DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM FOR RAPID INSPECTION OF CRITICAL DIMENSIONS IN HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION

This paper presents the design and implementation of an advanced non-c ontact measurement system for metallic prismatic parts. In particular, these parts are Woodruff keys that are used heavily in the automotive industry. The metrology system developed is capable of measuring the maximum width and thickness of the keys using a six standard deviation tolerance on measurements to better than 200 mu in and 0.002 in, resp ectively. This result is achieved via a combination of precision machi ne design, sensor calibration, and analog and digital signal processin g. The system is considerably more accurate and less expensive than a number of metrology devices currently available on the market today. F urthermore, in its current configuration, the measurement device is a powerful tool that can be used for both inspection as well as statisti cal process control. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.