A microscopy approach for in situ inspection of the μCMM stylus for contamination

During the µCMM measurement process, contamination gradually builds up on the surface of the stylus tip and affects dimensional accuracy of the measurement. Regular inspection of the stylus for contamination is essential in determining the appropriate cleaning interval and preventing the dimensional error from becoming significant. However, in situ inspection of a µCMM stylus is challenging due to the size, spherical shape, material and surface properties of a typical stylus. To address the challenges, this study evaluates several non-contact measurement technologies for in situ stylus inspection and based on those findings proposes a cost-effective microscopy approach. The operational principle is then demonstrated by an automated prototype, coordinated directly by the CMM software MCOSMOS, with an effective threshold of detection as low as 400 nm and large field of view and depth-of-field. The level of stylus contamination on the stylus has been found to increase steadily with the number of measurement contacts made. Once excessive contamination is detected on the stylus, measurement should be stopped and stylus cleaning procedure should be performed to avoid affecting measurement accuracy

Mechanical structures for smart-phone enabled sensing

The paper presents a new strategy for sensor design that is made possible by the usage of ubiquitous mobile devices for signal capture, digitization, and data processing. The approach taken is to design simple mechanical sensor elements such that they produce a sensor output that is easily acquired by a mobile smart device such as a phone or tablet computer. To illustrate this concept, two mechanical displacement transducers have been designed and tested. These sensors make use of displacement amplification structures, Moiré pattern gratings and a double-ended-tuning-fork (DETF) resonant structure. The sensors produced either an acoustic or optical signal in response to an input load or displacement, which can then be acquired using the camera or microphone of a mobile device. The computing power and connectivity of mobile devices makes a wide range of processing, visualisation and storage techniques possible at low cost. Using this technique an optical displacement transducer with a range of 150 µm, and a resolution of <5 µm; and an acoustic displacement transducer with a range of 20 µm and a standard error of 0.14 µm, are demonstrated

Results of an industrial survey on the use of surface texture parameters

In 1999, CIRP conducted an industrial survey of the use of surface texture parameters [1]. In the seventeen years since, much has changed, with the most important advancement being the introduction of areal surface texture parameters as described in ISO 25178-2 [2]. There has also been the release of commercial software packages for the calculation of surface texture parameters and, therefore, it is expected that industry is starting to embrace areal surface texture characterisation. Industry is also increasingly using more optical instruments, which are often inherently areal in nature. These factors bring to light the need for a new parameter survey, to investigate whether industry really has been adopting areal surface texture parameters. This study used an online survey to obtain information about the current use of surface texture parameters in industry. The survey features both profile and areal surface texture parameters defined in specification standards ISO 4287 [3], ISO 25178-2 [2], ISO 12085 [4] and ISO 13565-2/3 [5, 6]. The survey was open to responses for eight months and obtained a total of 179 responses from a variety of industrial users of surface texture parameters spread across thirty-two countries. Responses from the survey offer information about the usage of individual surface texture parameters, highlighting any parameters that are unpopular and may require attention. The survey also enables participants to share their opinion on the current range of parameters in use, giving an insight into the perception of surface texture parameters in industry. The results from the survey highlight a strong adoption by industry of the areal surface texture parameters defined in ISO 25178-2. In comparison to the 1999 survey, there has also been an overall increase in the use of profile surface texture parameters, and an increase in the variety of parameters used, particularly for the ISO 4287 roughness parameters, suggesting a better understanding of the range of parameters available and their uses. Conversely, this increase in parameter variety could be due to the greater computational power available to users of surface texture parameters, allowing them to use more parameters with little cost. The results of the surface texture parameter survey will serve as an indication of the current state of the industry to those interested in the widespread acceptance and evolution of surface texture parameters. The analysis of the survey will identify common potential improvement areas in surface texture parameter selection and provide a starting point from which to better promote the current selection and better educate the users

An industrial survey on the use of surface texture parameters

In 1999, CIRP conducted an industrial survey of the use of surface texture parameters [1]. In the seventeen years since, much has changed, with the most important advancement being the introduction of areal surface texture parameters as described in ISO 25178-2 [2]. There has also been the release of commercial software packages for the calculation of surface texture parameters and, therefore, it is expected that industry is starting to embrace areal surface texture characterisation. Industry is also increasingly using more optical instruments, which are often inherently areal in nature. These factors bring to light the need for a new parameter survey, to investigate whether industry really has been adopting areal surface texture parameters. This study used an online survey to obtain information about the current use of surface texture parameters in industry. The survey features both profile and areal surface texture parameters defined in specification standards ISO 4287 [3], ISO 25178-2 [2], ISO 12085 [4] and ISO 16565-2/3 [5, 6]. The survey was open to responses for eight months and obtained a total of 179 responses from a variety of industrial users of surface texture parameters spread across thirty-two countries. Responses from the survey offer information about the usage of individual surface texture parameters, highlighting any parameters that are unpopular and may require attention. The survey also enables participants to share their opinion on the current range of parameters in use, giving an insight into the perception of surface texture parameters in industry. The results from the survey highlight a strong adoption by industry of the areal surface texture parameters defined in ISO 25178-2. In comparison to the 1999 survey, there has also been an overall increase in the use of profile surface texture parameters, and an increase in the variety of parameters used, particularly for the ISO 4287 roughness parameters, suggesting a better understanding of the range of parameters available and their uses. Conversely, this increase in parameter variety could be due to the greater computational power available to users of surface texture parameters, allowing them to use more parameters with little cost. The results of the surface texture parameter survey will serve as an indication of the current state of the industry to those interested in the widespread acceptance and evolution of surface texture parameters. The analysis of the survey will identify common potential improvement areas in surface texture parameter selection and provide a starting point from which to better promote the current selection and better educate the users

Industrial survey of ISO surface texture parameters

Results of an international survey are presented, detailing the use of surface texture parameters in industry. The survey received 179 responses from a total of 34 countries, revealing the use of a variety of parameters from ISO 4287, ISO 12085, ISO 13565-2/3 and ISO 25178-2. The survey responses show an increase in the number of users of profile parameters, and an increase in the range of surface texture parameters used, compared to the results from a similar survey in 1999, as well as a significant uptake of the new areal surface texture parameters. Individual sector usage is also discussed

Variable stiffness probing systems for micro-coordinate measuring machines

Micro-scale probing systems are used on specialist micro-coordinate measuring machines to measure small, intricate and fragile components. Probe stiffness is a critical property of micro-scale probing systems; it influences contact force, robustness, ease of manufacture, accuracy and dynamic response. Selecting the optimum stiffness, therefore, represents a significant design challenge, and often leads to undesirable compromises. For example, when contacting fragile surfaces the probe stiffness should be low to prevent damage; however, for a more robust probing system the stiffness should be increased. This paper presents a novel concept for micro-scale probing systems with the ability to quickly and easily change and control probe stiffness during use. The intended strategy for using the proposed probe is first explained. Then the new concept is fully defined and explored through a combination of finite element analysis and experimental results. Two possible configurations of probe are described, and models for predicted performance for each are presented and compared. The models demonstrate significant stiffness reduction is possible with the proposed concept, and show it is theoretically possible to achieve a probing system with perfectly isotopic stiffness

Development of CO 2 snow cleaning for in situ cleaning of µ CMM stylus tips

Contamination adhered to the surface of a µCMM stylus tip compromises the measurement accuracy of the µCMM system, potentially causing dimensional errors that are over ten times larger than the uncertainty of a modern µCMM. In prior work by the authors, the use of a high pressure CO2 gas stream was demonstrated to achieve significant cleaning rate for a range of contaminant without damage to the stylus tip surface. This paper explores the practical challenges of achieving effective stylus tip cleaning in situ on µCMM systems. Two types of snow cleaning approaches were evaluated for their coverage of cleaning, thermal impact and gas flow forces. This work then presents a novel multi-nozzle prototype system using pulsed snow streams to achieve cleaning coverage over the entire stylus tip, and balances forces from the snow streams reducing drag force imparted by the gas stream to levels comparable to the probing force of µCMMs, as well as allowing automated cleaning procedure integrated into a µCMM system

Fabrication and characterisation of a novel smart suspension for micro-CMM probes

In tactile micro coordinate metrology, miniature probing systems are required to allow geometric measurements of miniature, delicate, high precision components. These probing systems typically comprise of a small stylus of only a few mm in length, with a spherical tip of around 100 μm in diameter or less. The stylus is mounted to a flexible suspension structure which is designed to deflect during measurement, and defines the stiffness of the probing system. Stiffness is of critical importance for optimum measurement performance, and selection of the correct stiffness involves a difficult trade-off. Stiff probes are needed to overcome surface attraction forces which are significant for the small stylus tips, while flexible probes are needed for contact with delicate parts to reduce contact stress and ensure no damage is caused. To eliminate the need for compromise a novel micro tactile probing system with active stiffness control using a novel suspension structure has been designed. This paper presents the initial fabrication and the test of the suspension structure. The stiffness of the structure is assessed by measuring the modal frequencies of the suspension structure that correspond to vertical and lateral probe motion. Using this method results show it is possible to reduce the vertical and torsional frequency by 69% and 33 %, respectively. Using finite element analysis it is shown that this equates to vertical and lateral stiffness reductions to 12% and 46% of their initial value respectively

Coherence scanning interferometry for additive manufacture

Additive manufacture (AM) of metal components is a rapidly maturing technology; but given the large number of interrelated process parameters, it remains difficult to control to high precision. It has been observed that processing conditions may be associated with specific features in the surface texture [1], creating a drive to achieve fast, and reliable topographic measurement of metal AM surfaces. One of the most developed metal AM processes, selective laser melting (SLM), still produces parts that exhibit rough surface textures with dense distributions of features at a wide range of lateral and vertical scales, aspect ratios, and reflective properties; with the additional complication of the presence of high slopes, undercuts and surface recesses. These features make metal AM surfaces challenging to measure by both tactile and optical means [2,3]