OGP’s Smartscope Vantage 250 was on show for the first time in the UK at MACH last week.
The 300 by 150 by 200 mm travel unit (X, Y, Z) boasts optical, touch and laser measurement in a single machine, and suits small products where relocation between different measuring machines would impact measurement accuracy. A single software package for all three processes is also a claimed benefit.
OGP claims a number of technological advantages over other vision systems – accucentric zoom, programmable lighting, and ease of use.
The first of these eliminates errors by mapping them ‘on the fly’, says OGP UK managing director, Andrew Fulton. This allows large parts with both large and small features to be measured accurately with its vision system. OGP’s system is patented.
On lighting, its LED system emits ‘straight’ light which eliminates the so-called ‘wall effect’, so eliminating errors introduced by this effect, Mr Fulton adds - another OGP patent.
The ability to accurately measure small bores has also recently won the company an order with a UK aerospace firm.
OGP UK sells some 40 vision machines into the UK market each year; Mr Fulton reckons this is about 40 per cent of the market. There are some 300 OGP vision machines installed in the UK.