Title:Made to Measure: Advances in Metrology
Publish date: 24/1/2017
Post:
The future of technology is shrinking. Devices are getting smaller and smarter, while the components inside are becoming more complex and numerous. These smaller parts come with tighter tolerances, faster production times and the need for greater repeatability, as pressure grows on manufacturers of original equipment to produce more efficient machines quicker and cheaper. Metrology has to meet these demands, with an end goal to reduce inspection time and costs, as well as increasing reliability and efficiency. To meet these challenges, new and future measuring devices need to be smaller, more flexible in their applications and easier to use.
Size Matters
Smaller technology calls for smaller metrology devices with greater accuracy and wider measurement ranges. Solartron’s new contact and non-contact probes for measuring material thickness were designed to meet these requirements. The Miniature Single Leaf Flexure has a calibrated range of 0 to 500 microns and can be fitted with a variety of tips for different applications. The non-contact Orbit Confocal is also small and a cost-effective option. Going forward, we are constantly working to improve our products and keep ahead of manufacturers’ requirements.
Increasing Flexibility
Keeping costs down is another priority for manufacturers and, to keep up with changing demands, being able to offer a range of different products with various specifications is also important. Metrology equipment can make this easier by being flexible in terms of its application and compatibility with different systems. Not only are they flexible in their applications and adaptability, but Solartron’s sensors and probes can be customised to perfectly suit your requirements, no matter how unusual they might be. Our new range of interface modules connect to a wide range of sensors with various connectors to PC, PCLs or Solartron’s own digital displays, to suit the largest possible number of applications
A Friendly Interface
As inspection and quality control become increasingly integrated into the manufacturing process, hardware and software need to communicate more effectively to be easy for operators to use and produce data that is easy to interpret. New interface modules such as Solartron’s Protocal Interface Module offer easy connectivity to the Orbit 3 digital measurement system to produce accurate and accessible data. By making it easy to connect to a wide range of contact and non-contact linear measurement sensors, rotary encoders, temperature and pressure sensors, the Protocal Interface Module allows users to access a large amount of measurement data quickly and efficiently.
The future of metrology could be described as ‘small machines creating big data’, as original equipment manufacturers demand more accurate measurements of smaller and smaller components. When these requirements are combined with the need for greater reliability and reduced turnaround time, a considerable challenge is presented to metrology equipment.
Solartron Metrology is committed to producing the best quality, most durable and up-to-date probes, gauges and sensors to fulfil our customers’ exacting and varied requirements.
Speak to one of our specialist staff today about the best metrology solution for your application; call +44 (0)1243 833333 or email sales.solartronmetrology@ametek.com