Back Issues

Mar/Apr 2012  

Inspection/ Measurement/ Quality Control

Top Features

Being able to measure what you make is critical to successful manufacturing. And as manufacturing evolves, so too must the science of measurement.

Micromanufacturers that make complex parts often need to invest in high-precision, shop-floor metrology equipment. These microscopes, measurement probes, coordinate-measuring machines and other devices must be able to withstand the effects of dust, temperature swings, light and humidity to ensure accurate measurement.

Stylus and optical surface metrology: the best of both worlds

Stylus profilers have been the primary tools for surface-finish measurement for many decades, providing cost-effective, rapid and quantifiable surface roughness and form information via single or multiple traces across samples. Most surface-finish standards are based on 2-D stylus parameters such as Ra, Rpm or Rz.

If a manufacturer is unable to accurately measure its parts, it can’t guarantee they will perform to specifications. The challenges to achieving accuracy are amplified when determining microscale dimensions with a coordinate-measuring machine that has a probe too large to access tiny geometrical features.

Part measurement methods include physically touching the part with a probe or a micrometer, or using a noncontact approach, such as an optical comparator or vision system. With macroscale parts, touching a part is often acceptable since the part is not affected by the measurement. But with microparts, touch is sometimes not an option, since the measurement process moves or otherwise affects the part.

May 31, 2011—It's a far cry in scale from the Connecticut machine tool industry of old, which featured hulking factories with names like New Britain and Bridgeport that turned out powerful metalcutting machines. But a small shop in Plainville, Conn., is no less a pioneer than those early machine tool builders.

Top Videos

During the 7th International Conference on MicroManufacturing in March, conference co-chairs Jian Cao and Kornel Ehmann, along with a few of their students, provided an overview of their research and work stations at the university's micromanufacturing lab.

Alicona Imaging GmbH CEO Stefan Scherer provides an overview of the company's Infinite Focus optical 3-D surface measurement and characterization machine, which features a contour measurement module.

Manas Lakshmipathy, an account manager with the Zygo Corp., Middlefield, Conn., discusses the company's ZeGage optical profiler for the micromanufacturing market.

 


April 13, 2012—With about 150 attendees turning out for the 7th International Conference on MicroManufacturing (ICOMM 2012) held March 12-14 at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., conference organizers hailed the balanced attendance from Asia, Europe and North America as a first for the annual gathering.

Brian Kyte, Alicona's director of Optical 3-D Measurement & Inspection division, recently sat down with MICROmanufacturing Electronic Media Editor Dennis Spaeth for a video interview during The 5th International Conference on MicroManufacturing (ICOMM/4M 2010).

Top Products

Keyence Corp.

VHXThe Keyence VHX-2000 series digital microscope streamlines testing and improves the speed and efficiency of the inspection process, according to the manufacturer. It uses advanced zoom optics with a CCD camera, 17" LCD monitor, light source, controller and analysis and reporting software.

Titan Tool Supply Inc.

Titan ScopePad-200Titan’s ScopePad-200 is an all-in-one camera and tablet computer that can turn any microscope into a videoscope, according to the company.

Nanovea

Nanovea's M3 mechanical tester thumbMarch 12, 2012—Nanovea has introduced the N3 line of metrology products, consisting of three high-accuracy, fully automated measuring devices priced at around $20,000 each.

Mitutoyo America Corp.

MDH micrometer thumbFeb. 24, 2012—Mitutoyo America Corp., Aurora, Ill., recently unveiled its High-Accuracy Digimatic® Digital Micrometer, which the company says is the world's first micrometer to offer 0.1μm resolution measurement—and in a hand-held tool.

Electronic Assembly Products

Optilla inspection thumbElectronic Assembly Products now offers Optilia Instruments’ high-definition optical-inspection systems in the U.S. EAP provides sales and support for the W10x-HD and W20x-HD camera systems, developed for use in precision inspection, repair and quality-control applications.