Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Contact us today:
(847) 934-4500
tdaro@bernardandcompany.com
Exact Metrology worked with the Reading Historical Society museum in Cincinnati, Ohio to scan a replica of a World War I statue.
The original statue was created in 1919 and it sits atop a monument for those who bravely served during World War I. This monument was the first World War I monument in Reading and one of the first in the U.S. A few years ago, a replica was created and placed in the Reading Historical Society museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wanting to keep this piece of history alive, the Reading Historical Society contacted Exact Metrology to scan the statue.
Exact used their Artec 3D scanner for the task. The Artec 3D scanner is a portable 3D camera that captures video, each single frame of which is a 3D image. Walking around the object captures it with camera from various angles and the accompanying software combines the scanned frames in a single mesh. All Artec scanners have measuring speed up to 1.5 million points per second, while also providing high resolution (up to 0.2 mm) and high accuracy (up to 0.02 mm).
Scanning of the statue took two hours and two days to process the data. The data was then transferred to the University of Cincinnati, where a number of statues were 3D printed in small form. These statues will be sold at a fundraiser.
For more information, please contact:
Steve Young
Exact Metrology, Inc.
11575 Goldcost Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Phone: 855-469-4464
Local: 513-831-6620
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
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Exact Metrology will exhibit at next year’s SHOT show, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This annual trade show is geared towards the shooting, hunting and firearms industries. SHOT is the biggest show of its kind. Besides serving the shooting and hunting industry, it also serves commercial buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement and tactical products.
Given the industries mentioned, Exact Metrology is looking to speak to companies that manufacture firearms, hunting and outdoor trade equipment. The job titles that are most relevant to the company are manufacturing engineers, research and development and quality personnel.
Exact Metrology can provide scanning equipment for all of the markets that pertain to SHOT. However, the most common piece of equipment used is CT or computed tomography scanning in the firearms sector. This process captures 3D images at specific intervals by rotating the object 360 degrees. Thus, 3D views of the inside of a gun, for example, can be obtained without cutting or destroying it.
The firearms market includes suppliers that make scopes, silencers and other gun accessories. Exact Metrology can provide these suppliers with 3D CAD models that allow users to compare the model to the actual part and detect problems. This in turn, permits high quality and accurate reverse engineering of guns.
Exact Metrology will be at booth S1630 at the SHOT Show between January 22 and January 25, 2019 at the Sands Expo Center.
For more information, please contact:
Dean Solberg
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0800
Local: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Steve Young
Exact Metrology, Inc.
11575 Goldcost Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Phone: 614-264-8587
Local: 513-831-6620
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
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Exact Metrology will exhibit at this year’s Power-Gen International held in Orlando, Florida. Celebrating 30 years, Power-Gen focuses on all forms of power generation and brings together key suppliers and service providers with influential decision makers in the international power generation sector.
At this show, Exact Metrology’s objective is to connect with companies that produce parts or assemble them. These can be part manufacturers such as: pumps, housing turbines, etc. Likewise, they can be the facilities that assemble these complex parts. Exact’s target personnel includes manufacturing engineers, quality control, quality assurance, design engineers and project managers.
Exact Metrology offers the technology that users need in the power generation market. Some of the typical equipment used includes laser trackers, LIDAR scanners (Leica scan station, Surphaser), white light scanners and blue light scanners. Additional featured equipment are Romer arms and CT scanners.
The power generation market has many applications. Some of these are part qualification, part inspection, reverse engineering, part fit-up and facility scanning. Others include facility modeling, BIM modeling, color map inspections, as-built modeling and design intent modeling.
Exact Metrology will be at booth 4211 at Power-Gen between December 4 and December 6, 2018.
For more information, please contact:
Dean Solberg
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0800
Local: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
or
Steve Young
Exact Metrology, Inc.
11575 Goldcost Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Phone: 614-264-8587
Local: 513-831-6620
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
Continue readingProduct demonstrations and technical presentations on 3D & CT scanning engage a large audience in both Wisconsin and Ohio
Exact Metrology, a comprehensive metrology services provider, held dual open houses at their Brookfield, Wisconsin location on June 21 and their Cincinnati, Ohio location on June 26, along with partner company PolyWorks — a leading provider of universal 3D metrology software. Both companies showcased their newest products in software and hardware for 3D and CT scanning equipment. The event was attended by a large number of people from several Midwestern states and a diverse range of business sectors.
Hosted by co-presidents, Dean Solberg, (Brookfield, Wisconsin) and Steve Young, (Cincinnati, Ohio), the day included product demonstrations featuring the newest technology in 3D & CT scanning equipment, including the Romer SEI, Leica 402, SEI and Design X, CT, Leica P40, Surphaser, SEI and PC-DMIS, Revit Church Model, Atos/Breuckmann, Leica AT960 with the XL scanner and the Artec Ray (Brookfield). Multiple stations were set up throughout each facility, and much of the equipment was available for hands-on use by the attendees. Several attendees brought their own parts which were scanned onsite, then 3D printed.
Running simultaneously throughout the day were several breakout sessions on 3D printing by Jay Murray, Envisiontec (Brookfield, Wisconsin) and metrology hardware and software by Kurt Lammers, PolyWorks (Cincinnati, Ohio). In between sessions, attendees were treated to full buffet lunch, including a pig roast.
Attendees were heard discussing their excitement, and when attendee Mark Weigand, Raymond Corporation, was asked what the most interesting thing he saw was, his response was “I can’t narrow it down to one thing. The products are incredible. I saw some really neat things I had no idea existed.” Another attendee, Craig Pettinger, Senior SQUI Engineer, Cummins, said that “All of the workshops were especially helpful to not only answer questions, but letting people get a little experience with the types of equipment they are planning to purchase.” He was especially interested in the technology advancements in 3D printing and how to integrate it with reverse engineering.
Exact Metrology offers a complete line of portable scanning and measurement technologies as well as contract measurement for 3D laser scanning services, reverse engineering services, non-contact inspection, metrology services and 3D digitizing. The company’s newest equipment includes a GE CT Scanner at its Cincinnati location, the first in America being used for industrial metrology rather than medical testing. Exact sells and rents metrology equipment solutions, in addition to providing testing as a service and application software training.
For a 3-minute video demonstration of the Exact Metrology open houses, please see the video below:
For more information on this event, please contact:
Dean Solberg, Co-president
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0800
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Steve Young, Co-president
Exact Metrology, Inc.
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Telephone:
Local: 513.831.6620
Toll Free: 855.463.7116
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 Certified Company and ITAR Compliant and FFL Licensed
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
Continue readingLeading Metrology Provider Now Certified in FFL and ITAR
Exact Metrology, a comprehensive metrology services provider, announced that they recently received two new certifications; the FFL (Federal Firearms License) and ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Registration). Both the FFL and ITAR certifications are required by the Federal Government for any manufacturer or dealer to deal with firearms.
These certifications allow customers to now send Exact Metrology handguns and other types of firearms to be 3D scanned and reverse engineered. Exact uses a high-quality, high-resolution blue light 3D scanner which picks up a high level of detail and accuracy. The scans are typically used for aftermarket accessories, such as holsters, sites, grips and other products that can be added on when the equipment data is not available.
Exact Metrology is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings.
Exact Metrology offers a complete line of portable scanning and measurement technologies, as well as contract measurement services for 3D laser scanning, reverse engineering, non-contact inspection, metrology, 3D printers and 3D digitizing. Exact sells and rents metrology equipment solutions, in addition to providing testing as a service and application software training.
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 Certified Company and is also ITAR Registered.
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
For more information, please contact:
Dean Solberg
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0800
Local: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
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Exact’s new scanner provides fast and accurate data for applications such as: reverse engineering, inspection, construction (BIM), product design, forensics, and heritage presentation.
Exact Metrology is proud to announce the immediate availability of its new Artec Ray laser scanner. Ideal for scanning large objects like wind turbines, ship propellers, airplanes, and buildings, the Artec Ray offers ultra-high precision and speed. With the ability to scan up to 110 meters away, this scanner offers submillimeter distance accuracy and best in class angular accuracy. In addition, data capture is cleaner than with any other 3D scanner of this type and keeps noise levels at an absolute minimum. As a result, post-processing time is greatly reduced.
Scanning with Artec Ray is easy. Users need only place it on a tripod in front of the object they wish to scan and press the button. Portable and compact, the laser scanner can be set up easily indoors or outdoors. There’s no need to worry about finding a power source, since the internal battery lasts up to 4 hours.
Additionally, Artec Ray is equipped with software solutions. Once scanned, the scan is processed directly into the powerful Artec Studio, then seamlessly exported to Geomagic Design X.
To obtain maximum benefits, Artec Ray can be paired with Eva or Spider handheld Artec scanners to scan hard-to-reach areas such as the interiors of cars or add intricate detail to a large-scale 3D model.
For more product information, please contact:
EXACT METROLOGY, INC.
Steve Young, President
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
Phone: 513-831-6620
Toll Free: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
EXACT METROLOGY, INC.
Dean Solberg
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Telephone: 262-533-0800
Local: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
Continue readingLong-established technology of Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) is today being challenged in myriad markets by fast-emerging, highly advanced science of blue light scanning
For over 50 years, the benchmark for accuracy in measuring solid objects, whether machined, molded, die cast, welded or forged, was the coordinate measuring machine. Using a solid granite base table typically, along with a vertical, horizontal, gantry or bridge-mounted arm and touch probe, measurements would be taken and compared in blocks to an engineering file, first as 2D drawings and today as CAD files hosted in the cloud.
Typical CMM probes a part’s external dimensions at a limited number of touch points
During the last two decades, however, a “new kid in town” has arrived on the scene, with power, size, point capability and price value that are rapidly leaving the CMM technology in the dust.
3D laser scanning, plus the latest trend of industrial CT scanning, which is based on the same technology used for medical MRI, permit an array of points to be read, both external and now internal, on a wide variety of substrates and manufacturing techniques. 3D scans are made on many types of metals, composite, thermoplastic, elastomeric, wood, fiber and fabric materials, while CT scanning permits internal exploration of a thick aluminum casting, injection molded plastic or rubber part, even prepared foods, packaging, archaeological finds and fine art. The old joke is, with CT scanning, we would have known about Venus de Milo’s arm problems, long before they occurred. CT scanning can produce results for porosity, dimensional, failure analysis, volume and fiber orientation, all while leaving the part undamaged.
3D laser scan can capture millions of points, instantly comparing them to a CAD file or cloud-resident data
In contrast to conventional tactile CMM techniques, laser and especially CT scanning captures all surface points simultaneously, on even the most complex, convoluted surface areas. As an example, where a typical touch probe might capture 300 points of reference for comparison to a CAD overlay, the laser or CT will capture millions of points. Typical systems today can offer measurement accuracies to 4+L/100µm referring to the VDI 2630 metrology guideline.
A customer recently came to us with the following scenario. An engineer at his company was boasting of having produced the “perfect part,” based on CMM deviation points. Our contact had used our scanning services in the past. We performed a quick blue light 3D scan on the object and quickly determined the part was out of spec on several faces, as certain critical points had been missed in the CMM protocol. Our millions of scan data points were fit to the deviation map and the problem was tracked backed to the production source and rectified. Today, this company is a regular customer.
CT scan enables the internal examination of a die cast, molded or other solid part, even food and packaging, to detect issues of porosity or void analysis without destruction of the object, as well as seal integrity
The above example does not indicate CMM technology has outlived its usefulness, by any means. We continue to use it in our operations for certain measurements in many applications.
One important point to note is that the same software that manipulates the data from the CMM can be used with 3D scanners and CT equipment alike. As there are substantial cost savings to be realized in the purchase of a 3D scanning device or the new generation of table top CT scanners, depending on the parts being examined, the transition from CMM to 3D or CT is more feasible today, economically. The driving factors for a company, when evaluating the service vs. purchase issue are two.
The easier factor is raw cost, where a 3D scanner is typically half the cost of a CMM for measuring comparable part sizes. The other is more complex, namely the talent of the personnel doing the work. Experienced technicians have the ability to scan and process large data sets on a wide variety of substrates, geometries and part sizes effectively. Coupled with the part volumes being processed and other factors, it is often more practical and profitable for a company to use a scanning service on an as-needed basis.
3D printing allows quick sampling of modified designs, as well as finished prototypes, producing parts directly from the scanned data
An additional point to note in evaluating CMM vs. scanning is the time involved. To derive those 300 touch points referenced above might take four hours, while the 2.5 million points derived from a 3D scan would take 30 minutes. Since Polyworks software can be used on a CMM or 3D laser scanner, the time and money savings quickly accumulate. Plus, in this manner, companies can develop something of a “universal metrology” scenario at their companies by augmenting the existing CMM technologies with 3D and even CT scanning capabilities, making their QC department more powerful from the outset. One practical note: We can train QC, R&D and production department personnel usually in three days or less to expand their capability from CMM to include 3D and CT scanning.
In terms of the data created, the 3D scanning produces color maps, inspections, first article inspections or other outputs. What you do with the data after completing the scanning is endless.
On the topic of substrates, it should be noted that CT scanning today offers the ability to evaluate a wide variety of dual thickness and dual density materials, with disparate examples ranging from an automotive firewall that might have differing thermoplastics or rubber and TPE materials co-molded to a candy bar with chocolate and nuts.
NOTE: The author welcomes all contact and questions regarding this article. In full disclosure, Exact Metrology performs 3D laser and CT scanning, plus sells, rents or leases the equipment to perform such scanning procedures.
For more information on this article, please contact the author:
Matthew Martin
Exact Metrology, Inc.
www.exactmetrology.com
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
513-831-6620
matthewm@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008, AS9100 Certified and ITAR Registered Company.
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D laser and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development, 3D printing and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
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Product demonstrations and technical presentations from principals impress large crowds; 3D/CT scanners and NEW 3D printer line highlighted
On May 23, 2017, Exact Metrology held an open house at its facility in Cincinnati and the event was attended by over 100 local area companies, comprising quality assessment, design engineering and management personnel from many of the leading manufacturers in the region. Hosted by company co-president Steve Young, the day included ongoing product demonstrations of the various metrology equipment brands offered for sale, lease and rental by Exact, as well as the testing procedures provided as a service by this unique metrology supplier. Highlight of the event was the company’s new partner, EnvisionTEC, a builder of 3D printing equipment for myriad industries, for whom Exact was recently named Midwest dealer. Also on display were a number of the other equipment lines represented by Exact, including Romer arms, GE CT scanning, Leica 3D imaging scanners and a variety of point cloud software advancements for the quality world.
Services on display at the Cincinnati open house included 3D scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, instant scan-to-CAD comparison and a full suite of PolyWorks software solutions. Equipment shown at the event included Aicon 3D systems, Breuckmann 3D scanners, Leica Geosystems, Romer and Hexagon brands of scanning devices and related hardware, all of which were available for hands-on use by event attendees. Company representatives from the various equipment lines, as well as Exact Metrology’s team of application engineering and testing specialists, were present for demonstrations and technical presentations, throughout the event.
The EnvisionTEC line drew particular attention and Steve Young commented, “This new partner was a natural extension of our service work. We do 3D scanning and were using a 3D printer, so we had that light bulb moment and decided to connect with a 3D printer builder to expand our equipment offerings.” Exact represents EnvisionTEC throughout the Midwest. EnvisionTEC is a Detroit-based builder of various 3D printers for the medical, dental, jewelry and various industrial sectors, offering machines to produce parts up to 18” cube.
As Steve Young further noted commented, “We constantly seek to find the optimum combination of equipment and services to suit the applications and challenges presented by our customers. In some cases, it’s a matter of matching the right standard equipment to the job, while at other times we bring custom solutions and services to our customers, whether they buy, lease or rent equipment or use our services to achieve the desired results on their metrology projects.” Young credited his staff of metrology engineers, technicians and customer service personnel for their hard work, dedication and adaptability in seeking the correct solution to all customer challenges.
During the day, two big screen TV’s were raffled off to attendees, who also enjoyed a tasty pig roast luncheon.
Exact serves both industrial and commercial concerns, ranging from heavy equipment, automotive and appliance companies to nuclear test facilities and even museums, who routinely use metrology to examine artwork such as paintings and sculpture.
Cincinnati Photos:
Subsequently, on May 25, Exact held an open house at its Brookfield, Wisconsin (outside Milwaukee) location.
Attended by 70 companies in the area, the event was hosted by Exact Metrology co-president Dean Solberg in conjunction with Exact partners EnvisionTEC, Hexagon Metrology, PolyWorks, 3DSystems and ETI.
A variety of scanning equipment was demonstrated throughout two rooms in the facility. One highlight of the open house was the new Leica BLK360 Imaging Laser Scanner, a 360-degree scanner that allows high resolution scans for a full-dome in less than three minutes. Other devices showcased included the Hexagon Metrology Romer Absolute Arm, several Artec3D scanners, the Surphaser 100HSX, several Leica long range scanners and the ProCon CT scanner. While demonstration pieces were available to scan, attendees were able to bring in their own parts to show live 3D scanning on the screen.
Also present at the open house was Exact Metrology’s new 3D printer partner, EnvisionTEC, Inc. High-precision, high-detailed models illustrated the 3D printing capabilities of the Detroit-based manufacturer.
The Brookfield open house’s agenda consisted of four breakout sessions with experts in 3D metrology and scanning technology demonstrating their wealth of knowledge on the industry. The breakout sessions happened simultaneously during the day. During one presentation, Jason Reno of PolyWorks talked about what to expect in the industry for 2017. Another session was given by Dave Meyers, a Professor affiliated with Effective Training Inc. He instructed the audience on the use of GD&T Training (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing). Greg George, Corey Mayeda and Mike Tsand from 3DSystems gave a discussion on 3DSystems Software: DesignX and Geomagic.
The guests enjoyed a full spread of delicious food for lunch and were given keepsakes such as mouse pads, pens, coffee mugs, and m&m’s, all with the Exact Metrology logo on them.
Wisconsin Photos:
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 Certified Company and is also ITAR Registered.
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
For more information on this event or to arrange a demonstration, please contact:
EXACT METROLOGY, INC.
Steve Young
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Phone: 513-831-6620
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
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Leading supplier of 3D printers partners with longtime supplier of metrology equipment
Effective immediately, Exact Metrology is now the greater Midwest dealer for EnvisionTEC, a Detroit-based manufacturer of 3D printers and materials.
EnvisionTEC supplies machinery and materials to a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliance, jewelry and life sciences. The machine line spans a range from desktop models to units capable of producing 10 cubic foot objects from fiber and thermoplastic materials. The company also produces a full line of materials, including more than 70 proprietary formulations for specific customer requirements.
Exact Metrology offers a complete line of portable scanning and measurement technologies, as well as contract measurement for 2D and 3D laser scanning services, reverse engineering services, non-contact inspection, metrology services, 3D digitizing and training, long-range scanning plus its CT scanning services, usable by all types of manufacturing, packaging and product integrity concerns, as well as civil engineering, architects and municipal infrastructure developers.
Dean Solberg, co-president of Exact, notes, “The addition of EnvisionTEC brings our line to a new level of technology. A natural extension of our services and equipment lines, especially in the areas of reverse engineering and product modeling, we were already using 3D printing in our own service departments, so it made perfect sense to extend our equipment lines into 3D printing and we were most impressed with the EnvisionTEC line and the company’s commitment to growth. Exact is proud to be a part of that process.”
For more information on this agreement, please contact:
Dean Solberg
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Local: 262-533-0800
Toll Free: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Or
Steve Young
Exact Metrology, Inc.
11575 Goldcoast Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45249
Local: 513-831-6620
Toll Free: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
stevey@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008, AS9100 Certified and ITAR Registered Company.
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
Continue readingMarket Leader in 3D and CT Scanning Details a Typical Airfoil Procedure
Exact Metrology, a leading supplier of 3D laser and CT scanning equipment and services details the steps to a successful airfoil evaluation.
SCAN PROCESS:
The scan can occur at the customer’s facility or at Exact Metrology’s. In many cases, it is most cost effective for the digitizing or scanning to take place at the Exact facility. However, in certain instances, when turnaround time is of great importance or downtime of the scanned component is critical, the scanner is mobile and available for onsite operation.
The airfoils that are typically provided by customers will be received by Exact Metrology for full documentation with photos, measurements and any surface markings or serial numbers recorded prior to any high definition scanning.
Setup
The mobility of the Exact scanner allows a high degree of flexibility in performing onsite scans (Option A) at a customer facility or the more cost efficient in-house scan at the Exact facility (Option B).
Due to the reflective nature of the blades, a thin coating of Magnaflux spray is applied. The SKD-S2 spray is a second phase of the crack checking processes. Phase 1 is a die penetrant that will not be used typically. The spray meets the requirements for AMS 2664, ASTM E165 and is ASME approved. (Health – 1, Flammability – 4, Reactivity -0, No Specific Hazard). See MSDS 0166 for more information on the SKD-S2 product.
When scanning the blade, Exact uses a fixture device. Targets will also be used to constrain data during the alignment phase. Targets will be placed using magnets on either side of the air foil. The fixture itself will also act as an alignment constraint while holding the airfoil in place and allowing Exact technicians to capture maximum data on the part without moving or touching the part. A manual or automatic turntable may be used to allow enhanced scanning and registration access to the part.
Scanning
The part is positioned on the rotating table or on a stationary marble top and scanned from multiple perspectives. This procedure is repeated multiple times to provide complete coverage of the part. Known geometric objects, cubes and spheres are often placed in the scene for quality assurance and validation during the validation stage.
The scanner used on these projects is a Breuckmann Stereo 3D Scanning system. This device uses a unique halogen structured white light projection system with dual 6.6 mega-pixel cameras. The scanner is the highest resolution scanner available on the market and was specially built for Exact Metrology in Germany.
Registration
The registration process can be done with or without targets. Both registration methods have different techniques with similar results. Essentially, the targeting procedure uses an automated fitting of point clouds or scan worlds together, based upon three common positions on the part or scene. This process has been simplified with modern software technology. The software will then analyze every point with overlap and run a best fit algorithm over hundreds of iterations to find the tightest and best alignment. The result of this process will yield a fully registered and organized point cloud.
Validation
It is important to verify the automated method with targeting and adding known geometric shapes to the scan. All scans are documented with notes, computer logging and digital photos accompanying the recorded scan setup within the software. A CD copy of all digital data is recorded prior to returning the part or teardown.
MODELING PROCESS:
Once the data is gathered and the registration process is complete, the point cloud or data set can now be worked. The first step is to triangulate or mesh the points together. As part of this early process, points are “intelligently” removed from the network by algorithms in the software. Essentially, the points of redundancy and overlap are decimated and averaged. This mesh is further manipulated by reducing the triangles and points along flatter areas and retaining more triangles in areas of curvature and complexity. This poly mesh can now be exported as a complete *.STL file or similar format.
Surfacing
The process of fitting NURBs and geometry to the poly mesh or point cloud can be a time-consuming and arduous process. A surface is basically draped over the mesh and smoothed to be reflective of the actual part. Once this task is completed and a complete watertight object is created, the model is ready to be exported to nearly any format via various methods. The end file format is entirely up to the client and the limitations of existing conversion tools available today. A final 3D solid model can be provided as a “dumb solid” with no parametry or history tree as an imported object. The available formats include: Siemens NX, Pro/E Wildfire, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Inventor, SolidWorks, as well as generic formats such as IGES, STEP, ParaSolid (X_T) and others.
Parametric Modeling
The final deliverable is a parametric model. Unlike a solid model, the parametric model possesses relationships of all dimensions within the CAD. With these relationships, the CAD model can be manipulated and fine-tuned without disturbing the overall geometry of the part. For this workpiece, the specific parameters of each cross section within the model can be independently modified without disturbing neighboring cross sections. The end result is a Pro/Engineer CAD model with known geometry that is fully adjustable and possesses a design history.
For more information on this application, please contact:
Dean Solberg
Exact Metrology, Inc.
20515 Industry Avenue
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: 262-533-0800
Local: 866-722-2600
www.exactmetrology.com
deans@exactmetrology.com
Exact Metrology is an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 Certified Company.
Exact Metrology, with facilities in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and affiliated offices throughout the Midwest, is a comprehensive metrology services provider, offering customers 3D and CT scanning, reverse engineering, quality inspection, product development and 2D drawings. The company also provides turnkey metrology solutions, including equipment sales and lease/rental arrangements.
Exact Metrology offers a complete line of portable scanning and measurement technologies as well as contract measurement for 3D laser scanning services, reverse engineering services, non-contact inspection, metrology services, and 3D digitizing. The company’s newest equipment includes a CT Scanner, the first in America being used for metrology rather than medical testing. Exact sells and rents metrology equipment solutions, in addition to providing testing as a service and application software training.
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