Many of the industries we cater to that require incredibly tight tolerances on their formed aluminium components, including:
- Automotive,
- Aeronautics
- and Transport
Consequently, conforming to these tolerances is very important in our factory. Catching any imperfections is paramount to supplying customers in these fields.
There are a number of ways that we go about ensuring our parts fall within the required specifications. Particularly, CMM reports are a key part of which is our checking process. These are generated by probing checks as well as 3D scans.
What is CMM?
A coordinate measuring machine, or CMM, is a piece of equipment that accurately measures the geometries of physical objects. CMMs are integrated within quality assurance or quality control workflows to check the dimensions of manufactured components. Chiefly, this is to prevent or resolve quality issues. Some of the advantages of using CMMs over manual inspections or checks performed with conventional instruments are:
- increased accuracy,
- speed
- and the reduction of human error.
There are several different types of CMMs. We have 2 styles in our facility Presently giving us a range of options with regards to how we check projects depending on their requirements. These are:
Tactile Probing
Tactile probing involves physical contact with the part, registering numerous reference points across a part and creating a web of coordinates that can then be checked against the expected results and compared.
This is a much more in depth process, is more time consuming but is highly accurate and allows for details investigation of key points on a part.
Optical Scanning
Optical scanning involves using a 3D scanning device to plot out the features of a part and convert it directly into a mesh for comparison and inspection. This process in intuitive, quick and reveals a lot of information very quickly. The detail of the scan can be increased controlled as it is being inspected and can save a great deal of time on measuring and checking.
While still highly accurate, optical scanning is better used to get a wide view of a part rather than fine details.
Do I need a CMM Report for my Aluminium Parts?
Most projects would benefit from high accuracy quality checking but for certain projects it can be absolutely critical. Automotive, Aerospace, Nautical and general transport all utilize safety critical components that need in depth quality checking and details reports.
Inhouse Report Generation
Many companies outsource their CMM reports due to the cost requirements associated with having the correct equipment and staff. We have invested heavily in having an inhouse facility to provide these reports as and when needed with very little delay.
This means we don’t deal with 3rd parties to create reports and through this keep the lead time and pricing down while ensuring that all critical components are checked exactly as required.
CMM is included as one of our additional services for our aluminium bending. We do also offer stand alone CMM reports as a service to customers that require them. Alubend UK are one of very few companies in the West Midlands that offer a stand alone CMM service and are happy to extend our support to local companies as needed.
If you would like your project to be supplied with an in depth CMM report, or would like stand alone CMM reporting, get in touch today.
0333 305 0690