Title: How we make accurate measuring in difficult automotive applications easy
Publish date: 24/7/2018
Post:
That measurements in the automotive industry have to be accurate goes without saying as even the slightest size or shape discrepancy in an engine part could cause the whole engine to fail. Camshaft bearings are one such part that have to be precisely manufactured and perfectly aligned. Taking measurements during the manufacturing process can be quite challenging but Solartron Metrology have come up with a solution to measure camshaft bearings as accurately as need be and with probes which are built to last so don’t break down and interrupt the manufacturing process.
The Challenge
Measuring camshaft bearings in an efficient way which does not stop production and is accurate enough to ensure engines run smoothly is difficult because passing a bore gauge through them causes a great deal of wear and tear on the gauge. The means that gauges don’t last long so regularly interrupt manufacturing when they break and need replacing. What was needed was a gauge that was small enough to be mounted to a bore gauge, accurate enough to produce useful data and robust enough to withstand the stresses and strains of the manufacturing process.
The Solution
Solartron created a Digital Miniature Probe which is as accurate as larger gauges, is small enough to be mounted to bore gauges but robust enough for regular use being passed up and down through camshaft bearing mounts. It’s double flexure design means it can withstand the forces being passed through it without needing to be replaced regularly and they come pre-calibrated so are very quick to set up and easy to use. Built to withstand rotation and sideloads, these gauges allow for the bore shaft to rotate so they can measure that the holes are the correct roundness. We can create custom made tips for them if required. All round, it’s a very useful gauge for ensuring camshaft bearings are accurate and consistent without the need to interrupt production to regularly replace them.
The Product
The Digital Miniature Probe measures just 6.25mm by 7.5mm by 25mm so is small enough and accurate enough for all bore gauging applications and measuring in very tight spaces generally. It has a measuring range of between 0.5 and 1mm with an accuracy of 0.2% of reading. Resolution is 0.1microns and its repeatability is up to 0.1micron. They can be used with a number of interface modules and our Orbit Digital Measuring Network to put all your data together in one easy to access place in a useful format. The whole system allows for high speed measurements and can be used with other manufacturers’ probes.
We create gauges like this at the request of our customers who find the current gauges on the market aren’t meeting their needs. Other customers then find the product we’ve created for applications like measuring camshaft bearings are useful in other applications where very small but very tough probes are needed.
If you need a similar problem solving and would like to talk to us about what we can offer to suit your specific application, please don’t hesitate to contact us on +44 (0)1243 833333 or email sales.solartronmetrology@ametek.com.