IMS CMM: A Key Technical Solution for Extrusion Die Measurement Challenges
Aluminum profile extrusion plays a pivotal role in aluminum processing. The quality and service life of extruded aluminum profiles are directly influenced by the manufacturing quality of their extrusion dies. Due to the unique characteristics of these dies, their mold-making process necessitates specialized measurement requirements. IMS’s measuring machines offer a key technical solution to address these measurement challenges.
Analysis of Measurement Difficulties in Aluminum Extrusion Die Manufacturing
Stringent Tolerance Requirements:
1. Aluminum extrusion products demand extremely tight dimensional tolerances, particularly for high-precision applications.
2. Achieving each order of magnitude increase in product precision significantly amplifies the complexity of mold manufacturing.
Challenges of Thin-Walled Profiles:
1. The drive towards thinner profiles (currently as low as 0.5mm) presents significant challenges.
2. With tolerance requirements of 0.05mm for these thin sections, mold accuracy must reach 0.01mm, surpassing the capabilities of traditional extrusion processes.
Complex Mold Geometries:
1. Extrusion dies exhibit intricate designs with numerous cavities and dense feature distributions.
2. This complexity not only increases design difficulty but also poses significant challenges for accurate and efficient measurement.
Uniqueness of Individual Molds:
1. Each extrusion die is unique, making it difficult to leverage traditional programming approaches for efficient measurement.
2. This necessitates customized measurement strategies for each mold, potentially increasing measurement time and complexity.
Measurement Solution Overview
IMS Measurement's fully automatic intelligent STAFF-7107 3D CMM offers a professional and intelligent solution for inspecting extrusion dies. Leveraging the intelligent automatic guided programming capabilities of IMS-DMIS CAD++, this solution significantly enhances measurement efficiency, particularly for the inspection of numerous first-article parts.
Detailed Description of the Measurement Steps
Workpiece Placement: Carefully position the workpiece to be measured on the three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine (CMM) base. Ensure proper fixturing to maintain stability during the measurement process.
Digital Model Import: Import the 3D digital model of the workpiece into the CMM's software (e.g., IMS-DMIS CAD++). The system will automatically extract the critical measurement points based on the CAD data.
Automated Measurement: The CMM initiates automated measurements based on the extracted measurement points from the digital model. The system accurately and efficiently collects the necessary dimensional data.
Automated Report Generation: Upon completion of the measurement process, select the desired report template. The system automatically generates a comprehensive measurement report, including all relevant dimensional data and inspection results.
Summary
Many companies encounter significant measurement challenges, including:
· Product Diversity: Handling a wide range of products with varying geometries.
· High Dimension Counts: Inspecting numerous dimensions on each individual part.
· Efficiency Limitations: Difficulty in improving measurement speed and throughput.
· High Inspection Costs: Increased costs associated with labor-intensive manual inspection.
· Operator Burden: High workload and mental stress for measurement personnel.
IMS's intelligent programmable three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines offer a compelling solution to these challenges. These advanced systems can:
· Automate Pathfinding: Automatically determine the optimal measurement path.
· Generate Programs Automatically: Create measurement programs with minimal operator intervention.
By significantly reducing the workload and mental burden on operators, these intelligent CMMs streamline inspection processes and enhance overall measurement efficiency. As such, IMS's intelligent three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines represent a compelling choice for high-precision, full-size, and full-inspection applications.