5-Axis Inspection Machine Introduced by CAItech

San Jose, CA, Feb. 5, 2005 - CAItech, a Silicon Valley manufacturer, introduced a 5-axis inspection machine to inspect machined parts and scan biological parts.   The Model 150C can inspect parts having a maximum dimension of 150 mm (6").  The new machine uses an Optimet line scan sensor capable of scanning surfaces at 16,000 points per second.

Machined parts (milled, lathed, ground) are often difficult to inspect with non-contact methods.  If the parts are shiny, black or the surfaces are angled with respect to the sensor beam, little light is reflected back to the sensor to determine its distance.  The Optimet confocal optics sensor reduces these errors by a factor of 10 over most alternative sensing methods.  In addition, CAItech software filters out spurious data points by organizing them onto primitive surfaces such as planes and cylinders.  Milled or turned parts are accurately inspected despite poor reflectance.

Used for bio parts such as teeth and bone reconstruction, the scanner is set up by marking a coarse scanning path on the user screen.  During the scan, the Model 150C captures an inch-long swath of 3D data points along the coarse path.  Each point is accurate to +/- 6 microns because of the improved mechanical accuracy of the scanner stages.  Calibration algorithms assure that each point of the data cloud is not only repeatable but is accurate as well.  Fast data-taking makes the machine both faster and more accurate.  Accuracy is increased by locally averaging many points to get the datacloud of a surface.  The more data points used, the more accurately the surface shape is determined.

The Model 150C incorporates range tracking, where the range (the distance from the sensor to the surface) is monitored during scanning.  The standoff is adjusted to be within the sensor's focal range, assuring the highest quality data.  CAItech engineers worked with Optimet engineers to assure the proper algorithms for the best range tracking.

The Model 150C has a 5-axis positioning system to keep the sensor at the proper angle and range position relative to the part surface.  Controlling the part-sensor angle has important implications in obtaining good data.  Using the 5-axis positioning system, the sensor beam can be positioned to keep it as perpendicular as possible to the surface being inspected.  Since all non-contact sensors get their best data when the reflected light is close to the emitted beam, errors due to poor reflectance are minimized.  For example, in inspecting a mold, the sensor beam can be positioned to capture accurate data from the side walls of the mold, not just the mold's bottom.

Computer Aided Inspection Technologies, Inc. is a privately held California corporation manufacturing next-generation automated inspection equipment. Established in 1997, CAItech is located in San Jose, CA in the heart of California's Silicon Valley electronics industry.
CAItech can be reached at (408) 226-0642, or on the web at www.caitech.com .