Automated Gaging System for Boosting Quality, Productivity

New Scale Robotics’ Q-Span Workstation is an automated gaging system that incorporates existing manual gages and gaging techniques to automate QC inspection in high-mix, small-batch manufacturing. It is designed to boost quality and productivity in precision machining.

The workstation incorporates a collaborative robot (cobot), teach pendant, metrology software and gages on a self-contained mobile workstation table. It is designed for fast, flexible deployment by machine shops with no prior knowledge of robotics. 

The Q-Span System can pick parts from an input conveyor, measure three dimensions on each part (using a robotic caliper, bore gauge and an LVDT height gauge) and place each part in a pass or fail bin based on the measured data.  

Q-Span Workstations can be used in metrology labs or on the manufacturing floor. In-process measurements can alert machine operators to tool wear or process drift in real time. Automated data logging supports quality documentation and statistical process control.  

The Q-Span automated gauging benefits include reduce human variability in gaging and boosted productivity. It can easily generate inspection data for up to 100% of users’ parts. It can also reduce inspection costs and improve process control, yield and competitiveness. Finally, it can also help improve employee retention through automation of tedious gaging tasks.