French precision engineering firm Méca-Précis has automated half inspection utilizing a robotic measurement cell that mixes a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) from Mitutoyo with automation expertise from an organization known as Engineering Knowledge.
The system was launched after inspection processes grew to become a bottleneck as manufacturing volumes elevated, significantly for aerospace and space-sector prospects that require one hundred pc dimensional inspection of each half earlier than and after floor remedy.
Based in 1975 and primarily based in Châtillon-sur-Indre, Méca-Précis employs 45 folks and operates 25 machine instruments, together with 18 CNC machines.
The corporate manufactures prototype elements, small and medium manufacturing runs, welded assemblies, and complicated elements for aerospace, satellite tv for pc, and packaging equipment purposes.
“Dimensional inspection of a single pin takes only one minute – however there might be as many as 300 to test. On the different finish of the spectrum, inspecting a single complicated element for a satellite tv for pc can require as much as 80 hours,” says Nicolas Mériaudeau, who took over administration of the household enterprise in 2023.
The corporate’s inspectors struggled to maintain tempo as palletized machining facilities more and more operated in a single day.
“We subsequently started looking for a technique to automate and roboticise the inspection course of,” says Bruno Mériaudeau.
Mitutoyo and Engineering Knowledge developed a robotic inspection cell that includes:
- A Mitutoyo MiSTAR shop-floor CMM;
- A multi-axis articulated robotic;
- Automated storage for as much as 20 pallets;
- Automated loading and unloading; and
- Autonomous inspection throughout unattended shifts.
The system was put in lower than a 12 months after the challenge started, though programming, commissioning, and optimization required an extra six months earlier than full deployment.
“We’ve got successfully eliminated the bottleneck that was situated within the high quality management course of,” says Bruno Mériaudeau. “This answer brings us larger flexibility and permits us to considerably enhance inspection capability.”
Nicolas Mériaudeau provides: “If we didn’t have this robotic measurement cell, we might not have the ability to address the rising manufacturing volumes of series-manufactured elements, that are extremely demanding by way of high quality management.”
The robotic cell now performs inspections each in the course of the day and in a single day, lowering stress on inspectors whereas rising throughput and maximizing utilization of metrology gear.
