Multi-sensor metrology for microparts in innovative industrial products (MICROPARTS)
Funding: EMRP
Duration: April 2014 – May 2016
Team: Simon Lawes,
Xiaobing Feng,
Richard Leach Website: www.ptb.de/emrp/microparts-home.html Microparts with complex geometry are increasingly used for products in the automotive, medical and telecommunications industries. In many cases the geometry of the manufactured component must be verified in order to ensure they function correctly. Multi-sensor coordinate metrology combines the speed of optical measurements with the accuracy of tactile systems. However, work is required to achieve 3D measurements of microparts less than one millimetre in size, with sub-micrometre tolerances. One component of this activity is tackling the challenges of tactile metrology at this scale. Measuring micropart features typically requires a stylus tip with radius <300µm and a narrow stem. This causes issues around high contact pressures, high sensitivity to contamination and mechanically fragile probes. The Manufacturing Metrology group is a REG partner in IND59 investigating methods for low force cleaning of tactile probes, and methods for monitoring and predicting contamination build up. We have developed a low force ‘snow’ cleaning system for micro-probes, and established a number of protocols for investigating stylus contamination. Work is currently underway developing a novel stylus contamination inspection system for in-line quality control of tactile probe measurements.
A stylus tip with 1 mm diameter being cleaned by CO2 ‘snow’ stream
Illustration of the prototype cleaning device on a Mitutoyo CMM table