"Industry 4.0 is the buzzword and we are heavily engaged" - Q&A with GOM UK

During a workshop at GOM's UK HQ, Laura Griffiths, Head of Content at TCT Magazine, heard how the 3D metrology industry is impacting the entire design-to-manufacturing chain. Here, Andrew Cuffley, Managing Director at GOM UK talks trends and taking measurement seriously. 

LG: Inspection and quality control are more than just an end of manufacturing process - can you talk about the importance and benefits of metrology as an integral part of end-to-end manufacturing?  

AC: It is not unknown for us to encounter people, and indeed senior individuals who regard measurement as just cost, but we believe that this is a rather blinkered way of approaching the technology available. Using full-field measurement techniques, it is possible to obtain a greater understanding of manufacturing processes and gain proper control further back in a cycle and before costly high value and cost has been committed. The increased component and tooling information can provide engineers the means to develop streamlined processes such as adaptive machining, where the presentation of parts in a machining centre can mean that only the required areas are worked on. This not only saves time but can also generate the production of superior parts.

LG: At the workshop we heard that manufacturers like Jaguar Land Rover are starting to take metrology seriously - is this something GOM sees more evidence of in industry?

AC: Some customers are telling us that they see the future in full-field optical measurement and are actively looking to remove tactile CMM technology from metrology areas. The reason is simple, the speed and coverage that is achievable is far superior. We see tactile CMMs as complementary to optical methods but as the capabilities with our technology are better understood further back through manufacture into the design arena it Is becoming more accepted that planning the inspection process to consider full-field measurement offers considerable cost and time-saving benefits.

LG: What are some of the most significant changes or trends in 3D metrology? How do you see that developing?  

AC: There remain challenges in some applications, but the improvements in computer processing and camera technology mean that the considerable amounts of measure data can be acquired and used for interrogation. The biggest changes are toward automated measurement providing high-end optical measurement closer to the production areas. It is not unreasonable to consider that within the next five years the majority of our installations could be automated.

LG: With increased adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies like additive manufacturing, does this pose any challenges to current measurement methods?

AC: Additive manufacture has enjoyed considerable expansion over the past five-ten years, and the technology has improved massively in that period. The performance capabilities of the systems have improved greatly, and we often engage in programmes to help users develop their processes around the results we present. This is a key advantage with full-field measurement over single touch point measurement. There is no need for specific prior knowledge about the part. The sensor will gather information for what it can see. With a conventional CMM, the operator needs to know exactly what particular geometries are required and everything has to be set up just-so. Parts produced by additive manufacture, particularly in the development stage, are often subject to material deformation, something that is difficult to identify as a trend with only limited measured points.  The technology is also very helpful for us, allowing us to utilize generic referencing frames with bespoke holders printed directly from our measured data - to secure components. 

LG: What role will advancements in metrology (such as robotics and measurement moving closer to the factory floor) play in Industry 4.0?

AC: Industry 4.0 is the buzzword, and we are heavily engaged. Processed data being fed straight from the metrology system back into the factory management system is becoming increasingly common, and indeed the use of automated measurement is on the rise. Inspection requirements can be imported with the CAD, and a measurement programme generated automatically to move a robot mounted sensor as required.

*this article was originally published in TCT Magazine in 2018