Read our case studies below for help information on various metrology topics.

Case Study Two

Purchasing Equipment Investment Questions

Are you currently in the market for Pre-Owned / New Equipment?

 

We know how important it is to make the correct equipment decision, big or small, for your company.

At Inspec, Inc. these are questions that our trained sales staff ask to ensure that the equipment that you are seeking to purchase are adequate for your application(s).

Are you in need of on-site consulting or evaluation? Simply call Inspec at 734-451-8740.

 

Just follow our guideline questions below, and you will ease through the equipment purchasing process.

 

1. What is your application? In this question, we are looking to understand your application and your parts.

2. What are your tolerances? Do you require or use CAD? What equipment are you currently using to measure your parts?

3. What is the part/work piece size and weight? This will determine what size of equipment is required.

    What will your future needs be? The "Z" height is important  here to make sure that your machine will be large enough for your future applications.

    X Axis Travel =

    Y Axis Travel =

    Z Axis Travel =

(Make sure to allow for your longest probe configurations when determining these measurements)

4. How often will you be conducting part measurement? What will your quantity be? Will you be measuring the same part or dimensions once or several times? What is the complexity of the part?

5. What equipment have you already looked at? What do you like or dislike?

6. Review your pros and cons regarding personal experience. List all that come to mind.

     Equipment Type:

     Software:

     Operator or Programming:

7. Space or size location? Is your room currently environment controlled?

8. Do you prefer new or used equipment?

9. What is your current budget?

10. What is the timeline or target date to purchase equipment? To have the equipment running?

11. If looking for CMM, make sure to consider:

      Sofware - CAD or no CAD?

      DCC or Manual?

      Number of parts per day?

      Complexity of parts?

      How many people will use scanning?

      Future upgrades?

12. If looking for an Optical Comparator, make sure to consider:

      Horizontal or Vertical?

      Screen Size?

      Magnification?

      Digital Readout?

13. Looking for any other type of equipment? Call us and we can go over more specific questions to help you determine what to purchase whether it is a CMM, Optical Comparator, Vision System, Hardness Tester, Surface Plate, etc.

      

 Having trouble answering all of these questions? Simply call Inspec, Inc. at 734-451-8740.

We can help determine what is best for you.

 

View our Pre-Owned Equipment for Sale Web Page and our

New Equipment for Sale Web Page for a listing of our inventory of equipment for sale?

Don't see what you are looking for in our inventory? Don't worry! We can locate it for you!

Case Study One

Troubleshooting Guide
CMM Repair Due to Poor Air Quality

At Inspec, Inc. we have found that about 70% of the CMM repairs we encounter are attributed to poor quality of air.

When our customers call in, continually encountering machine down time, due to poor quality of air, we schedule a meeting with their quality management team to determine a course of action.

First, the source of contamination will be identified. Secondly, a cost-effective course of action will be implemented, including installing additional filters and an Oil Mist Eliminator (see the following picture of an example of a Kaeser version). Lastly, we then complete a re-tube and clean the bearings.

In the event you feel that your air is contaminated, you will need to rectify the situation immediately. Based on the level of contamination, the best course of action would be to have the CMM's air tubing replaced, the air bearings removed and cleaned, and then a proper calibration performed using a laser system.

There are several low cost solutions available for improving the quality of your compressed air. Please feel free to contact us for additional information.

The Importance of Air Supply for Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) Air Bearing Systems

If the air supply specification is not met, the effects, not to mention repairs, to the CMM will be detrimental.

CMM's with air bearings are designed to float on air above the granite guideways. This non-friction air bearing system enables the CMM to achieve high accuracy's, whereas a ball or roller bearing cannot. Friction wear, contamination, and hysteresis are just a few factors that cause roller bearing systems to be less accurate.

Depending on the type of air bearing, (size, round or square, number of air orifices) the gap between the air bearing and granite surface will be approximately .0006 inches. This design is very rigid and controls both geometry and repeatability, as long as the air supply specifications are maintained.

The three factors regarding the CMM's input air supply, (*must be maintained at all times*) are quality (clean and dry), volume, and pressure.

Quality

If the air bearings or granite guideways become dirty, (oil, water, solid deposits) the CMM will not function properly. The contaminated air restricts the air flow through the air bearing orifices, thus seizing up the CMM. Contaminated air will damage both granite guideways and air bearings, not to mention deteriorate the CMM's accuracy.

The definition of clean, dry air is as follows:

Water Vapor:    36 degrees F @90 psi Pressure Dewpoint
Solids:    .12 parts/million by Weight Maximum
Hydrocarbons & Oil:    .01 parts/million by Weight Maximum Conc.

Volume

The CMM's air bearings orifices allow air to flow continuously. This continuous flow of air allows the air bearings to float freely and blow away any small (lightweight) particles of dirt or dust in its path while the CMM is moving along its axes.

A suitable volume of air is required to maintain pressure for optimum CMM efficiency. The volume of air will be dependent upon the number of air bearings, orifice size, and bearing size.

Pressure

The CMM's input air pressure has to be a constant 90 psi. This does not mean 90 psi at the compressor end. There is always a pressure drop between the CMM's input and air bearings. This is due to the CMM's pneumatic system and will vary depending on air tubing length and inside diameter. The pneumatic pressure drop usually will not exceed 8 psi, thus a minimum of 80 psi should be maintained for all opposing air bearings.

A clean environment, daily CMM and frequent filter/compressor maintenance will also protect the customer investment. This is the customer's responsibility and should be enforced.