MACH
MACH
An accurate system for measuring the surface finish and texture of components produced by additive manufacturing is set to be showcased by Austrian company Alicona at MACH 2014.
The event, which is being held at the NEC in Birmingham from April 7th to 11th, will see Alicona's optical, non-contact instruments on display, demonstrating how they glean 3D data from the Alicona focus variation principle. The device can be both portable and handheld, ideal for placing on large objects, or it can be used in a measurement room for measuring local form and surface finish.
The measuring instruments are available as a bench-mounted instrument to provide the additive manufacturing engineer with a quick and effective measurement tool to inspect finish at all stages of the manufacturing process.
The measurement head is mounted on a frame with soft-feel rollers and a single handle at the top. The whole portable assembly only weighs 9 kg.
A motorised "Z" drive in the measurement head allows automated vertical scanning for measurement of form and finish. Surface finish results can be obtained either in profile or areal-based units and the unit can be quickly moved from one position to another to obtain average results over a larger area. Built in vibration and temperature sensors allow the system to be used in most environments.
With a working distance of up to 34 mm and a single field of view up to 10 x 10 mm this high-speed measurement system allows a wide range of items to be measured. In the bench mounted SL instrument the XY travel range is 50 mm x 50 mm.
Applications for this product include but are not limited to; surface finish measurement of created surfaces and local form measurement of precision geometries on large objects.
