Advanced stylus manufacture
Start: October 2015
Student: Greg Duckworth
Supervisors: Simon Lawes, Joel Segal
Funding: EngD – Taylor Hobson Ltd.
The aim of this project is to develop a flexible yet robust manufacturing process for the fabrication of highly sensitive and complex measurement styli for profile metrology. This work will include the development of a design tool capable of modelling stylus behaviour prior to fabrication, and coupling this with process capability data to ensure manufacturability. Implementation of a smart manufacturing process, with embedded sensing and measurement capability to ensure parts are manufactured in accordance with the design intent, economically, and to consistent geometrical tolerances. Creation of smart and reconfigurable production fixtures to support highly changeable styli designs. A key consideration of this project is the development of manufacturing methods delivering small structures to tight tolerances.