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Not being equipped with suitable control means, Numetor was limited in the control of complex parts. The acquisition of the Edge ScanArm measurement arm from Faro opens up new prospects for developing its business.
Specialized in machining, Numetor manufactures parts of all sizes, up to 1200x600x500 mm, individually or in small quantities. To check the conformity of these parts, the company has long used conventional instruments such as calipers, micrometers and dial gauges. This approach met the needs of relatively simple parts inspection well.
The evolution of demand has recently led Numetor to take an interest in the manufacture of more complex parts, in particular for the automotive, aeronautical and cosmetics industries. The company had the machines to make them, but not the means to control them. At first, she trusted the instrumentation integrated on machine tools, but she knew that she would have to equip herself with suitable control means. “ We kept ourselves informed of the evolution of the measuring equipment offer, we knew that the measuring arm was the ideal solution for us. As for the brand, Faro seemed obvious to us, it was "the" specialist in this technology, "explains Loïc François, methods technician at Numetor.
The demand for complex parts being in its infancy, the company could not anticipate the rate of use of the measuring arm, and therefore assess the return on investment. At first, to limit the risks, she decided to minimize the investment by buying a used FaroArm measuring arm, as part of an internet auction. She “recovers” the arm without the software and buys the CAM2 Measure10 software for operating the measurements from Faro.
Very quickly, in order to be able to scan, Numetor decided to use its old arm against a Faro Edge model with a laser head as well as the Geomagic Studio reverse engineering software. Faro also provided the training.
As expected, the measuring arm with removable laser scanner ensures the control of complex parts and performs checks that have not been possible before. Loïc François provides a few examples: “ Today, for example, we can precisely control the geometries of fine grooves, the flatness of a surface, the parallelism of two faces. With the arm, it is also very easy to obtain a radius of curvature, by simply recording three points… ”. When it comes to making simple checks, Numetor continues to use traditional measuring methods because they do not require “set up” time. But if there is a large number of points to note, the measuring arm is more efficient ...
The Faro ScanArm can be used for both contact and non-contact measurements (thanks to the laser scanner). For relatively simple measurements, such as the measurement of a radius of curvature, the measurement by contact makes it possible to obtain an immediate result whereas the use of the scanner requires to "enter" into the software, which takes a bit. more time.
Now capable of performing all types of checks, Numetor no longer hesitates to take orders for complex parts. The acquisition of the arm thus enabled it to access new markets. Portability is also a very popular feature as the checks can be done directly on the machine, without having to disassemble the part. The arm is also used to take surveys at customers' homes for reverse engineering. Numetor goes even further, perhaps laying the foundations for future diversification of the company: “ We do in fact provide measurement services for third parties who have no parts to manufacture ... is one-off operations for the moment but you never know! »Concludes Loïc François.
The 4 reasons for the equipment:
- Performing complex measurements. Thanks to the Faro arm, Numetor carries out measurements that have hitherto been impossible with its traditional instruments (control of flatness, parallelism of surfaces, calculation of radii of curvature, etc.);
- Portability. The measuring arm allows measurements to be taken directly on machine tools, without the need to dismantle the parts;
- Ease of use. Numetor, who had no experience with advanced measuring instruments, easily adopted the FARO measuring arm and the person who benefited from the training passes on his know-how to others;
- Flexibility. Numetor uses the measuring arm to carry out manufacturing controls as well as dimension readings for reverse engineering, even measurement readings for third-party companies outside the mechanical engineering industries.
Find out more: www.numetor.fr
