3D laser technology improves forging inspection measurements
Published on : Thursday 05-12-2019
SmartRay introduces its latest quality inspection application note, highlighting how modern 3D laser technology improves production times and efficiency through a 3D orbital measurement facility.
December 2019 – SmartRay sensors are used for forging inspection to solve a multitude of inspection tasks requiring micrometre-level precision. With more than 15 years of 3D Vision experience, HMP has produced the Theta 3D orbital measurement facility incorporating SmartRay sensors, designed for customers in the forging industry. The facility, with its roll-ring testing station, uses a robotically directed test probe to measure workpieces with a range of diameters at temperatures up to 1000°C. A blue laser is selected for the SmartRay SR9600 sensor so that it can be seen on red glowing metal.
When workpieces are manufactured at very high temperatures – for example during casting or forging – it is almost impossible to achieve real-time quality control of dimensional accuracy and surface quality. This means that production mistakes are typically not recognised until hours or even days after production, when they have returned to room temperature. These defects are often no longer correctable at this point, so the workpiece has to be declared as scrap. Not only does this mean that the energy used to manufacture the scrap workpiece has been wasted, but the time-intensive process must be repeated if the piece is to be melted and re-forged. This significantly delays production and reduces efficiency.
For many customers, across a range of industries – including forging, heavy and automotive – there is a need to inspect red-hot, high-temperature metal pieces in the production area. Depending on the inspection criteria, test times for this sensor are between 15 and 45 seconds, which allows between 40 and 80 workpieces to be inspected per hour. There is a comprehensive library of inspection criteria, including outer and inner diameters, circularity, out-of-roundness, heights, surface defects, and flash defects. To facilitate this, SmartRay ensures the sensor is fully compatible with third-party software from Vision Tools, delivering a complete inspection solution.
Further information is available online at www.smartray.com