Contemporary production systems of mechanical precision parts show challenges as increased complexity, tolerances shrinking to sub-microns and yield losses that must be mastered to the extreme. More advanced automation and process control is required to accomplish this task. Often a solution based on feedforward/feedback control is chosen requiring innovative and more advanced in line metrology. This article concentrates first on the context of in line metrology for process control and then on the development of a specific in line height profiling sensor. The novel sensor technology is based on full field time domain white light interferometry which is well know from the quality lab. The novel metrology system is to be mounted close to the production equipment, as required to minimize time delay in the control loop, and is thereby fully exposed to vibrations. This sensor is innovated to perform in line with an orders of magnitude faster throughput than laboratory instruments; it’s robust to withstand the rigors of workshops and has a height resolution that is in the nanometer range.

Date Published: 26 June 2017
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 10329, Optical Measurement Systems for Industrial Inspection X, 1032933 (26 June 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2270711

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10329:
Optical Measurement Systems for Industrial Inspection X
Peter Lehmann; Wolfgang Osten; Armando Albertazzi Gonçalves Jr., Editor(s)