Quality Applications

Mitutoyo America Corp.'s Bright Apex 707 CNC CMM Benefits System accuracy to ± 0.0002 in. Included SCAN Measure software can be used to inspect part profiles GEO Measure full 3-D program included www.mitutoyo.com

Job Shop Successfully Automates Its Part Inspection System
Mitutoyo America Corp.'s Bright Apex 707 CNC CMM

LoDolce Machine Co. Inc. of Saugerties, New York, machines a wide variety of turned, milled, welded, punched, electrical discharge machined (EDM) and highly featured flat parts that require routine inspection. Finding inspectors who could handle this extensive range of products was an extremely difficult and costly task, and the company was in need of a versatile yet affordable solution to handle the comprehensive mix of parts. Mitutoyo America Corp.'s Bright Apex 707 computer numeric controlled (CNC) temperature-compensated coordinate measuring machine (CMM) allowed for the switch from manual CMM inspection to CNC CMM inspection.

 "We were trying to get rid of our inspectors, and we wanted to do it by automating," recalls Brian LoDolce, the company's general manager and vice president. LoDolce realized that upgrading would offer many advantages, including no longer being dependent upon costly skilled help and outdated, time-consuming manual measurement. Only two employees were trained to operate the old manual CMMs. "It was an annoying waste of time and money to have an operator stand by, unproductively, while an inspector checked a part," says LoDolce. "Moving to a CNC solution became essential."

 It took LoDolce some time to find the right CMM to fit his company's needs. At Mitutoyo's New Jersey Tech Center, he noticed the company's Bright Apex 707. "It had the right size capacity for work and an exceptional package of useful features for the dollar," he says. "More important, it seemed easier to use than the others, and I liked its sturdy look."

 The CMM's ability to withstand the harsh shop floor environment, where it is accurate to ±0.0002 in., was particularly attractive to LoDolce. This makes the CMM easily accessible to operators, and its shop-hardened construction eliminates the need for a separate temperature-controlled room, saving space and cutting costs. The CMM is also surprisingly sturdy. "You can't crash the heads,

an advantage only a few machines offer," LoDolce says. "Those heads are worth about $25,000. It's more dummy-proof than most CMMs.

 "At first, it took hours to do a program. Within a couple of months, though, as the experience of the operators grew, the programming process was gradually slashed to 20 minutes per part." Although a skilled worker is still required to set up a job and program the machine thereafter, any operator can use the CMM to check a part. "An operator need only get the set-up sheets, key in the part program number, put the part on the table and push a button," LoDolce explains. An operator can perform first-piece, in-process or final inspection.

 It's not only easier for the shop to check parts with a CNC CMM, but it's also much faster and more reliable. It takes about five minutes to inspect an average piece and automatically print out the documentation. Previously, it would take an inspector 15 minutes to 30 minutes to check the same piece and record the results by hand. Another major benefit for the shop is that the risk of human error is eliminated in both measurement and documentation. Every aspect of a part is checked 100 percent every time. Overall, the shop works within tolerances as small as ± 0.0001 in.

 LoDolce's biggest savings come from inspecting the flat parts machined by the Trumpf laser punch. These parts typically have 40, 100 or 1,000 holes to check, a task that can take hours when done manually. Before, holes or bends were frequently missed. The shop now inspects 100 holes in 10 minutes without missing one and without an operator attending.

 "The ability to check castings is another attraction," says LoDolce. "The inspectors needed many purpose-made special gages and plug gages to do their checking. Now, every side and every feature of a casting is checked to see if something is off. Before, you wouldn't check every part 100 percent, just the critical dimensions. And even with statistical process control, you don't check it 100 percent."

 The clincher in LoDolce's decision to buy the 707 was the price ($130,000) and the fast projected payback period, which is less than a year. "No other manufacturer could provide the same benefits in the 707's price range," he says. LoDolce could've purchased a more sophisticated CMM at much higher cost, but the 707 is advanced enough to handle the variety of products the shop makes, including blower housings, fan parts, motor arbors, computer parts, and train parts and doors. According to LoDolce, the biggest benefit in switching to CNC technology is the reliability it provides. "The machine doesn't complain or tell you it's too busy to help you, and it turns up for work every single day," he says. "And I no longer have to pay for such things as insurance and medical expenses for the inspectors."