Higher productivity and improved performance

Citation

(2011), "Higher productivity and improved performance", Sensor Review, Vol. 31 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2011.08731daa.010

Higher productivity and improved performance

Article Type: New products From: Sensor Review, Volume 31, Issue 4

The Laser Radar is a versatile metrology system that offers non-contact and true single-operator inspection. As it is offline-programmable, the system is ready for completely automated and unattended operation. Equipped with more powerful digital signal processing, Laser Radar MV330/350 systems drastically increase the measurement speed from 500 to 2,000 points per second and realize better range measurement. Manufacturers can complete their large-scale metrology workload multiple times faster, while acquiring higher quality data.

As the Laser Radar directly measures freeform surfaces and features using entirely non-contact technology, it overcomes the traditional limitations of laser trackers and photogrammetry. Spherically mounted retroreflectors or retroreflective dots are simply not needed to start measuring with the Laser Radar system. This means that major savings can be realized, both on the purchase of these often expensive measuring tools and the labor costs involved to apply or manipulate the targets.

Automated surface and feature inspection

Recapturing one billionth of the reflected laser beam is enough for the Laser Radar to accurately measure a point within a 50 m range. This explains Laser Radar’s ability to scan dark, diffuse and highly reflective material and surface finishes at challenging incident angles. The system’s increased signal/noise ratio yields repeatable range measurements on composites, the material of choice for many aerospace applications. Laser Radar serves as an award-winning metrology component in the production of right-first-time composite parts.

Correctly manufactured geometric features are critical for high-quality assembly and part mating. The Laser Radar is able to automatically perform hundreds of hole and sharp edge trim measurements in a fraction of the time required by traditional techniques.

One system suitable for many inspection jobs

This revolutionary instrument often replaces large-scale metrology systems that struggle with parts that are too complex, too hard to reach, too delicate or too labor intensive. Working with the new Laser Radar system yields impressive productivity gains in applications across numerous markets.

Figure 1 Nikon Metrology-Laser Radar MV330/350 for automated large-scale metrology applications

Aviation metrology applications include the inspection of fuselage, wing, wing/body connections, landing gear, jet engine inlet cowl and many more. In the energy sector, Laser Radar systems are used to check the geometric integrity of giant wind turbine blades and concentrated solar mirrors. Other applications include the inspection of space telescope hardware, large ship hulls and propellers, parabolic communication antennae as well as delicate and hot surfaces.

Laser Radar supports the philosophy of metrology-assisted production to realize right-first-time manufacturing, which is critical for large-scale applications. Laser Radar can be seamlessly integrated into the production process where its measurement data are used to consistently increase the precision and speed of manufacturing (Figure 1).