Hexagon has partnered with ZeroTouch, part of Sandvik, to bring high-speed, high-accuracy non-contact gauging cells to European customers through its Manufacturing Intelligence division. The turnkey cell enables manufacturers to measure key dimensions of mission-critical parts with micron-level accuracy in seconds, providing rapid feedback to reduce scrap and improve process maturity faster with metrology-assisted manufacturing processes.
Volume part manufacturers in safety-critical industries require 100% sampling of components, but this is often not feasible because the measurement accuracy required exceeds production cycle time. First introduced in 2022, ZeroTouch Rotation and Linear metrology systems uniquely delivers high accuracy measurement of control points so they can be deployed at any control gate within a production and integration process.
By combining its application expertise and software with ZeroTouch’s non-contact inspection system, Hexagon will address common process issues for tier one manufacturers that need to improve process stability rapidly without reducing their throughput. Under the new partnership, Hexagon will offer ZeroTouch as part of its solutions within Germany, Switzerland and France and components such as brake discs, electric motors, luxury watches and medical orthopaedics are the first applications to be addressed.
Stephen Chadwick, EMEA president at Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division commented: “ZeroTouch is a breath of fresh air for our customers. Anyone working to improve quality knows that they need to inspect earlier and learn fast – and with ZeroTouch’s high-speed system they can integrate fully automated control points anywhere they are needed in their process with less than 30 seconds’ cycle time and robust 24-7 operation.
“We are delighted to formalise our partnership to bring this exciting and easy-to-use technology to our customers so they can deliver on the order of the day – quality at speed – in plants where metrology expertise is spread thinly but needed more than ever.”
Zvonimir Kotnik, President of ZeroTouch, added: “We value the partnership with Hexagon. With Hexagon’s market reach, we are pleased to champion the ZeroTouch cutting-edge technology in these application spaces, delivering customers real-time actionable information that enables more efficient and sustainable manufacturing through automated and connected solutions. ZeroTouch provides best-in-class in-line and near-line high-speed and high-accuracy configurable gauging solutions that significantly shorten measurement tasks, building a high confidence level in manufacturing processes. Our technology decreases deployment, labour, and asset costs, while offering a comprehensive 3D record for digitised documentation and traceability purposes.”
The non-contact ZeroTouch system uses 3D laser scanners to acquire feature and surface measurement data as parts measuring up to 400mm are positioned and rotated to acquire a rapid but rich point cloud immediately into the terminal software or connected data management and statistical process control applications. Depending on the quality requirement, simple gauging can be accelerated with rapid measurement of multiple features, or complete part and surface property data can be acquired with millions of points.
The ability to perform inline inspection of high-precision components complements adjacent metrology applications where Hexagon technologies are commonly used. Beyond measurement, it offers customers the ability to integrate the ZeroTouch system into workflows using its automotive standard Q-DAS metrology data management and statistical process control suite to respond quickly to issues with suppliers and to continuously improve the quality, throughput and scrap rates of local production.
Learn more about ZeroTouch from local Hexagon sales representatives.
About ZeroTouch
As part of Sandvik Group, the mission for ZeroTouch is dedicated to delivering advanced automated measurement solutions to provide real-time actionable data. With headquarters in Wilsonville, USA, and a dedicated Sales and Research & Development centre in France, ZeroTouch is strategically positioned to efficiently serve its clients and collaborate in innovative activities spanning two continents enhancing the service capabilities and fosters a dynamic environment for cross-continental innovation. Visit www.zerotouchmetrology.com to learn more.
