Product category:
Telecomms/network testing equipment, software and displays
News Release from: LK | Subject: Camio software
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 11 October 2001
CMM upgraded to speed off-line
programming
LK has upgraded a Zeiss CMM at the world's largest manufacturer of silica quartz ovenware to the semiconductor and optical fibre industries, Heraeus QuartzTech
Derbyshire-based co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) manufacturer, LK, has upgraded the Zeiss CMM at the East Kilbride, Glasgow factory of the world's largest manufacturer of silica quartz ovenware to the semiconductor and optical fibre industries, Heraeus QuartzTech The work was necessary to improve the overall performance of the inspection facility, especially the controller and software
In addition, LK has assumed responsibility for service, calibration and training, the continuity of which had been in doubt owing to the age of the machine.
Silica quartz components produced by Heraeus for high temperature oven manufacturers fall into three categories: tubes, boats, and other components and machined parts.
Tubes are manufactured to within a few millimetres and are checked using conventional metrology equipment.
However, the boats which stack silicon wafers up to 12 inches in diameter inside the oven are machined to a general tolerance of +/-0.13 mm, while slot width and pitch have to be within +/-0.05 mm.
These, and many of the accessories that are similarly precise, require a CMM to check them and the Zeiss machine with the LK upgrade package is devoted to the task.
A significant advantage to Heraeus is the ability of the retrofitted LK Camio software to import solid models created on the SolidWorks CAD system at East Kilbride or downloaded by the company's German parent.
This speeds off-line programming of the measuring routines that previously required drawings to be printed out followed by manual re-entry of the data.
With two or three new products or variants introduced each week and batch sizes small, typically 25 down to one-off, the time saving is considerable.
According to David Russell in the quality department, a further benefit of the upgrade is the advanced graphical reporting capability of Camio which includes statistical process control.
The latter are required more and more, as SPC is being driven by the customer base in the UK and Europe, especially the big names in the semiconductor and optical fibre industries.
An extra advantage of the CAD-to-CMM link has been faster verification of graphite manufacturing fixtures, production of which is subcontracted out based on Heraeus' CAD models.
The latter are used as the basis for preparing the CMM routines for inspecting the machined fixtures on arrival.
The only remaining elements of the original machine are the granite table, bridge and drives.
LK fitted a new, powerful controller, glass scales, a motorised head to increase machine flexibility by reducing the number of automatic probe changes and eliminating the need for clumsy extension probes, plus a PC, monitor and printer.
Apart from LK's DMIS measuring software and the networked Windows-based applications described above, the LK Launchpad software operator interface was also supplied which manages inspection programs and holds photographic images of components for easy identification.
For each job, a graphical menu structure is presented detailing how to position the component and instigate the program.
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