Faro technology debuts at Advanced Engineering

1 min read

Faro will be giving debuts to several products on Stand F21 at the Advanced Engineering show, to be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from 31 October to 1 November. For instance, the company will be demonstrating the next generation of laser line probes (LLP), the Faro Prizm.

According to Faro, Prizm is the first LLP available that includes the ability to scan in high-resolution, 3D colour. Prizm is designed specifically to operate as a compact, tightly integrated solution with the Faro Quantum ScanArm product family. The colour scan allows users to view and manipulate a detail rich, 3D colour point cloud model of a part or assembly on a computer screen. Typical applications include moulded parts, where colour and surface texture are an essential requirement of the complete inspection process, or identifying splits on stamped sheet metal components that are undetectable with existing technologies.

The innovation enables parts and objects to be inspected for both dimensional accuracy and surface quality. Fine details, such as weld marks, grinding marks, sandblasting and machining patterns, and even text, can be clearly extracted for identifying key features during the inspection process. The true-to-life functionality enhances productivity by supporting inspection professionals in driving out dimensional and surface character quality issues that would otherwise slow the end-to-end manufacturing process.

Also making a bow at the Advanced Engineering show will be Faro’s QuantumS. Certified to ISO10360-12, the QuantumS articulated co-ordinate measuring arm – with the addition of the FaroBlu HD LLP – is said to maximise measurement consistency for both direct-to-part contact and non-contact requirements in every working environment.

Last but not least, staff on the stand will be putting the newly developed 8-axis FaroArm system through its paces. This solution combines either the portable Quantum FaroArm, Quantum ScanArm or Design ScanArm portfolio products with a functionally integrated, yet physically separate, 8th axis.

The 8th axis is a complete rotational axis identical to – and a natural extension of – all FaroArm products. Plugging directly into the FaroArm, the additional axis requires no additional set-up time or effort. Moreover, unlike a turntable, the 8th axis is completely transparent to the measurement software, so no software updates or upgrades are needed.

This functionality enables the part to be rotated in real time relative to the arm, versus requiring the arm to be moved around the part. As a result, it is not only easier to scan and measure typically harder-to-reach areas, but both measurement time and human measurement error are reduced since the part itself rests on a stable, consistent platform.