On 19th October 2011, the GTMA will once again host its Make Measurement Matter (MMM) roadshow. This year the event will be held in The Paddock Suite at one of the UK’s most popular racing circuits – Donington Park in Derbyshire and, as with previous events, the show promises to deliver a wealth of metrological innovation and expertise. Solutions reports.

Free parking and free refreshments are available to all visitors and a key focus of the event will be over 30 of the top UK metrology companies exhibiting, along with the extensive networking opportunity in a relaxed environment.

The association’s chief executive, Julia Moore, affirms: “By hosting the event the GTMA is providing a focal point for a technology transfer from the science of measurement into the most demanding manufacturing environments.”

Visitors can also gain firsthand information from leading industry and academia keynote speakers, including Dr Jon Petzing, senior lecturer in Metrology at Loughborough within the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. His applied research and consultancy is concerned with contact and non-contact dimensional metrology, surface metrology, optical metrology, acoustic metrology, pressure metrology and metrology standards.

He will speak about modern metrology – the good, the bad and the ugly! “Measurement and metrology have been with us for thousands of years, providing the backdrop to trade and barter in known amounts such as length, mass and time. The modern era has a very similar need for metrology but across a much broader spectrum of measurement types. For many industries it is about allowing the successful assembly of components sometimes sourced from disparate parts of the world, into functional products that satisfy specification. The ever growing industrial demand is for better accuracy, precision, repeatability and resolution, but ideally at no extra cost and a reduction of time,” he says.

Visitors can also enjoy a skid pan ride at the world renowned motorsport venue. However, places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

What the exhibitors say

For Alicona (stand 14), the event provides an ideal venue. Company director, Brian Kyte, explains: “It is the only meeting that we go to that is focused on measurement with a registered audience that have a genuine interest in modern metrology methods.” As a 3D optical inspection specialist, Alicona will be exhibiting measurement solutions from its range of focus variation-based products with live application demonstrations. The key featured product will be the InfiniteFocus – a non-contact 3D optical metrology system that provides key and critical topographic measurement data to measure both form and finish plus the ability to measure finish on form.

In addition to demonstrating the company’s existing ranges of high quality analogue and digital bore gauges, Bowers Metrology (stand 10) will be giving a UK exhibition debut to its advanced new MicroGauge at MMM. The two point MicroGauge bore gauging system features a completely new integral digital readout, and has been designed specifically for the accurate diameter measurement of bores from 1mm to 6mm.

Heidenhain (stand 20) develops and manufactures linear, angle and rotary encoders, digital readouts, and numerical controls for demanding positioning tasks. On show at the MMM event will be a variety of products, including the first UK showing of the MSE 1000 modular system for multiplexing up to 250 measuring devices to subsequent electronics via the industry standard Ethernet interface.

As well as showing new products covering both multi-sensor and portable measuring equipment, Hexagon Metrology (stands 15 and 16) will be on hand to discuss visitors’ measurement challenges. The new Optiv Classic 321 GL will be exhibited and is said to be an easy way of getting started in optical and 3D multi-sensor metrology.

Demonstrations of the Romer Absolute Arm with external scanner designed for the new high performance laser scanner CMS 108 from Hexagon Metrology will be of interest to companies looking for the latest non-contact solutions. This scanning platform high performance even on complex surfaces and on workpieces made from challenging material types.

“Mahr UK (stand 25) is delighted to be again exhibiting at the MMM event this year, after so much success at the recent events,” says managing director Brett Green. The company will show a small selection of its ‘Form’ and ‘Surface’ measurement systems, focusing on the launch this year of the new portable surface roughness instrument the MarSurf M 400. The M400, with skidless tracing, builds on Mahr’s successes in this sector, and features ease-of-use, speed of measurement and innovation as its key strengths.

For companies requiring advanced calibration services, Micron Metrology’s stand is the place to be (stand 23) – as the company is offering a free onsite survey. Calibration can be carried out onsite or at the company’s UKAS accredited laboratory in the West Midlands. With an impressive schedule of accreditation and the ability to work onsite and offsite makes Micron Metrology one of the leading privately own calibration companies within the Midlands, with over 6,000 customers using Micron Metrology for their calibration requirements.

Following the first showing of its Quartz range in 2010, Phase Vision (stand 5) is looking forward to attending Make Measurement Matter again this year. Since its launch the company has had interest from sectors as diverse as aerospace and automotive, as well as academic institutions.

At the 2010 event the company highlighted its Quartz range of white light 3D scanners. This year Phase Vision will showcase a rotary table that can be programmed to turn through a set number of degrees between scans, enabling a complete all-round scan of the object to be taken in just a few minutes.

At MMM, Renishaw (stand 28) will be highlighting Equator – a low-cost versatile alternative to custom gauging that offers inspection of a variety of manufacturing parts. Developed and proven on the shopfloor with established gauging users in multiple industries and applications, Equator is the first of a range of gauging systems from Renishaw.

Also shown will be a selection of machine tool probes that automate setting operations, the QC20-W ballbar system which allows rapid machine tool performance testing, and the PH20 5-axis touch trigger probe which allows measurement points to be taken by moving the head rather than the CMM structure.

Third Dimension (stand 9), manufacturer of the GapGun range of precision shopfloor optical metrology tools for the aerospace and automotive manufacturing industries has confirmed that the company will be attending the event for the first time this year.

“We visited the conference last year and were very impressed with the quality of the event and the excellent range of attendees from diverse business sectors,” explains head of sales John Kane. “The conference is ideally timed for us this year because it will give us an opportunity to demonstrate a new range of products to our peers, customers and potential customers that have been created specifically to cover the whole range of the market.”

Having previously visited the MMM event, Verus Precision (stand 29) believes the event is ideal for the company to showcase all the solutions that an independent metrology company can offer to existing and potential clients.

As well as onsite metrology support, its services include fixture and gauge inspection and calibration; detailed multi cavity inspection; steel inspection; CAD to part deviation; tool trial reports; initial sample inspection reports; reverse engineering; fixture design and manufacture.

Vision Engineering (stand 19) will unveil its new Swift Duo. Two measurement systems in one, Swift Duo is said to be the first video measuring system to incorporate an ergonomic measuring microscope. Now, in addition to the speed and simplicity of a video measuring system, previously difficult-to-view samples can also be measured and inspected on same system, in the same routine, by the same operator.

GTMA
www.gtma.co.uk