REDDING
Plastic
- Joined
- May 8, 2009
- Location
- Mid-Western US
I have noticed that there are some widely differing views on portable CMM arms (both FARO and Romer). We (Redding Industries, Inc.) are a service provider that deals only in FARO brand equipment due to it's overall accuracy and value. That being said, we do not have any strategic partnerships where they "buy our vote" for their products. We have evaluated several systems over the years and FARO has always come up as the winner overall.
There are several products on the market today from FARO including their high precision FARO Arm and FARO ScanArm. We have found that their relatibvely new FARO Gage and FARO PowerGage have better accuracy than they advertise. Let me explain how that is possible. In short, they certify to the lowest repeatable number. For example, the gage may be able to read four out of five times at 0.0001" but on the fifth it gives a reading of 0.0002". The arm is now said to be certified at 0.0002" eventhough the averaged accuracy is much better.
Keep in mind that when you add a laser scanner to any arm (FARO or Romer) you have to account for the tolerance stack-up and overall error of the complete system, i.e. arm plus scanner. When Romer originally advertised their new generation scanner head, they forgot to mention that fact, and had a lot of customers up in arms. I believe it was an honest mistake, but when your job is on the line and you pass a load of bad parts, that argument is of little consequence to your customer.
We believe that the portable CMM systems will eventually overtake the plate/gantry systems most of us learned on. I myself started out on a Cordax with a foot pedal, and used one of the first portable CMMs at General Motors many, many years back. Although they have grown into some great tools, the questions to ask are basically the same as with any piece of equipment with a high dollar investment cost.
From a customers standpoint, the best approach to bringing one on board is this process:
Decide if it is a cost benefit to outsource, if not then,
I think this forum can be a great place for exchanging information and ideas related to these inspection/reverse engineering tools. The folks who use these tools everyday are a great source of knowledge. If we can be of any help in answering questions, please feel free to conatc us. As I stated, we can/will give you a direct answer without being pulled to one side or the other.
Redding Industries, Inc.
Advanced Measurement Services
3-D Laser Scanning - Reverse Engineering
FARO Arm and FARO ScanArm Training
CAD Design Services
http://www.reddingindustries.com
There are several products on the market today from FARO including their high precision FARO Arm and FARO ScanArm. We have found that their relatibvely new FARO Gage and FARO PowerGage have better accuracy than they advertise. Let me explain how that is possible. In short, they certify to the lowest repeatable number. For example, the gage may be able to read four out of five times at 0.0001" but on the fifth it gives a reading of 0.0002". The arm is now said to be certified at 0.0002" eventhough the averaged accuracy is much better.
Keep in mind that when you add a laser scanner to any arm (FARO or Romer) you have to account for the tolerance stack-up and overall error of the complete system, i.e. arm plus scanner. When Romer originally advertised their new generation scanner head, they forgot to mention that fact, and had a lot of customers up in arms. I believe it was an honest mistake, but when your job is on the line and you pass a load of bad parts, that argument is of little consequence to your customer.
We believe that the portable CMM systems will eventually overtake the plate/gantry systems most of us learned on. I myself started out on a Cordax with a foot pedal, and used one of the first portable CMMs at General Motors many, many years back. Although they have grown into some great tools, the questions to ask are basically the same as with any piece of equipment with a high dollar investment cost.
From a customers standpoint, the best approach to bringing one on board is this process:
Decide if it is a cost benefit to outsource, if not then,
- Define the actual need and amount of use
- Determine training, location, setup and operators BEFORE purchase
- Review and evaluate every 6-12 months for new technology
- Talk to service providers, other metrology operators, etc. (not the salesmen)
I think this forum can be a great place for exchanging information and ideas related to these inspection/reverse engineering tools. The folks who use these tools everyday are a great source of knowledge. If we can be of any help in answering questions, please feel free to conatc us. As I stated, we can/will give you a direct answer without being pulled to one side or the other.
Redding Industries, Inc.
Advanced Measurement Services
3-D Laser Scanning - Reverse Engineering
FARO Arm and FARO ScanArm Training
CAD Design Services
http://www.reddingindustries.com
