Round Table: Additive Manufacturing - Trends, strategies & visions

There is hardly any manufacturing process that has shaken up the existing technology landscape in recent years as much as additive manufacturing. Production of complex single parts with many freeform surfaces, customized applications or individually designed components are just some of the advantages attributed to additive processes. Manufacturing companies speak of increased agility and flexibility even in the production of small quantities. Questions remain: What else needs to be done in additive manufacturing? What are current research activities? What potential for optimization still exists compared to subtractive processes? And what can metrology achieve here? These and other questions will be discussed in the 1st Bruker Alicona Round Table with experts from research and industry. Our experts are Robin Day from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (Germany), James Hunt from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC, UK) and Henry Greenhalgh from the international manufacturer HiETA Technologies (UK), specialized in the use of Additive Manufacturing (metal 3D printing), particularly in the areas of thermal management and light-weighting.

Keywords: Additive manufacturing, aerospace, medical, optical metrology

New measurement methods make new manufacturing technologies measurable

Development and optimization of new technologies for production of components with tolerances in the single-digit µm range is one of the core activities of MIFHySTO, a facility at FEMTO-ST research institute in Besançon, France. Michael Fontaine´s research deals, amongst other projects, with the question on how to increase machining accuracy of micromachining machines. Industrial partners are often very good at producing parts but are facing challenges in terms of controlling them. In this interview with Anne Calvez from the French Bruker Alicona team, Michael will present how optical metrology can particularly help to optimize micro EDM, turning and milling manufacturing processes through 3D metrology learnings on machined surfaces and tools. Applications presented include wear analysis, GD&T measurements and surface roughness measurement of tools and micro precision parts. In addition, new fields of use such as measurement of nano textures on steel, carbide or coating is presented. Also under discussion is why established measurement methods available in his lab are no longer sufficient for some applications and what new technologies are needed to make new production technology possibilities measurable.

Keywords: Micro machining,  micromechanics, micro milling, micro EDM, micro turning, micro tools, wear, laser texturing, surface functionalization

Accuracy and usability of the µCMM coordinate measuring machine

Measurement accuracy when verifying complex geometries and high usability are typical requirements that users place on a measuring system. In this session, R&D Manager Franz Helmli will present how Bruker Alicona meet these requirements in relation to the features and possibilities offered by our optical µCMM coordinate measurement system. The focus of this session will be a presentation of MetMaX operator software, which is designed to ensure that users do not need to have any special metrology knowledge to perform robust measurements. This session features measurement planning in CAD, measurement automation as well as reporting functionalities. Accuracy and measurability of complex geometries will be illustrated with a connector measurement. This measurement clearly shows how the two technologies, Focus Variation and Vertical Focus Probing, interact here and enable the precise, optical 360° measurement of components with vertical walls

Keywords: µCMM, optical coordinate metrology, Vertical Focus Probing, automation, optical hole measurement

A short ABC of standards in measurement technology

Since its foundation in 2001, Bruker Alicona has been actively involved in the development and publication of international standards. Among other institutions, R&D Manager Franz Helmli is a member of the "International Organization for Standardization" (ISO) and is present in several working groups on form and roughness measurement. In this presentation, he will give a detailed overview of the most important standards currently in force in coordinate metrology and roughness measurement, address current problems and present what is planned for the future. He will also report on the status quo of the new VDI guideline on cutting edge measurement, which should massively simplify the daily work for tool manufacturers and users by providing new standards for measuring and evaluating edges and radii.

Keywords: ISO, VDI, dimensional measurement, roughness measurement, cutting edge measurement

Smoothing, polishing, rounding, deburring – how metrology increases efficiency

Some things do not change, even with continuous technology advances. In the past and today, machine tool manufacturers must produce components with perfect surface quality and ensure the process reliability of their production strategy. Innovative technologies have always made a decisive contribution to competitive advantage. Soran Jota from OTEC Präzisionsfinish management has been using Bruker Alicona's Focus Variation for a decade. He reports first-hand how the reliability of his processing machines as well as the quality of drill components, milling cutters and gear parts could be optimized using this measurement technology. With the launch of a new mass finishing machine, OTEC is currently preparing the next step in its quality assurance strategy by measuring in the machine. Soran Jota talks to Bruker Alicona Sales Manager Urban Muraus about how this is intended to work in production.

Keywords: Tooling, edge preparation, automation, additive manufacturing 

Artificial intelligence creates new possibilities

Artificial intelligence has already found its way into many areas of our everyday life. Common devices such as our smart phones have capabilities that were only dreamed of a few years ago. Machines learn from experience and as a result can solve the most complex problems. This is primarily made possible by new types of algorithms, improved computing power and a large amount of collected data. These decisive developments also expand the spectrum of possibilities for manufacturers of measuring equipment. At Bruker Alicona, we use AI in algorithms for measuring high-resolution 3D optical data, and for automatic evaluation of this same 3D dataset. In this session, Thomas Lankmair, Head of Application Competence Center (ACC) at Bruker Alicona, will show which measurement jobs can be solved based on AI. He will present applications that would have been difficult or impossible to solve using conventional methods. These also include an AI-based solution for automatic defect detection and measurement. We will also show you how you will be able to soon integrate AI into your measurement technology independently.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, automation, automatic defect detection, Industry 4.0, deep learning

Towards uncertainty evaluation with optical coordinate metrology

Coordinate metrology is mainly applied to ensure production quality. Prof. Richard Leach introduces the different types of coordinate metrology and how they differentiate. In particular, the difference between traditional tactile (contact) technologies and new optical methods are discussed in detail. One of the key aspects in terms of verifying measurement accuracy is the use of standards and how measurement uncertainty comes into play. Here, Richard Leach will focus on how this is handled in relation to optical coordinate metrology. Also, an outlook on further developments in the field of calibration for coordinate measurement technology is given.

Keywords: Optical coordinate metrology, µCMM

The answers of metrology for digitalization & industry 4.0.

Industry 4.0, digitalization and robotics are buzzwords omnipresent in our everyday lives. What impact do these developments have on coordinate measuring technology? What will be required of measuring systems to comply with highly connected manufacturing environment in the future? These questions are addressed by Bruker Alicona application expert Kevin Mathy together with Thomas Lankmair, Head of Application Competence Center (ACC). We will give you an insight into how we, at Bruker Alicona, are responding to these rapid developments and what automation solutions are available for you. Our solution array includes offerings for cutting edge measurement, measurement of shape and position of complex components as well as software packages based on artificial intelligence.

Keywords: Automation, Industry 4.0., µCMM

Optimization of manufacturing processes through optical measurement technology

Machines networking is one of the major topics at the Institute for Machine Tools at the University of Stuttgart (Germany). Research is dedicated to machines networking and technologies to implement self-optimizing production manufacturing strategy. One focus of its research activities is process control of e.g., additive-subtractive process chains with automated measurement technology. An example where this is successfully applied is wear analysis. Prof. Christian Möhring describes which methods are used in milling technology to understand, for example, wear mechanisms as well as the correlation between the workpiece surface machining and surface condition. This discussion with Bruker Alicona Managing Director Christian Janko also focuses on the role of metrology in various manufacturing processes. It addresses particularly the production of functionally relevant surface structures, a clear trend that will increase the importance of sensor technology in metrology.

Keywords: Automation, Cobots, Industry 4.0., wear, additive manufacturing

EDM or laser? How to achieve the highest possible precision and efficiency in manufacturing

It is a controversial debate in industry: Are laser processes increasingly replacing EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) technologies? Mark Raleigh from EDM Intelligent Solutions shares this opinion only to a limited extent. He still sees applications where EDM is the better technology and combines the strengths of the tried and tested with the advantages of the new technique. Consequently, he increases both efficiency and product quality in production by applying highest possible machining precision and machining speed. In this interview with Bruker Alicona General Manager Christian Janko he highlights the differences and similarities between the two processes and explains the metrological challenges he sees in the quality assurance of relevant component characteristics.

Keywords: Tooling, automation, dimensional metrology

What is the ideal measurement technology in laser drilling?

DMG MORI is a leading global manufacturer of machine tools. Holistic automation and end-to-end digitization solutions extend the core business of turning and milling machines, advanced technologies (ULTRASONIC, LASERTEC) and additive manufacturing. In laser precision machining, as in all areas for turning, milling, grinding and laser technologies, crossprocess know-how is combined with innovative technology solutions. This opens highly efficient machining strategies and new economic opportunities for the user in the production of technical surface structures, diamond tools, fine cavities and engravings, (micro) drilling and additive manufacturing of metal components. The more complex the geometries of the components, the more demanding the metrological challenges. With DMG MORI ULTRASONIC | LASERTEC, we talk about what measuring equipment is in use and what requirements it must meet. With hole measurement, whose accuracy is verified using a special hole standard, Martin Reisacher, Head of Research and Development, also presents an innovation in quality assurance.

Session Language GER | Subtitles EN

Keywords: Tooling, aerospace, hole measurement, additive manufacturing