CMM Doubles Temperature Range

ZEISS Industrial Metrology will be featuring the new DuraMax HTG coordinate measuring machine (CMM) at Mfg4. "The ZEISS DuraMax HTG CMM, an enhancement to the standard model, is more insensitive to mechanical vibrations and temperature fluctuations. These properties make it ideal for use in a production environment - now at temperatures from 15 - 40 °C," said a company spokesperson.

"Even in moderate climates, it is not uncommon for the temperatures in production areas to exceed 30 °C," said Johannes Möhrle, Product Manager at ZEISS. Increasingly compact, modern production lines equipped with heat-generating machine tools contribute to room heating. However, limitations in air conditioning can also falsify the measured values on a CMM, e.g., as a result of gust-like air flows. Because heat and temperature fluctuations can impair the accuracy of measuring machines, quality assurance is faced with additional challenges.

"Improving air conditioning is one solution, but operating and maintaining such systems is expensive. This is what led us to enhance our ZEISS DuraMax compact coordinate measuring machine," said Möhrle. "The machine works as reliably as before at a temperature range that has more than doubled: ZEISS DuraMax High Temperature & Gradients (HTG) delivers accuracy down to 3.2 µm at ambient temperatures of 15 - 40 °C. ZEISS was able to not only increase the temperature range at which this machine can achieve this high accuracy, it also lifted the maximum permissible fluctuations over an hour and over a day. The measuring machine now operates under temperature changes up to 50% per hour and 100% per day without compromising the measurement quality."

This high precision was made possible with the use of new, high-quality components. Developers insulated the Z-axis of the machine with a hood. To further reduce the influence of temperatures, they equipped the basic body of the measuring machine with a reflecting stainless steel cover and special insulation. "The greater temperature resistance means a clear reduction of operating costs compared to air conditioning or a measuring lab near production - all this with more reliable measured values," said Möhrle. As a result, ZEISS DuraMax HTG is designed for precise measurement in non-air conditioned production areas.

For more information contact:

Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, LLC

6250 Sycamore Lane N

Maple Grove, MN 55369

763-744-2400 / 800-327-9735

metrology@zeiss.com

www.zeiss.com/metrology

Mfg4 Booth 1214