In addition to stringent final inspection routines performed by dedicated quality staff, production personnel at Luton-based subcontract manufacturer Pact Engineering take responsibility for their own in-process quality control and carry out regular CMM checks.
The mainstay of Pact’s inspection provision is an Axiom Too CNC CMM from Aberlink that was installed two years ago. Shop floor personnel are able to instantly recall the appropriate pre-written program and measure first-offs before beginning a production run. In-process checks on the Axiom Too are also performed when carrying out long production runs.
Despite the measuring speed of the existing Axiom Too, as a result of ever rising production levels, delays were beginning to occur. For instance, occasionally, when it was needed to verify the adherence to specification of a first-off component, the Aberlink machine would be engaged in a lengthy, CNC final inspection routine on a large batch of complex components. The delays incurred by machine operators while waiting for the CMM to complete its tasks, meant that production time was lost. However, the answer arrived in the shape of the recently launched AberlinkXtreme CMM.
The AberlinkXtreme is designed with a novel non-Cartesian structure and uses linear motors and mechanical bearings. According to the company, this configuration ensures that the machine maintains its accuracy at fast measurement rates and does not suffer from the accumulative inaccuracies that occur in conventional three-axis Cartesian arrangements.
“The use of our new Xtreme CMM has released our Axiom Too to concentrate on final inspection routines and put an end to bottlenecks in our inspection department,” states director Steve Banfield.
For further information
www.aberlink.com