hey #measuringhero, Jay here. One of the most important steps of machine qualification
is this: the machine qualification tool. Today I thought we would visit our facility here in Aalen
to go through the process that it takes to create this machine qualification tool.
Okay so, to start us on our journey I thought we would talk to Helena, who is the product manager of
machine equipment. Helena, thank you for tackling this with us. Can you begin us on our journey of
making a good qualification tool? Yeah, Jay. Thank you for being here. A warm welcome!
For sure when it comes to qualification tools we start with design.
That's what matters first, but what does it mean? Actually, huh sorry, both parts look similar right but
actually it's not the same. What matters is how we design this especially taylormade for our machines.
The first step is really to have an idea and to test it on the machine. The ideas which
you have, which you receive from the customer, the feedback from the application managers for example
and then you let the ideas go into the development process and
there we found for example out that the gluing, which you really cannot see here, really matters.
So if I hear you correctly, the first step to making a really good qualification tool is a
tool that is designed for the machine. That is made for that specific machine whether it's a VAST or a XXT
we have to make it specifically for it and you can't really copy it, because you don't
know the design intent. That's around it, right? Yeah, you have to pay attention on the whole system.
You have to pay attention on the qualification tool which you use for each measurement
and you have to rely on this results and the interfaces between the CMM and your workpiece.
They matter, because that's what you want to rely on. Got it ,yeah. So design matters, makes sense.
What's the next part of the process then? Yeah, for sure when it comes to quality also the
production matters. So, quality and production that's what I will show you now. Perfect, perfect!
So what's the first step? Let's take that one, for example. What's the first step?
For example our VAST XXT adapter plates, we received the material, we put it on the machine and we cut
our material into the form and take it to the gluing room. Perfect, okay let's go there.
Okay, Helena. So, we have a raw casting I guess, if you will or the raw material.
Now what do we do? Yeah, first of all we have to clean it up. After we clean it, we get this
right here and put hand by hand each ball on its position. And it is done really each one hand by hand.
By hand, wow. Yes, each one. So what I'm hearing is by hand you put all of the contact balls
in and then flip it over and put the through your process. Yes, that's what is done here.
And also the position is get checked here. They check the position here, right? Okay, okay very cool.
So now the ID-Chip and when we are talking about the ID-Chip, that's the part where we are talking
about the gluing, which I introduced you. You remember? Yes, we found out that gluing really
matters and that's the reason why we make up our own glue. So this means we have three different
glue sorts and we mix them up here at our side. There are different components, which fits best.
In order to guarantee that the ID-Chip, which is here covered by the magnets,
fits well and sits well. So, that's also the reason why you really cannot just copy it.
So let me get this straight. You have done research on these adapter plates to the level that you understood,
that off-the-shelf glue won't work. So you actually went to the level of mixing your own glue so that
these adapter plates work perfectly. Exactly! That's crazy. So, we can rely on what we are selling. Wow!
All right, so let's get to the checking. The first step of checking we will check the parallelism
in the z-axis. So, what Kai is doing: he's choosing three points on the adapter here and checking each
point, whether it is parallel to the adapter plate itself. So we check the parallelism also on each
adapter plate right here. Wow, wow. So everyone by hand not only gets assembled, but checked.
Let's dive in into the details. What is done here, take a guess, we keep on checking and this happens
here under the microscope. So, what Kai is doing here now, he is just checking the whole adapter
plate for glue residue and also, for example, for some minor damages which you cannot see
with your eyes. If he finds anything he just corrects it right away and at this part
as the same procedure each one is checked by hand. By hand, not only made by hand,
checked by hand and then checked again by hand. Yes and we are not done yet. There's more? Yeah.
Let's go see. Coming to the final steps. What we do here: we put on some corrosion protection and
Patrizia is adding the markers, the red dots here, which mean that this is a reference adapter plate.
Got it! Afterwards we label our chip and then we're done. Wow okay, so it sounds like
in the end, when you make a like a reference plate or for a reference tool
you spend a lot of time in design of course, but in hand manufacturing,
checking and checking again and checking again, all by hand by master crafts people
to make these perfect reference tools. So that we can qualify equipment, right?
That's really mind-blowing. Yeah but let me tell you something. It's not only for our
qualification process of the CMM and our service guys, it's for each customer. You mean, okay.
You mean to tell me the process that we just went through isn't just for reference tools,
it's actually for all accessories? Totally! Wow, that's crazy! That is so much work that gets put in there.
Yes, totally. I think you can really see the quality when it comes to that. Absolutely!
Helena, thank you for showing this to me. I need to digest this.
For you out there, thank you for joining me. I think I have to rest, because
that was a mind-blowing piece of information. So I'm going to end it here.
Thank you for joining us. Please continue to stay safe and stay healthy. We'll see you next thursday.