Leveraging inspection competitiveness

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Willie Tan, Product Marketing, Asia Pacific, FARO Technologies shared with INTERNATIONAL METALWORKING NEWS FOR ASIA the difference between non-contact and contact 3D scanning solution in order to make the right choice in meeting operational needs.

IMNA: Devices for metrology have come a long way in the past 20 years. Why choose non-contact over contact 3D measurement and inspection solutions in manufacturing quality control?

Willie Tan: As manufacturers are often hard pressed for time, the speed at which inspections and measurements for quality control can be performed is an important factor. In this regard, non-contact 3D scanning solutions possess a clear advantage because the speed at which it collects data points far exceeds that of touch probes. For example, the FAROBlu™ Laser Line Probe HD — with its superior, large-diameter, custom optics — is capable of collecting more light and data, delivering better accuracy and sharper, brighter images. Its wider laser line width also scans a larger area at any one time, providing faster, more productive scanning for 3D inspections, CAD-to-part analysis, alignments or reverse engineering.

However, touch probes allow for targeted inspection that provide greater accuracy. It can achieve single point accuracy of around 12 microns, so it is useful for verifying tight tolerance features, such as when a hole centre location needs high accuracy input.

Non-contact and contact 3D scanning solution each has its pros and cons, and the choice between the two boils down to the type of measurement required. At times, the two methods can be complementary in its uses. In the case of FARO’s Quantum^S ScanArm, the hard probe and the FAROBlu™ Laser Line Probe attached to it can both digitise interchangeably without having to remove either component and this allows users to digitise simple features with the Arm’s hard probe while at the same time it can seamlessly scan across diverse surface materials.

IMNA: What are the most important features of non-contact 3D scanning solutions?

Willie Tan: One of the main advantages of 3D scanning over touch probes is its ability to capture the entire surface of the part. When measuring highly curved or free-form surfaces, touch probe measurements yield fewer data points than non-contact 3D scanning solutions. In these instances, capturing of single measuring points with touch probes can be a long and tedious process if a large number of data points are required. Often, producing accurate results can be a challenge depending on the component and its features. Many of FARO’s customers in the metalworking industry employ the FARO Quantum ScanArm on their shop floor as it provides them precision of up to 48 microns and meet the stringent requirements of ISO10360-12 and ISO10360-8 standards ensuring consistency and reliability of their measurements.

IMNA: Non-contact measurement solutions can be divided into categories based on their method of capturing data, right? If so, what are they?

Willie Tan: In FARO, there are two main categories of non-contact measurement solutions based on its method of capturing data. The first category encompasses imagers that take snapshots of objects and converts these to millions of points. An example of this is the FARO^® Cobalt Array Imager, a structured-light imaging device that utilises blue LED light technology to capture millions of high resolution 3D coordinate measurements in seconds. The second category includes laser line probe scanning, and with the FAROBlu Laser Line Probe HD for example, it uses an optically superior blue laser technology that can capture up to 600,000 points/sec to form 3D point clouds of the object.

IMNA: Does colour matter in the laser used in Laser Line Probes?

(Image source: https://www.chromacademy.com/lms/sco736/images/Electromagnetic-spectrum.jpg)

Willie Tan: The colour of the laser definitely affects its performance. The FAROBlu Laser Line Probe HD, for example, utilises blue laser technology which has a shorter wavelength than red laser. A blue laser can thus deliver improved scanning results due to its intrinsic higher resolution, with a 50% reduction in speckle noise. This allows for much finer details to be captured in comparison to red laser.

IMNA: What are the advantages of non-contact 3D scanning? Kindly provide your answers with manufacturers in South East Asia in mind.

Willie Tan: FARO’s full portfolio of 3D measurement hardware and software provides turnkey solutions for manual and automated inspection and actionable analysis of any part, component, or final assembly, to streamline and maximise efficiencies across the manufacturing process. With the improvements in tool manufacturing standards and testing methods, highly accurate and reliable inspection checks in every part of the process has become essential for the manufacturing industry.

Scanning with a non-contact 3D measurement solution like the FAROBlu Laser Line Probe enables manufacturers to streamline their manufacturing process and improve overall efficiency — it reduces the effort required for measurement and inspection, increases productivity, and allows easy capture of free form shapes. Some of its applications include dimensional analysis, CAD-based inspection, non-contact inspection, and alignment

Perfect INC.’s experience with the FARO ScanArm is an example of how non-contact 3D scanning have benefitted manufacturers. The company specialises in manufacturing welded articles through methods such as stamping, forging, machining, and tooling. Previously, Perfect INC. relied heavily on hand tools for measurement, but the company wanted to improve and accelerate the calibration and inspection process of its construction components. Since acquiring the FARO ScanArm, Perfect INC. regularly utilises the device to calibrate and inspect the construction equipment and tools that are manufactured in-house, making it a key component of an important monitoring system. The device is used weekly to detect errors before and after the production stage. With the ScanArm stationed on the shop floor, the Perfect INC. team also achieved unprecedented savings in time and labor, as they do not have to physically move the components to a separate measurement room with controlled temperatures for accurate measurements to be taken. The ScanArm’s remarkable features have helped Perfect INC. in improving the accuracy, precision, and efficiency of its manufacturing processes.

IMNA: What can you say about non-contact 3D scanning solutions in automotive applications?

Willie Tan: Today’s automotive parts have become more complex than those manufactured a decade ago. Traditional methods are fast becoming inadequate for proper inspection and measurement of automotive parts. Quality inspection allows manufacturers to ensure a car’s performance and design, and is especially crucial to improve the safety of the car.

3D measurement technology solutions from FARO provide a simple, yet accurate way of taking both contact and non-contact measurements for quality control in automobile manufacturing and assembly. The FARO ScanArm, for example, can be used for rapid prototyping, analysing car body panels, or inspecting a body-in-white.

An example of a business that yielded better performance with FARO solutions is Calsonic Kansei Korea — a leading, South Korean automobile manufacturer that supplies exhaust systems. With the FARO ScanArm, the inspection process, which was previously spread across four or five stages, has now been reduced to a single-stage operation. As a result, the amount of time and labour associated with the inspection is considerably reduced.

Another user that found success with FARO’s 3D scanning solutions is Mooncraft Co., Ltd. The Shizuoka-based company designs and develops racing cars, creates aerodynamics using in-house wind tunnel test equipment, and manufactures car components made from carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). Previously, Mooncraft carried out its measurements using only 2D instruments such as calipers and layout machines. However, as 3D CAD technologies advanced and grew in popularity, car component designs became more complicated as well, and it was no longer sufficient to rely on subjective judgment. This led to Mooncraft introducing the FARO ScanArm, to accurately digitise and record a proper set of data. The ScanArm’s portability allowed Mooncraft to easily transport it in a case, and the device can also be easily set-up by one person in a few simple steps. Besides, the ScanArm’s ability to scan the car components without the need for a spray or target marks further cuts out preparation time. In addition, the device’s fast scanning speed also reduced the amount of time taken for measurements, shortening the overall delivery time. With the FARO ScanArm, Mooncraft managed to overcome the challenge of increasingly complicated designs, and improved the efficiency of its processes.