Software makes more sense of measured data

KestrelFit is a new software package that further enhances the capabilities of the successful Kestrel two-axis noncontact measuring system.

KestrelFit is a new software package that further enhances the capabilities of the successful Kestrel two-axis noncontact measuring system.

KestrelFit fills the gap between low-cost shop floor gauging systems and top-end video measurement machines.

Where the standard Kestrel configuration will allow for accurate gauging and pass/fail results to be simply generated, KestrelFit expands on these capabilities considerably, providing a much higher level of reporting and result analysis.

Used in conjunction with the Kestrel two-axis system and QC200 microprocessor, KestrelFit allows an operator to rapidly take data points from a measured component and compare them with a CAD data file, providing "best fit" results and a detailed reporting capability.

The KestrelFit software can be run on a desktop PC, networked to several Kestrel measuring systems.

Data points can be logged and stored for later analysis or an automatic pre-stored routine can be run to determine if the measured component is correctly dimensioned.

Alternatively, the software can run on a laptop PC, allowing a quality manager to move between Kestrel systems, capturing data points for sample inspection.

A graphical, configurable display allows reports to be generated that can show tables of captured data and tolerances along with images of the CAD file and measured features.

This reporting function allows result data files to be stored and printed with information such as inspector ID, date, batch number, component number; ideal where traceability is necessary to support quality systems and procedures.

Reverse engineering is another area that will benefit from the KestrelFit package, as the software contains feature generation tools that allow for a component profile to be generated as a CAD file from measured data points.

This file can then be exported into a wide range of standard CAD packages, significantly reducing development timescales by converting real object co-ordinates into a CAD data file.

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