Show of strength in depth from metrology partners

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 26, 2004

Heidenahin will appear at next month's Inspex exhibition (NEC 28-30th September 2004) supported by its newly formed Metrology Partner network.

Heidenahin will appear at next month's Inspex exhibition (NEC 28-30th September 2004) supported by its newly formed Metrology Partner network.

The network is made up from the UK's leading gauge manufacturers, and comprises: Conway Precision Engineering, Fenn Engineering, Precision Engineering, Royal Tool Control and Specialist Tooling Technologies.

Using Heidenhain's Specto, Metro and Certo ranges of length gauges and display electronics including Metronics Gage-Chek, gauging systems can be designed and built to suit customers' specific applications.

Various demonstration rigs will be on show and customers are invited to bring along drawings or components for which they are looking to find a measurement solution.

Being able to provide length gauges to measure to 5nm with 0.05um accuracy or measure angles to better than 1arc-sec has for a long time been Heidenhain's area of expertise.

However, being able to put a measurement package together involving fixturing and electronics was not part of the portfolio.

For the many customers asking Heidenhain for complete gauging stations, until now the company was unable to help.

The five new Metrology Partners offer experience and expertise in various types of gauging and fixturing, and have been recruited to help provide complete solutions.

Stuart Jenkins, Heidenhain's Sales Office Manager, commented: "We had improved our range with new smaller length gauges, added new metrology display electronics, but many of our customers wanted complete solutions including fixturing".

"The only answer was to recruit the best companies we could find with the broadest knowledge base".

Heidenhain, a GTMA member, contacted the association which advised on the most appropriate members, and sent out a circular on Heidenhain's behalf.

"The response was excellent", added Jenkins.

"We were contacted by, and made contact with just the type of companies we were looking for".

"We are now in an excellent position to provide solutions to customers' measurement requirements utilising the skills of some of the best gauge makers in the business".

With varying areas of gauging expertise Heidenhain Metrology Partners cover a broad range of industry sectors.

Fenn Engineering (North London) holds various automotive industry approvals and offers expertise in various gauging applications in particular those for automotive cam and crank shaft measurement.

Regularly these are interfaced with either simple of complex SPC systems all supported directly by Fenn engineers.

Conway Precision Engineering Group (Birmingham) designs and manufactures gauges (attribute, direct measurement and handheld), fixtures (assembly, machining and CMM), and tools (arbours and tungsten tipped cutters), primarily for the automotive industry, with subsidiary markets in aerospace and white goods.

In-house design and manufacture and temperature control inspection facilities enable an efficient service.

Royal Tool Control (Sheffield) manufactures tool control systems and tool management systems for the manufacturing/engineering industry.

Main product ranges are: tool presetting gauges, special application gauges, control software, incorporating tool management, tool life, process sheets, safety and tool handling equipment.

Specialist Tooling Technologies (Castleford) has considerable experience and expertise providing design engineering, manufacturing capability, technical and project management skills, to supply manual and automatic specialist inspection and measurement systems, including acceptance gauges, electronic multipoint gauges, aerofoil gauging, vision systems and laser measurement as well as special purpose machines, to the aerospace, automotive and other high volume component manufacturers.

The company also supplies data recording and analysis software, dedicated aerofoil inspection software, output displays, interface units and transducers.

Specialising in special purpose machine manufacture, Precision Engineering (Sittingbourne) has the design and machine building capabilities to provide measurement and testing cells incorporating displacement and pressure measurement.

Its customer base includes major UK and European tier 1 automotive and hydraulic companies.