Giddings & Lewis Sheffield Measurement Discovery CMM Benefits Provides real-time measurement results Combines inspection tasks Features automatic temperature compensation Accommodates automatic probe changer www.giddings.com

CMM Boosts Aerospace Supplier's Quality and Productivity

Enginetics Corp., a Dayton, Ohio, aerospace company, recently found a way to improve its product quality while increasing worker productivity by installing a new Giddings & Lewis Sheffield Measurement Discovery CMM.

Enginetics produces a diverse mix of aerospace engine components from exotic materials, including titanium and inconel alloys. "We pride ourselves on being able to machine the tough stuff," says Alan Cain, machining division manager for Enginetics. "This requires a great deal of attention from our operators during the machining process." Ordinary materials, such as brass, aluminum and mild steel, require less operator intervention to maintain tolerances. Exotic materials, however, challenge operators to continually compensate for variables, such as cutter wear and work hardening of the material.

"We're firm believers in applying quality at the source," notes Cain. "Considering the material costs, it is too expensive to find out-of-tolerance parts through end-item inspection. We needed to develop a way for the operators to monitor the process and the product quality yield without spending a great deal of time on part verification. So, we turned to the Giddings & Lewis' Discovery CMM."

This CMM provides real-time measurement results without complicated, time-consuming setup and operating procedures. It combines inspection tasks often performed with surface plate, micrometer and Vernier-type instruments into one easy-to-use machine that is up to 20 times faster than conventional inspection methods. The Discovery CMM can check tool setups and monitor part accuracy, tool wear, rework values and overall processing trends.

"The benefits and successes Enginetics has achieved in the short time span the CMM has been in operation are phenomenal," remarks Larry Bennett, quality assurance manager.

Unlike some other CMMs, the Discovery doesn't need special site considerations. "We especially liked the fact that it was shop-hardened," says Cain. "Some of the other models evaluated required housing in a protected environment. Not Discovery. We have it positioned right in the middle of our shop floor." Automatic temperature compensation is standard.

Enginetics purchased its Discovery with a Renishaw PH9 head and automatic probe changer to further minimize operator involvement at the CMM. "This allows operators to spend more time concentrating on keeping the spindles turning because they're doing less manual inspection," explains Cain.

Operators can now start machining one part, take the previously machined part to the CMM, push the button to start the part-verification process, and return to their machine tool. The CMM works while the operators are working. In about two minutes, the operators come back, collect their part, evaluate the inspection data, and make necessary adjustments to the machine--all accomplished in a fraction of the time spent on these activities before the Discovery.

By utilizing the CMM's close proximity to manufacturing personnel, the machine's direct computer control and the automatic probe changer feature, Enginetics performs 100 percent inspection on many of its parts without incurring lost run time. In fact, on some jobs, the CMM has enabled operators to run multiple machines because they spend less time on manual inspection and data entry. This enabled Enginetics to add a third shift without increasing inspection support.

The CMM also enables Enginetics to achieve greater efficiency and accuracy in record keeping and process control. As a supplier to the aircraft industry, Enginetics collects, maintains and retains documentation of actual part characteristics. The CMM coupled with Sheffield's MeasureMax software has the capability to electronically file the actual data from the machine by part serial number. Instead of an individual manually recording part data, the machine does it automatically.

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