Lockheed Martin, Magestic Systems, Nikon Metrology Win Innovation Award For F-35 Program

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 26th, 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], jointly with Magestic Systems, Inc. (MSI) and Nikon Metrology, has won a first-place JEC Innovation Award in composites manufacturing for technology used in the production of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

The 2010 JEC Innovation Award was presented in Paris in recognition of the cured laminate compensation (CLC) process – an innovative composite manufacturing solution for achieving precision, as-built laminate thickness without costly post-cure machining. This new metrology-assisted process is used in the production of composite parts for the F-35 and was developed specifically to pre-measure and correct the thickness of cured composite wing skins for the F-35. The technology will result in significant cost savings to Lockheed Martin and its F-35 global supply network.

“The award spotlights a highly innovative process in the most innovative fighter production system ever devised,” said Mike Packer, Lockheed Martin vice president of Manufacturing Strategy & Processes. “This process increases production of right-first-time composite parts, using both MSI’s Ply Compensation™ System (PCS™) and Nikon Metrology’s Laser Radar technology.”

The award was presented at an April 13 ceremony during the opening of the JEC Show in Paris. A jury of renowned international experts selected the best composite innovations, based on their technical interest, market potential, partnership, financial impact and originality. The JEC Show is JEC Composites’ annual conference focused on the application and advancement of composites. JEC Composites is the leading network supporting the global composite industry.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

“Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.”

The Calibration of Parallel-CMM: Parallel-Coordinate Measuring Machine

Introduction
The Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is widely used for the 3D measurements of objects. Traditional CMM is based on a serial mechanism: the components from base unit to end-effecter i.e. base unit, x-axis, y-axis, z-axis and measuring probe are connected serially. But some drawbacks of this mechanism are its weakness against external force and the accumulation of errors. Therefore CMM tends to become large and heavy in order to avoid the influence of the bending and twisting of its components and to decrease measurement errors.

Because of its weight, it has been a very difficult problem to make large CMM capable of fast 3D measurement. We develop a new type of CMM based on a parallel mechanism where the base unit and end-effecter are connected by six links parallel. The advantages of this mechanism are its robustness against external force and error accumulation[1]. Therefore we will able to make larger measuring machine that can measure large objects quickly. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages by using parallel mechanism for CMM. One is the difficulty in the calibration of CMM. Because of its difficulty in solving its forward kinematics and large number of parameters its geometrical model includes, it is hard to calibrate parallel mechanism efficiently.

To make the calibration of parallel CMM easy, we make our prototype by using unique spherical joint consists steel balls and magnets. That allows higher repeatability of positioning and setting-up. At first, the prototype of parallel CMM that has been developed in our laboratory is introduces.  Next we discuss about the parameters we should identify to calibrate parallel CMM and how to calibrate it. Lastly, we give the suggestion of the method to calibrate our prototype efficiently.

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Hexagon Metrology Introduces the ROMER Absolute Arm

The new ROMER Absolute Arm is the first portable measuring arm with absolute encoders. This portable CMM can attain high levels of speed and productivity when taking 3D measurements.

Hexagon Metrology introduces a new generation of ROMER portable 3D measuring arms to the market. The ROMER Absolute Arm is the most accurate ROMER CMM ever manufactured. It is also the first measuring arm to have absolute encoders, a development that will greatly simplify the inspection process. This technology avoids the earlier need with all measuring arms to initialize the encoders – now the user can simply switch the machine on and start measuring.

The ROMER Absolute Arm is especially notable for its low weight and systematic, ergonomic design. Additional grip positions and a perfectly balanced main tube ensure the operator can work productively without fatigue during the inspection. “With its WiFi capability and high-capacity rechargeable batteries, the ROMER Absolute Arm can operate wirelessly. Our customers can select from two levels of precision and seven arm-lengths between 1.5 and 4.5 m”, explains Pirmin Bitzi, Hexagon Metrology product manager for portable measuring arms. The ROMER Absolute Arm is immediately available. Hexagon Metrology will be presenting the ROMER Absolute Arm for the first time at the CONTROL trade fair in Stuttgart,Germany from May 4 - 7, 2010.

ROMER measuring arms perform 3D inspections of countless industrial parts, in particular in the metal and plastic machining industries. Thousands of companies across all continents use ROMER products in product development, production, assembly and quality control.

About ROMER

ROMER is the originator of the portable measuring arm (first created in 1986). The technological advance, the know-how, the demand for constant quality in the manufacture of the arms, the international presence are the main strengths of ROMER. Other products from ROMER include scanning probes for reverse engineering, non contact probes for tube inspection and milling of raw materials.

www.romer.com

About Hexagon Metrology

Hexagon Metrology is part of the Hexagon AB Group and includes leading metrology brands such as Brown & Sharpe, CE Johansson, CimCore, CogniTens, DEA, Leica Geosystems (Metrology Division), Leitz, m&h Inprocess Messtechnik, Optiv, PC-DMIS, QUINDOS, ROMER, Sheffield, Standard Gage and TESA. Hexagon Metrology brands represent an unrivaled global installed base of millions of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), portable measuring systems and handheld instruments, and tens of thousands of metrology software licenses. Hexagon Metrology empowers its customers to fully control manufacturing processes that rely on dimensional precision, ensuring that products manufactured precisely conform to the original product design. The company offering of machines, systems and software is complemented by a wide range of product support, aftermarket and value-added services.

www.hexagonmetrology.com

Fabrication of Micro CMM Spherical Stylus Tips and Their Evaluation

This paper describes a novel, integrated micro manufacturing process utilizing combination wire electro discharge grinding (WEDG) technology and one pulse electro discharge (OPED), to fabricate micro spherical stylus tips for micro coordinate measuring machines (μ-CMM).

With an optimal selection of parameters, burnished micro spherical stylus tips in variety diameters can be produced instantaneously. This process is particularly for production of micro ball-end stylus tips with diameters smaller than 0.1mm which are not available by conventional machining processes. With further research into probing systems, μ-CMM in the near future will be capable of measuring such micrometer-sized products as micro molds, micro dies and micro holes more precisely.

1. Background
During the previous decade, the trend towards the miniaturization of complex commercial micro products has led to an increased need for high-precision machining, assembling and measuring devices. As the accuracy of micro products increases, so does the need for highly accurate 3D measurements. The most reliable way to measure the size, form and space position of 3D components is through use of a ball-ended, contact touch-probe measurement system such as a coordinate measurement machine (CMM).
A new range of high-accuracy micro CMMs has recently been developed that are capable of measuring micro-scale features on millimeter-sized objects [1]. Commercial literature commonly states that these instruments can be used to measure the structure of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). However, the majority of commercially available micro CMMs incorporate stylus tips with diameters in the order of 0.12 mm, as determined by the availability of high-quality ruby spheres used for the ball tip, and this makes them incapable of measuring many MEMS structures such as deep micro trenches with high aspect ratio lateral side-walls, and micro nozzles for diesel or spark ignition engines. Therefore, one of the key factors required to achieve micro metrology by µ-CMM will be the availability of high-quality, micro ball-ended stylus tips.

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Hexagon Metrology Releases PC-DMIS 2010

Measuring software capabilities enhanced with new features

Hexagon Metrology today announced the release of PC-DMIS 2010, the latest version of its market-leading CAD-based metrology software. PC-DMIS is developed by Wilcox Associates Inc, a Hexagon Metrology company. PC-DMIS 2010 is a family of software products covering a variety of metrology hardware platforms and solutions sold under the banner of Enterprise Metrology Solutions (EMS). PC-DMIS 2010 rolls out enhanced versions of PC-DMIS CMM, PC-DMIS Portable and PC-DMIS Vision software. The release also introduces new products such as PC-DMIS Planner and the DataPage+ suite of products.

“PC-DMIS 2010 is a major product release for the metrology industry, not just an incremental software upgrade,” said Ken Woodbine, president of Wilcox Associates, Inc. “2010 is the culmination of development projects that have been in the works for several years. It also includes new hardware categories that have been added to the Hexagon Metrology group since the last major release of PC-DMIS. For example, the integration of PC-DMIS Portable with the new Leica TDRA6000 Total Station is a significant new interface. Our software development team is extremely excited about this release and we know our customers will be too.”

Feature Highlights

The core product of the EMS suite is PC-DMIS CMM, which is used primarily on automated Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs). It offers many new functional and productivity improvements across the board. A new feature allows users to select animation path lines and either insert a safety move at the point of selection or jump to that command location in their part program. This feature is ideal for the users who have very large part programs and want to easily navigate within them.

PC-DMIS 2010 offers enhanced support for the new Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) ANSI Y14.5 2009. New Comment functionality allows users to display pictures, videos or text to aid the operators in executing a measurement routine.

Other new measurement capabilities include total integration with the supported non-contact 3D laser line sensors. New capabilities for non contact sensors include enhanced visualization of all parameters for programming laser-based 3D geometric features, as well as easy re-execution of laser based measurement routines. PC-DMIS 2010 has been enhanced to handle the large point clouds that are commonly gathered with these types of sensors.

PC-DMIS 2010 is now available for shipment with Hexagon Metrology brands Brown & Sharpe, DEA, Leitz, Leica Geosystems and ROMER. It is retro-fittable as a software upgrade for most other CMM makes and models. Existing customers with current software maintenance agreements are eligible for a free upgrade to PC-DMIS 2010.

Wilcox Associates (PC-DMIS)

Founded in 1990, Wilcox Associates, Inc. is the developer of PC-DMIS, the world’s leading CMM software, and Enterprise Metrology Solutions (EMS), a tightly integrated suite of software products focused on the collection, evaluation, management and presentation of manufacturing data. These products allow manufacturers to quickly capture dimensional data, analyze it and act on it to reduce scrap, improve throughput and reduce costs. Wilcox Associates, Inc. employs over 100 talented software engineers located worldwide working in a collaborative environment. They are dedicated to bringing our customers the best metrology software technology possible.

www.wilcoxassoc.com

www.pcdmis.com

Hexagon Metrology

Hexagon Metrology is part of the Hexagon AB Group and includes leading metrology brands such as Brown & Sharpe, CE Johansson, CimCore, CogniTens, DEA, Leica Geosystems (Metrology Division), Leitz, m&h Inprocess Messtechnik, Optiv, PC-DMIS, QUINDOS, ROMER, Sheffield, Standard Gage and TESA. Hexagon Metrology brands represent an unrivaled global installed base of millions of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), portable measuring systems and handheld instruments, and tens of thousands of metrology software licenses. Hexagon Metrology empowers its customers to fully control manufacturing processes that rely on dimensional precision, ensuring that products manufactured precisely conform to the original product design. The company offering of machines, systems and software is complemented by a wide range of product support, aftermarket and value-added services.

www.hexagonmetrology.com

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Optical CMMs – The future of CMMs?

For decades we were taught to believe that if you ever wanted to measure anything properly, you needed a CMM. A couple of decades ago, portable arms were released and although they seemed novel,

nothing would compare to the rigidity and accuracy of three linear scales and drives. We were resigned to the fact that any improvement in CMMs would be only incremental. We lived this way for decades. Recently, however, optical CMMs began developing and maturing, which could be enough of a paradigm shift to become the revolutionary change the metrology market is looking for.

About the Optical CMM technology

While the technology comes in different “flavors,” most optical CMMs work around a similar principal. Nikon Metrology’s optical CMM (KCMM) begins with three linear CCD cameras. When light from an active infrared LED is detected, the three cameras triangulate its position in space.

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CMM Quarterly Spring 2010

CMM Quarterly has released the Spring 2010 Issue.

Please click here to see the issue

Comprehensive Inspection of Round Parts With Carl Zeiss INSPECT Multi-sensor Measuring Machine

The O-INSPECT multi-sensor measuring machine from Carl Zeiss allows the very easy, very accurate and thus very efficient inspection of small and complex parts. It can be used in the electronics and plastics industries, for medical and automotive technology, and precision engineering. A rotary table is now available for O-INSPECT.

Rotary table increases effectiveness

The new rotary table developed specially for O-INSPECT can be mounted and removed by the measuring machine operator. The rotary table can be positioned both horizontally and vertically for added benefit. In particular, it enhances the effectiveness of the measurement of round parts which no longer have to be reclamped for the optical measurement. Simple stylus systems are sufficient for the contact measurement.

Optical measurement of a rotationally symmetrical plastic part with the new rotary table for the O-INSPECT multisensor measuring machine from Carl Zeiss.

The rotary table enables users to quickly and completely inspect parts. Mechanical influences are minimized as the measuring axes of the coordinate measuring machine are only subject to minimal movement with the rotary table. Schwan-STABILO, which manufactures cosmetic pens under the Schwan-STABILO Cosmetics name, has already had positive experiences with the new rotary table on O-INSPECT.

QA employee Markus Meier raves about the overall package of the new coordinate measuring machine: “We are keeping our O-INSPECT. Compared to other systems, the total package of hardware, software and service from Carl Zeiss is unbeatable.”

Four-in-one principle

O-INSPECT features a Four-in-one principle. It unites the best of optics with the best of contact measuring. In the past, four measuring machines were needed to manage the entire range of measuring applications: a profile projector, a measuring machine, a microscope and a contour measuring machine.

O-INSPECT covers all four areas, and simplifies and accelerates the entire measuring process.

Thanks to the multiple sensors on O-INSPECT, operators can alternate between optical and contact measurements in one measuring run. Optical measurements are performed using the 2D camera sensor with the image processing function contained in the Discovery zoom lens while contact measurements are the domain of the VAST® XXT scanning probe. Carl Zeiss developed both sensors, thus providing two of the best sensor technologies available.

In addition to the multiple sensors, CAD-based CALYPSO® measuring software enables extensive size, form and position measurements with systematic user guidance. The current version of the software even enables an immediate visual plan/actual comparison. A live camera image can be directly shown in the CAD model.

The new rotary table on O-INSPECT will be presented for the first time at the Control show at the beginning of May 2010.

Hexagon Metrology introduces new motorized probe heads for CMMs

Hexagon Metrology today announced the immediate availability of new versions of the Tesastar-m and Tesastar-sm motorized probe heads for DEA and Brown & Sharpe coordinate measuring machines. These new variants of the popular motorized probe heads offer a 7.5 degree indexing increment for maximum compatibility with legacy products.

The new Tesastar-m and Tesastar-sm versions deliver -180 to +180 degrees of revolution and 0 to 105 degrees of pitch for a total of 720 indexable positions. The Tesastar-sm has the added benefit of an “in the quill” mount, thus increasing the effective measuring range along the CMM’s Z axis. With equivalent positioning compatibility with other legacy products on the market, the new probes also offer a distinct advantage by offering indexing speeds up to twice as fast.

As with the original 5 degree increment Tesastar motorized probe heads, all are available in both M8 and Tesa Kinematic Joint (TKJ) versions. The M8 versions provide a mechanical interface suitable for connection to standard M8 touch trigger probes like the Tesastar-mp. The TKJ versions are for contact and non-contact scanning probes like the LSP-X1 and CMM-V video probes. Furthermore, the new probe heads are fully compatible with existing Tesastar-e and Tesastar-ae probe head controllers, Tesastar probe extensions and the Tesastar-r probe rack.

Tesa
Established in 1941, Tesa SA manufactures and markets today more than 5,000 dimensional metrology products, ranging from high-precision hand-held tools to sophisticated measuring systems. CMM products and vision systems for non-contact measurement are now also included.
Most of them are produced under the Swiss Made Label. A worldwide direct sales and distribution network is one of the major assets of the Swiss company whose primary markets are the automotive, aerospace, watch-making and metal processing.
www.tesabs.ch

Hexagon Metrology
Hexagon Metrology is part of the Hexagon AB Group and includes leading metrology brands such as Brown & Sharpe, CE Johansson, CimCore, CogniTens, DEA, Leica Geosystems (Metrology Division), Leitz, m&h Inprocess Messtechnik, Optiv, PC-DMIS, Quindos, Romer, Sheffield, Standard Gage and Tesa. Hexagon Metrology brands represent an unrivaled global installed base of millions of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), portable measuring systems and handheld instruments, and tens of thousands of metrology software licenses. Hexagon Metrology empowers its customers to fully control manufacturing processes that rely on dimensional precision, ensuring that products manufactured precisely conform to the original product design. The company offering of machines, systems and software is complemented by a wide range of product support, aftermarket and value-added services.
www.hexagonmetrology.com

GMT has expanded its Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) product range

GMT has expanded its Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) product range by introducing the new GRANO 12 20 10 for larger components. GRANO 12 20 10 has a measurement volume of 1200 x 2000 x 1000 mm. Its volumetric measurement uncertainty is 3.5 + L/200 μm, and its probing uncertainty is specified at 3,0 μm. IAs with all GMT CMMs, a choice of softwares is available to suit the application and the budget.

The GRANO 12 20 10 is a easy-to-handle bridge CMM suitable for a variety of dimensional inspection tasks on general mechanical and prismatic components where touch-trigger and scanning measurements are the key solution. All the three axes are made of high performance granite, with identical characteristics in temperature response and rigidity. Non-contact optical steel encoder scales, mounted on granite members assure uniform thermal behavior. All axes employ high precision air bearings to provide a friction free, highly accurate, and maintenance free motion.

“It is the ideal solution for companies which are looking for a CMM with an excellent price-to-performance ratio”, says K.Jagannathan, Executive Director- Marketing & Sales, Guindy Machine Tools Limited.

New laser measurement system

Faro, the world’s leading provider of portable measurement and imaging solutions, will exhibit at JEC Composites Show 2010, Paris from 13th - 15th April 2010. Faro will present their Laser ScanArm V3 which is a unique solution on the market for measuring machines. It enables users to inspect parts in detail by capturing large point-cloud data. Its open architecture enables the user to employ Geomagic, Polyworks, RapidForm and many other third-party software programmes and to bring top-quality products to market more quickly.

The Laser ScanArm V3 tackles all measurement tasks like inspection, point cloud-to-CAD comparison, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, 3D modeling, and as-built documentation with accuracy up to 54 microns. Users can hard-probe measure simple point variations, then laser scan sections for larger volumes of data – without the wasted time of adding/removing attachments, untangling cabling, or importing data from another CMM. Its main benefits are the accurate scanning of reflective and dark objects - the biggest challenge for all scanning systems.

Faro will also show its FaroArm, Faro Gage and Faro Laser Scanner Photon product lines, as well as its new Laser Tracker ION which is the most advanced, state-of-the-art Faro Laser Tracker ever introduced. The ION also features a longer measurement range, lighter weight, and contains the fastest, most sophisticated distance measuring system: Agile Absolute Distance Meter (aADM).

Visitors will have the chance to see live demonstrations of all Faro products at stand V30. “Our aim is to make people realise how quick and easy measurements can be carried out. Many of our customers used stationary measuring equipment before switching to our portable systems,” said Christophe Bénard, Responsable des Ventes de Faro France. “Their lead time is reduced while quality standards are improved by using our systems after a few weeks already. This guarantees a very fast ROI.”

About Faro

Faro develops and markets computer-aided coordinate measurement and scanning devices and software. Portable equipment from Faro permits high-precision 3D scanning and documentation of objects or whole facilities like historical buildings, tunnels or even oilrigs. The devices are used for inspecting components and assemblies, production planning, and inventory documentation, as well as for investigation and reconstruction of accident sites or crime scenes. They are also employed to generate digital scans of building sites, tunnels and historic sites.

The Faro® Laser Scanner Photon 20 and Photon 120 are the latest generation of easy-to-operate mobile laser measurement devices. With its high image quality due to hypermodulation, scanning speed, and positioning accuracy, the Faro Photon quickly and accurately creates three-dimensional black-and-white images – also known as point clouds – of large buildings, factories, or crime scenes. Photorealistic 3D colour pictures are possible with an expansion option. The Faro Laser Scanner Photon can be easily expanded and can be used by anyone after brief initial training.

Worldwide, approximately 9,500 customers are operating more than 20,000 installations of Faro measurement systems. The company’s global headquarter is located in Lake Mary, Florida/USA, its European head office in Korntal-Münchingen near Stuttgart (Germany) and the UK office in Coventry.

CALYPSO Software Available for Non-ZEISS CMMs

CALYPSO software now offers more direct interfaces to non-ZEISS coordinate measuring machines. This is good news for customers looking to add the benefits of CALYPSO to other CMMs and it will allow you to run existing CALYPSO measurement plans or create new ones. Having direct interfaces to the controller allows you to add CALYPSO to your existing machine without removing the legacy software platform. Call us to find out how CALYPSO software can provide a common software platform and increase functionality.

Software upgrades from Carl Zeiss give you the opportunity to operate both ZEISS and non-ZEISS machines with a uniform software technology. With direct interfaces to many non-ZEISS controllers, Carl Zeiss software upgrades usually do not require the expense of a new controller and other costly hardware. All software upgrades also allow a dual-system operation to provide the ability to run old part programs through the legacy software.

Non-ZEISS Controllers Supported