Fully automatic measurement and evaluation

Alicona, leading supplier of automated measurement systems for the tooling industry, is now expanding its range of production-integrated measurement solutions. At this year's Control show, the producer of high-resolution optical 3D measurement systems is demonstrating how new automation software allows laboratory measurement systems to be automatically used as part of the production process.

InfiniteFocus is a high-resolution optical 3D surface system for the measurement of microstructure surfaces. The system offers various functions for measuring both form and roughness. The range of measurable surfaces and components is almost unlimited, which is due to the system's combination of coaxial illumination and a ring light. Until now, the system has mainly been utilized in laboratory settings. However, with the new automation interface Automation Manager, measurements can now be carried out automatically, enabling the use of InfiniteFocus in production without any measurement know-how. The measurement results are directly relayed to a production control system.

The main focus of these automated measurements lies on the dimensional inspection of components. Parameters and positions to be measured are individually defined by an administrator beforehand and include, among others, angle, distances, roundness, or flatness. In production, workers then choose the component that needs to be measured from a drop-down menu or by using a bar-code scanner and initiate the measurement by simply pressing a button. Everything else is carried out automatically. Once finished, the system then provides a report including OK or Not OK status. The entire dimensional measurement process, even of complex components, is automated without any user influence on the result. This type of automation makes it possible to control the entire production process without interruption. Components can be inspected during any stage of manufacturing. This ensures consistent product quality and an economically efficient production process.

The automation software also controls the automatic positioning at the relevant surface features of the component. This also works with Alicona’s rotational unit that is used to measure undercuts and chamfered edges of tools.