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Noncontact laser measurement devices are saving manufacturers time, money and resources by increasing efficiencies in quality checks. by dennis deroos
For manufacturers in the 21st century, ensuring the products they produce are of the right quality is paramount.
As customers we demand quality products that are competitively priced, longer lasting and more fuel efficient. We expect our cars to be water and wind tight thanks to correctly fitted panels, doors and seals. Similarly, when we fly, we expect a smooth touch down thanks to precisely fitted landing gear.
Add to this regulators requiring improvements in safety and reductions in noise, waste and carbon emissions and a picture soon emerges of a manufacturing world that is constantly evolving. The pressure is on to make ever more complex products with tighter tolerances in a cost effective and reliable way while always ensuring quality is at the forefront.
Sound familiar? For any manufacturer struggling with these demands, noncontact handheld and automated laser measurement devices can play a big part in helping achieve this.
Optical metrology is the principle behind noncontact laser measurement devices that determines the dimensional profile of a part, by taking a series of pictures of its surface.
The key to profile measurement is to reliably report the surface in a lot of detail. Laser triangulation technology is used to collect measurements by projecting a laser stripe across the surface of a part to determine the measureable feature. Simultaneously, an integrated camera system takes images of this static laser stripe. As the angle is known between the camera and the laser projection, an algorithm can be written to calculate the dimensions of the surface over which the laser falls and the camera sees. This measured data is then output to point cloud format to generate a digital copy of the surface.
A point cloud is produced by software that uses image processing to convert the images of the profile into a series of points which can be used to extrapolate the shape of the feature. These points allow the...