Quality control is an essential aspect of every industry because it ensures that products are of the highest quality and identical. It is an especially vital aspect of the automotive industry that allows for high-end manufacturing. Reliable measurement and regular data help provide a better, tighter and more controlled production line.
Metrology is the science of high accuracy measurement. It is the technology behind the assurance of quality in the manufacturing process. Metrology enables automotive manufacturers to produce numerous identical parts of sophisticated equipment, and it helps make sure that your car runs smoothly and safely. Almost every aspect of life is affected by metrology, and we would not be where we are technologically without it.
Metrology in automotive manufacturing
Global dimensional metrology is fast-growing and necessary in the automotive industry because of the need to ensure the accuracy of manufacturing parts for the quality control process. These metrological tools include coordinate measuring machines (CMM), optical digitizers and scanners (ODS), vision measuring machines (VMMs) and measurement gauges.
Metrology for QC
Manufacturing involves the integration of numerous parts and can reach up to hundreds or even thousands in a single week. In modern manufacturing, programmed machines produce these parts, and every component needs to be within precise specifications for a quality finished product. Over time, these machines may lose alignment, shift slightly, or become dull, resulting in unwanted differences in the component. This is where meteorology comes into play.
A metrologist, or quality control inspector, takes the produced parts and checks them to ensure that they are within the finished product’s required specification. If the measurements are problematic, the machine is adjusted back into specifications. Unfortunately, the human eye cannot measure the accuracy needed to manufacture the highest quality parts. Since precision is one of the most critical aspects of the automotive industry, metrological tools are vital in creating and inspecting parts.
Metrological tools have changed manufacturing automation
The automotive industry is a pioneer in the implementation of the most advanced manufacturing technology. One vital technology embraced in this industry to increase the quality of automobile products is 3D metrology. This technology is used to increase productivity at a lower cost.
An emerging trend in the automotive industry has transitioned the industry into inline or near-line production from the previously used off-line quality control inspection measurements. The change calls for increased frequency in sampling and faster inspection time. More and more advanced automobile manufacturers take up automated inspection and include the created inspection data into the management systems for its total product. The generated information provides real-time intelligence that can help make decisions about on-going production, thus ensuring that productivity is maintained.
For the longest time, CMMs have carried out inspection checks on sample parts to offer a quality overview, and they were always ready to deal with specific issues related to quality. Process control needs to be quick in the gauging process, so the necessary 3D metrology is used to flag and solve problems.
Evolving metrology technology is making it possible to get accurate 3D metrology data for any part. Unlike the past counterparts, it can now offer dimensions and full data of complex parts. The system uses industrial robots installed into the production line in the gauging process station and CMMs.
Another incredible measuring system in the automotive industry is the 360 SIMS robotic 3D metrology system. This system is an end-of-line body-in-white station that allows the measurement of the interior areas and the body’s exteriors, which has been a huge step towards automation and speeding up automotive manufacturing processes.
The measured data is presented using various powerful analytical tools, making it easier for manufacturers to identify an issue for quick rectifying. The system uses innovative software that allows for the development of new and more efficient measuring processes, which has led to greater flexibility in manufacturing different models and new products.
Metrology in daily life
The automotive industry has widely adopted precision meteorology, which has allowed cars to last much longer than they did in the past. Previously, getting a vehicle that could weather through 100,000 miles was an accomplishment. Today, cars are going strong even beyond 200,000 or 300,000 miles. This notable improvement is due to the closer attention that the automotive manufacturers are able to give to the production of quality parts that go into their cars. They ensure that the components fit into each other perfectly by making use of metrology technology.
Driving a car would also be much less safe without metrology. You would not know how fast you were going without speedometers (a metrological tool), and speed limits would be impossible to enforce. Filling your car with gas would also be difficult, as you wouldn’t know how much the tank could hold or when you were close to running out. Metrology can easily go unnoticed in our daily lives, but its significance should not be overlooked.
Final thoughts
The automotive industry relies heavily on component precision to create identical and accurate parts. With the increasing demand for high-quality standards in a shorter amount of time, metrology equipment is expected to become even more advanced and automated in the future.
About the author
Morgan Smith is a contributing writer and media specialist for Metrology Parts. She regularly produces content on the automotive and metrological industries.
