Hosico Engineering, a highly successful world class supplier of precision light metal and injection moulded components based in the Melbourne suburb of Braeside, recently increased their measurement capability by investing in a new MicroVu Vertex 311 multi-sensor vision system.

Having won a number of new contracts to produce precision components for the medical industry the management at Hosico identified the need to streamline and improve the efficiency of their inspection processes. Critical features on these components were already being measured on their Sheffield Endeavor CMM, supplied by Hi-Tech Metrology in the year 2000, utilising traditional touch probe technology but due to the fine detail and flexibility of the components they required a quite different approach.

After completing a detailed study of the application and conducting a number of trials Hi-Tech Metrology recommended the MicroVu Vertex 311 multi-sensor system. Fitted with a high resolution Video Camera, LS3 Laser and TP20 Touch Probe the Vertex system brings together the three measuring technologies required to effectively measure these parts being able to rapidly and accurately measure all the characteristics in one setup.

The Vision system provides a ready means of rapidly measuring the majority of features utilising a high resolution colour camera combined with powerful optical zoom, 42 channel automatic LED lighting and intuitive InSpec software interface.

The LS3 Laser is then used to measure a critical flatness specification on these clear, reflective and flexible medical components. By utilising the laser for this measurement, with its non-contact high speed point collection, there is no risk of the probe system influencing the measurement results by deforming the part added to which there is the added benefit of enormous gains in cycle time reduction.

The third sensor is a TP20 Touch Probe which provides additional capability when features to be measured are "out of sight" of the Camera & Laser. With conventional non-contact measuring systems this would necessitate an additional inspection set up most likely on another machine whereas the MicroVu Vertex multi-sensor machine is able to measure this entire part in one operation.

There are many productivity gains achieved by having these three key measurement technologies (Vision, Laser and Touch) integrated into the one system such as:

• One intuitive software interface
• Reduced need for operator training
• Simplified part fixtures
• Lower capital investment
• Operation by semi-skilled personnel
• One operation to measure 100% of the part

To learn more about the MicroVu Multi-Sensor system contact us now

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