The control of high precision machining in record time

In some tens of seconds, the Scanflash machines check the deviation of the machining process from the measurement of the parts and calculate the adjustments of tools to be made on the machine in order to obtain productions that meet the expectations. Designed and made in France by ESPI, these measuring machines

Building on 20 years experience in the development of machines specially designed for the rapid measurement of parts on production line, the French company put all its know how in the de sign of a standard machine with standing the harsh production environments and quickly adapting to the changes of workpieces and to the changing control characteristics. Scanflash machines range combines the speed and accuracy of the ESPI special machines with the exibility of the traditional three-dimensional measuring machines. Their architecture was thought from the outset to meet the productivity and robustness requirements of a manufacturing site.

These innovative machines can withstand temperatures from 10°C to 45°C and 20 to 80% relative humidity. They achieve a precision of more or less 0.2 to 0.75 μm, a resolution of 0.1 μm with a probing speed of 8 to 30 mm/s and a cycle time lower than 1 second by characteristic. Scanflash machines use the same kinematic and control technologies as those which give the machining centres their robustness and their performance.

They are driven by NC system and the motions are provided by linear motors with maximum speeds of 600 mm/s and accelerations up to 4 mm/s 2.The control of parts is carried out by probing in a single operation. The automatic stylus change in less than three seconds makes it possible to adapt it to the characteristics of measurement to be realized, thus ensuring the best precision without loss of productivity.

To carry out a control of parts in production, the operator only has to initiate the corresponding measurement range. The automatic Scanflash measuring process provides in a few tens of seconds the measurements and the variance reported against the specified tolerances. When variances are found on some dimensions, the adjuster can then integrate the necessary corrective measures into the machine tools. To save time and avoid boring calculations, ESPI has developed a tool capable of directly transmitting the corrective measures to be brought to the NC system, once validated by the adjuster.

By automatically correcting the effects of expansion of the machine mechanisms and material of the parts to be controlled, Scanflash is freed from the temperature changes. Moreover, it can be moved easily in the workshop depending on the production needs. It is then suf cient to initiate a measurement on a sample part to instantaneously reestablish the performances and precision of the machine and get it operational again. Ten times faster than a traditional three-dimensional measuring machine Origninally designed to meet the production requirements, the Scanflash range offers measurement speed ten times faster than the traditional three-dimensional machines. Here are a few concrete examples. In the watch industry : 107 components of a plate (dimensions: 40x40x4 mm, borings Ø > 0.35, mini TI=4μm) are controlled within 107 seconds. In the automobile industry : 32 components of the central pump housing of a power steering (dimensions: 200x100x100 mm, mini TI: 16μm) are controlled within 60 seconds. In the medical industry : 9 components of a hip prosthesis (dimensions: Ø37×40 mm, mini TI =5μm) are controlled within 39 seconds.