“Intelligent assembly” is an approach to quality that shifts the focus from ever-tighter dimensional tolerances to consistent function in the final assembly. It’s based on the use of servo devices and sensors to monitor the assembly operation in real-time, and computer software to determine when the product meets acceptable functional parameters. Proponents of Intelligent Assembly […]
Machine Vision/Inspection
Automated Gearbox Testing builds in Consistency
Ann Arbor, MI – The U.S. military has demanding requirements for the hardware it needs. Take, for instance, a set of gearboxes built by Excel Gear Inc., Roscoe, Ill, (excelgear.com) for missile launchers on the U.S. Navy’s new DDG1000 series of ships. The gearboxes are drive elements for the servo systems that rotate and elevate […]
Peerless Precision in Remote Measurements
By combining the best of two different distance measurement approaches with a super-accurate technology called an optical frequency comb, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built a laser ranging system that can pinpoint multiple objects with nanometer precision over distances up to 100 kilometers. The novel LIDAR (“light detection and […]
