Q&A: Pinnacle X-Ray Solutions' Giles Gaskell on the challenges and future of metrology and inspection
“Don’t stick your head in the sand and think the need for inspection will go away!”
Pinnacle X-Ray Solutions recently announced the appointment of industry expert Giles Gaskell to lead technical sales of its US made X-Ray CT and Digital Radiography solutions. Previously Hexagon Manufacturing’s Commercial Business Manager, Gaskell brings over 20 years of metrology experience with him, as well as expertise in the fields of CT scanning and additive manufacturing (AM), the latter of which has seen Gaskell deliver his renowned 'Introduction to Basic Measurement and Metrology for Additive Manufacturing' workshop at leading events within the AM community for many years. Following Pinnacle’s announcement, Gaskell took a moment to speak to Manufacturing Quality about his new role, the biggest changes he has seen in the metrology and inspection world, and what the future may hold for the industry.
MQ: Congratulations on your new position, can you tell us about what motivated you to join Pinnacle?
GG: My area of expertise is metrology and specifically 3D printed parts. The future of this is with X-Ray inspection and Pinnacle, though a small company, are really good at applying X-Ray technology for non-destructive testing (NDT) and measurement. [Pinnacle is] growing and definitely an exciting place to be.
MQ: What are you hoping to bring to Pinnacle in your new role?
GG: Most of Pinnacle’s success has been with using X-Ray machines for NDT in parts rather than metrology and I have over 20 years experience of applying metrology.
MQ: During your time in the industry, what are some of the most significant changes you’ve seen?
GG: More and more non-contact measurement solutions with lasers, structured light, and X-Ray.
MQ: As the world of manufacturing becomes more digitalised, how does this change the role of metrology and inspection?
GG: Measurement results can be captured digitally and fed back instantly into the production process to make sure errors are corrected.
MQ: What’s the biggest pain point for manufacturing when it comes to metrology and inspection?
GG:
- Good metrology machines cost as much as the manufacturing machines in some cases.
- Shortage of trained personnel.
MQ: How early on do manufacturers need to consider metrology/inspection steps in their process?
GG: During the design phase. If a part can’t be inspected because of its shape; it can’t be sold.
MQ: Do you feel that metrology/inspection is an overlooked part of the manufacturing process?
GG: Absolutely!
MQ: What role do you think automation can play in metrology/inspection?
GG: It is what everyone wants and in the future it will [be] how inspection is done by major manufacturing enterprises.
MQ: You’ve hosted many workshops on a large variety of topics regarding metrology and inspection, but what would be the one key piece of information or lesson you would hope people would take away afterwards?
GG: Don’t stick your head in the sand and think the need for inspection will go away!