop a concept interior; the second to manufacture replica cabin linings for climate-control testing.




The interior project, which was undertaken in association with a team of design consultants, involved the development of the complete cabin, including the seating, lighting and a bar, within 20 weeks. To complete the work to deadline, the cabin was divided into a number of sections that were manufactured, checked and finished with the Delcam software before being shipped to Toulouse for assembly.




Some of the aircraft interiors developed by Bowes with Delcam software
The cabin linings had to be delivered to the Airbus engineering division in Hamburg with an even shorter deadline of 16 weeks. Unlike mock-ups for sales and marketing, the engineering prototypes had to perform under real-life conditions and be subjected to the full range of environmental conditions that could be experienced in the cabin. The replica cabin met and exceeded customer expectations, in both temperature and humidity testing, and so provided an important contribution to the development of the A380.

While this type of work may provide some of Bowes’ most high-profile projects, it only makes up half of the company’s business. The remainder comes from the automotive, marine and other industries. The range of processes used is equally diverse, including direct machining, reaction injection molding, vacuum casting, resin transfer molding, thermoforming, and carbon fibre-reinforced plastics molding and hand lay-up.


This diversity is an important part of the company’s success according to Director Dave Thompson. “Most of our clients provide a CAD model that needs to be turned into a physical prototype,” he explained. “With our range of processes, we can choose the route that is most cost-effective and that will also meet the customer’s quality requirements.”


To provide all these services, Bowes has thirteen CNC machines, six of which are five-axis. These are used to give a very fast, accurate turn around. The largest is a CMS router that is 4.8 x 2.4 x 1.2 meters. “We use the different machines for different materials and applications,” said Mr. Thompson. “For example, our newest piece of equipment is a DMG DMU 100 that we chose for machining aluminum injection moulds for short-run production. This is a growing part of our business and the results from the new machine have been very impressive.”
In contrast, in its18 years of using CADCAM, Bowes has always stuck with Delcam software.

The company now uses the PowerSHAPE modeling software to design all its different types of tooling from the CAD models supplied by its customers. Delcam’s PowerMILL CAM system is used for all the machining, whether it is the direct production of finished parts or the manufacture of tooling. Similarly, all inspection is carried out with the PowerINSPECT inspection software, both on a conventional coordinate measuring machine and on a portable FARO inspection arm.


Paul Beckett, who has been using the Delcam software for fifteen years and is now Managing Director, said “Delcam is established as the leading system for toolmaking and cutter-path generation. Now it is even more dominant. Our Delcam software always does the job. It is extremely flexible, which is essential for our variety of processes, and gets faster with every release, which we need when customers want projects completed the day before they place the order. Over the years, we’ve looked at other systems but we’ve never felt any need to change from Delcam.”

For more information on coordinate measuring machines go to http://www.cmmquarterly.com/

New FixLogix SEE Frame Fixture Re-invents The Optical Metrology Fixture

Olivet, MI - FixLogix LLC introduces the economical SEE Frame modular fixture system. The SEE Frame is designed for vision CMM part staging applications, and other light-duty part holding applications. The system features a new fabricated T-slot frame and kit that sells for a fraction of the price of acrylic plate fixture systems. The SEE Frame and integrated component kit significantly reduces the cost of acquiring a modular fixture system, for video CMMs while improving the functionality. SEE Frame components are compatible with other FixLogix fixture systems.

The SEE Frame T-slot system offer infinite positioning of locating components, which simplifies fixture construction. The frame is laser engraved with reference scales along the T-slots. This provides clear documentation of the fixture setup for easy repeatability. The frame design allows the work-pieces to be located directly on the glass stage of the video CMM. This saves space and improves accuracy by reducing hysteresis error. The SEE Frame mounting system provides a nearly universal and simple retrofit to a wide variety of video CMM makes and models. Designed initially for video inspection applications, the system is being utilized in a variety of coordinate metrology applications. Other customers are using the system for staging for CT scanners, and for staging parts on laser engraving systems.

SOURCE: FixLogix LLC

Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) Training

Announcing a new coordinate measuring machine (CMM) training site.

http://cmmbook.blogspot.com/

This site will guide the reader through programming techniques.

Micro-Vu's New Multisensor Measurement Machines

Micro-Vu Corporation has introduced its new Excel 650 series of multisensor measurement machines with ten new models that accommodate large parts or multiple smaller parts for three dimensional measurement. The systems feature high speed, high accuracy measurement using new optics, new laser capabilities, a substantial granite base, closed loop motion control, and high resolution encoders.

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Hexagon Metrology and GF AgieCharmilles Close Collaboration Agreement

Hexagon Metrology SA has finalised a significant collaboration agreement with GF AgieCharmilles. Under the terms of the commercial arrangement, Hexagon Metrology becomes the preferred measurement partner for the Swiss multinational. GF AgieCharmilles will now specify Hexagon Metrology co-ordinate measuring machines for all its 3D pre-setting and measurement applications.
The agreement paves the way for the installation of Hexagon Metrology CMMs at the largest GF AgieCharmilles application centres in Geneva, Shanghai, Singapore and Chicago. GF AgieCharmilles will also showcase Hexagon Metrology technology at all the trade fairs at which it exhibits.

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MEXICAN DIESEL ENGINE COMPONENT MANUFACTURER, TECMUR, S.A. de C.V. PURCHASES NEW WENZEL LH BRIDGE-TYPE CMM

The desire to have a CMM with the stability of a granite structure and a visit to Wenzel’s manufacturing facility in Germany to see the CMMs manufactured convinced the owners of Tecmur S.A. de C.V. that the Wenzel machine had the quality and level of accuracy they needed.

Tecmur S.A. de C.V. in Torreon, Mexico is a family-owned global precision component manufacturer that has been serving the diesel engine and HVAC industries since 1983. Like most successful supplier companies, Tecmur has positioned itself to provide high quality parts with a competitive price structure and a high level of customer service. In 2002 Tecmur as awarded John Deere Power System’s Supplier-of-the-year Award and currently is a registered to ISO 9001:2002 and ISO/TS 16949:2002 company.

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