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ZEISS PRISMO CMM improves measurement times and accuracy for the Starrag Group

“Speed and accuracy were always a contradiction for us before we installed the new generation of ZEISS PRISMO fortis.”

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Machining centres manufacturer the Starrag Group partook in a ZEISS pilot project. The pilot surrounded the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis, which was equipped with the ZEISS coordinate measuring machine (CMM) Acceleration Mode for Aerospace Applications.

Maintaining high levels of accuracy and precision are top priorities within the aerospace industry in which the Starrag Group operates. To remain competitive, Starrag must meet the demands of its global customer base, which includes performing highly efficient measurements quickly and accurately while also allowing for easily reproducible results. This is where the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis comes in.

About the Starrag Group

The group was first established in 1897 in Rorschacherberg, Switzerland, under the name Henri Mechanische Werkstatt. In 1921, the company was renamed Starrfrasmaschinen AG, with the manufacturing for automotive, aircraft, and mould-manufacturing starting in the 1930s. 

The company was renamed once again in 1998, this time to the name we know now, Starrag. Today, the group is known for manufacturing machining centres for production solutions that can handle blisks, turbine blades, and a large variety of major aerospace applications.

ZEISS supplies Starrag with improved accuracy and time management

ZEISS claims that its PRISMO CMM system can improve both accuracy and productivity, with an 80% reduction in the rotary table axis definition time. The system also interacts with ZEISS’ CALYPSO software. While ZEISS’ Acceleration Mode for Aerospace Applications package combines two rotary table measurement options, the ZEISS VAST Rotary Table (ZVR) and the ZEISS VAST Rotary Table Axis (ZVRA). 

These options aim to boost the rotary table positioning speed and axis definition speed respectively, in particular, ZVRA cuts the axis definition period from 60 to 12 seconds, a time saving of 80% per process performed on each workpiece. Measurements are completed quicker with greater flexibility according to ZEISS, which claims that the faster positioning speed of its system promotes the use of fewer styli.

Additionally, ZEISS and Starrag work collaboratively and exchange geometry data in the hope of identifying new contour-checking solutions that can better handle difficult geometries. ZEISS also provides Starrag with training and support in real-world environments.

Starrag has also adopted the new ZEISS PowerSaver feature, which aims to cut energy consumption to zero during user-defined downtime periods. The feature only needs to be programmed once and can run in the background.

The new laser-based system also automatically reduces the speed in the event of a hazard and will speed up again once the hazard is cleared, ensuring improved safety and performance. In addition, this allows for safe loading and operation while also providing a distraction-free environment for the user. The system also features a slimmed-down control panel with a dedicated holder which improves the workpiece handling and accessibility of ZEISS PRISMO family products.

“In the field of measuring technology, accuracy is usually slow,” said Roland Ziltener, Head of Quality Management at the Starrag Group. “But with ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis equipped with ZEISS CMM Acceleration Mode for Aerospace Applications, the opposite is the case.”

Key features of the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis

How has the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis impacted Starrag's business?

Following the pilot project, where Starrag employed the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 in a vital and highly visible role within the quality lab, the machining centres manufacturer was “wowed” by the results. Ziltener even noted that the customers were “fascinated and somewhat shocked” at how the new CMM system combines accuracy and speed.

ZEISS CALYPSO, a software platform that Starrag has years of experience using, allows for high-quality feedback on a machine’s performance. This is a feature that Starrag has come to rely upon, due to the accurate and repeatable data it provides. Also, its pre-established knowledge of this software has allowed Starrag users to easily adapt to other ZEISS systems. In addition, the easy-to-understand data allows Starrag to have more knowledgeable conversations with its suppliers regarding deviations and solutions. While the new ZEISS PowerSaver feature within the CMM system is making a “massive contribution to energy saving” regarding Starrag’s sustainability.

The implementation of the new system went smoothly, with Ziltener claiming that it was “not at all difficult” for his team to use the latest software and the upgrades that come with the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis. This ease of use coincides with the biggest benefit that Starrag has seen, which is increased productivity. Ziltener revealed that users can measure more parts within the same time frame but “with the same accuracy we had before.” Starrag has seen a 74% reduction in the amount of time required to perform its standard turbine blade measurement program. With the program process time going from 4 minutes and 30 seconds to 70 seconds, the quicker time is still able to provide the same reproducible results.

“Speed and accuracy were always a contradiction for us before we installed the new generation of ZEISS PRISMO fortis,” said Ziltener.

As a result of implementing the ZEISS PRISMO 7/12/7 fortis and the ZEISS CMM Acceleration Mode for Aerospace Applications, Starrag is now set for continued long-term success regarding quality assurance. The piloted solutions enable the machine centre manufacturer to interpret its results and data, and then discuss these findings with its internal and external partners. Also, the ZEISS CALYPSO software allows for easy documentation and visualisation of the results, which Starrag already uses. Overall, Starrag believes the solutions included within the pilot project have helped improve the company’s quality assurance, and the manufacturer hopes to continue its work with ZEISS in the future. 

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