Article From: 6/16/2004 Production Machining
The Metris LC50/100 high speed, digitizing non-contacting probe is now available. It features a standard PH-10M/PH-10Q interface to replace conventional mechanical touch probes and enable high speed, non-contacting scanning to 19,200 points per second, the company says. Adjustable camera and laser intensity settings are said to generate quality data acquisition from different surfaces and environments.
The probe is bundled with Cosmos CMM and CADCompare software. Cosmos CMM software uses the part coordinate system to drive the probe to obtain point cloud data on the finished part. Then CADCompare reads the point cloud and compares it to the CAD model to provide capabilities including first article inspection, tool validation, wear analysis, 3D dimensioning, automated inspection routines and reverse engineering, the company says.
CADCompare handles large point clouds using filters that extract the useful data set to reduce the amount of data needed for calculation, which is said to cut processing time. Various formats for CAD (STEP, IGES, VDA) are available for nominal data reading.
The probe plus CADCompare software can help shorten lead times and yield higher quality when used in applications such as inspection/reverse engineering of sheet metal parts (doors, panels, full car bodies); castings (engines, gear boxes); turbine blades; and injection molds, foams and glass.
