IMTS 2018 Conference: 3-Dimensional Shop Floor Measurements To Improve Yield

Plan to attend The IMTS 2018 Conferences to gain deeper insights into new manufacturing technologies and ideas!

About the topic 

Determination of defect or corrosion severity often relies on inaccurate but rapid methods such as visual comparison or scribe checks, or accurate but slow and costly use of instruments in a dedicated metrology laboratory. Rapid, accurate measurements of micro-scale features on parts in situ allows inspectors to immediately pass or fail components with high confidence in the results. This leads to a reduction in part rejection and rework as inspectors do not have to be cautious of lack of time or accurate methods of corrosion assessment. It also leads to reduced labor costs as parts can be inspected without full disassembly and results are instantly available with no delay from use of an outside laboratory. Also, making accurate quantification of defects fast and easy allows for more accurate estimates of remaining lifetime as these 3D results can be loaded into simulations of component behavior to improve overall quality. 

This talk will describe existing 3D surface measurement technologies and their strengths and weaknesses. This includes laser-gauges, scribe checks, optical comparators, 3D microscopes, and stereoscopes. It will also explain how moving 3D metrology to the shop floor can improve profitability for manufacturers. Use-cases will be presented, focusing on precision manufactured components measured with traditional techniques and the consequences of improving shop-floor measurement capability, which is normally considered a non-value-add function. With high-resolution measurements of radii, scratches, dents, corrosion pits, and other features via a system which can be used by any inspector, accurate, operator independent characterization, gage-capable measurements can be made on various surfaces and geometries.

Registration is now open, so check out the IMTS 2018 website for more information. 

The session will describe key attributes necessary for quantification of critical features and present critical performance requirements for an optimal metrology system including vertical and lateral resolution, standoff distance, and gage capability.  Several case studies involving various components and types of features will be presented, showing how the shop floor measurements can be used to help determine when features pass critical thresholds as well as furthering understanding of process changes and component lifetime in different situations, improving quality and yield and ultimately reducing costs.

Meet your presenter 

Dr. Erik Novak is director of business development at 4D Technology. Novak received his PhD in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona in 1998 under Dr. James Wyant. He began his career in 3D metrology at Wyko in 1994 and stayed as it transitioned to Veeco Metrology and then Bruker Nano Surfaces, eventually leading the engineering, applications, and research and development teams in the organization. In 2013, Novak joined 4D Technology to become our director of business development, focusing on applying 4D’s expertise in environmentally insensitive metrology to in-line, industrial applications. He has been developing instrumentation for precision metrology for more than 23 years in applications including displays, optical components, plastic films, aerospace and automotive components, MEMS, telecommunications, photovoltaics, and medical devices.  He has developed systems and techniques for interferometry, confocal microscopy, stylus systems, spectrometry, Raman imaging, and more. He has received five R&D 100 awards, holds more than a dozen patents, and has more than 60 publications and book chapters related to surface measurement and industrial process control.