RETROFIT Eco-innovation Project
RETROFITTING OF COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINES
THE TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADING OF INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT, and in particular Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM), is a necessity to embrace Industry 4.0 and improve companies’ competitiveness. Adapting the capabilities of CMMs to the latest digital technologies, such as laser scanning, means having state-ofthe-art equipment, without the need to invest in manufacturing the most massive components of these machines.
SARIKI, a provider of metrology inspection solutions and measurement services, including training and production line integration services, has developed the capability to analyse and retrofit any manufacturer’s equipment to meet the latest inspection needs, at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new equipment.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop a methodology for the analysis of any CMM in order to upgrade it to meet new inspection needs.
- Ensure the reliability of retrofitted equipment.
- Develop the capability to upgrade components, control, software and capture system (probing or 3D scanning) for any CMM.
RESULTS
- Creation of an analysis procedure for any CMM, regardless of the manufacturing company, which establishes the possibilities for upgrading components to meet the latest industry needs.
- Two technological demonstrators of more than 25 years old machines were upgraded to meet the latest software and digitising systems and mapped to guarantee their original precision. One of them was upgraded to 5-axis and with the option of 3D laser scanning.
CONCLUSIONS
- There are multiple possibilities for upgrading components to improve old metrology equipment, depending on the retrofitting target use, the costs of which can be a fraction of the cost of purchasing new equipment.
- It is possible to retrofit old analogue equipment (more than 25 years old) to original specifications with the latest digital technologies and most up-to- date processing software, facilitating managing inspection and interfacing tasks with other plant systems.
- RETROFIT has achieved a solution for retrofitting of CMMs available on the market.
Project funded by EU ERDF funds
