Custom Designed Gauging Instruments and Systems
These devices include laser line projecting arrays, distance measurements, dental amalgam dimensional change and creep measurements, production of specialty infrared laser projector and detector systems, and frontal area measurement systems for use in automotive aerodynamic design applications.
Line projecting arrays using one or more laser lines are useful in aligning equipment or materials. Often, a discrete laser line pattern projected onto an inspection platen is useful in determining if the product being manufactured conforms to the prescribed orthogonality, or dimensional runout. Such a projected non-contact pattern is especially useful if the product being inspected is “tacky” to touch, or would be in some way contaminated if a contact template were used for gauging.
In the dental industry, the special metals used for ordinary fillings (amalgams) are carefully blended with precisely the correct ingredients. Incorrect material blending can result in improper cure periods, unusual texture during the working period, or out-of-specification dimensional change or creep characteristics. This custom system incorporates state-of-the-art temperature chambers (incubators), specimen loading and holding mechanisms, data acquisition computer, and all peripherals with measurements, analyses, and statistical process control (SPC) presentations made in the MS Windows operating system. The system is capable of performing all of the standard ADA test regimens, and produce computer generated reports and graphics.
In the automobile industry, it is important to know the projected frontal area of new model vehicles. The measured cross-sectional area is used in computing the vehicle’s coefficient of drag (CD). Using a laser mounted to a precision computer controlled 2-axis linear translator system (similar to a large CMM traverser), a scan is made perpendicular to the vehicle’s longitudinal axis. At the far end of the vehicle, the transmitted laser light becomes perpendicularly incident to a passive retro reflective screen which reverses the beam and returns it along a congruent path to the laser module. The reflected coaxial beam is separated from the transmitted beam using a telecentric collector lens, and imaged onto a matrix sensing array. Analysis of the reflected image by the computer permits the control of the X and Y motion of the traversing stages so as to track the laser beam along the exact frontal profile of the vehicle. As the beam follows the periphery of the vehicle a realtime image is “drawn” and displayed by the computer to assist the operator in determining motion progress. It also cues the operator to the possibility of desired human intervention in the scanning process. The final report includes a graphic presentation of the scan results, and a calculation of the computed cross-sectional area. The entire process for sedan type vehicles requires approximately 15-20 minutes.
These are but a few of the myriad of custom design and fabrication projects that Jodon has undertaken for both domestic and international clients. Perhaps the engineering staff at Jodon can assist you in your measurement tasks. An applications engineer will be happy to discuss your application, and possibly offer measurement solutions that might not have come to mind.