Subcontractor invests in a CNC CMM to match customer requirements

The purchase of the Mitutoyo Crysta 7106 will allow quicker and more accurate reporting than its existing manual CMMs, speeding the inspection process and allowing DPC to respond to customers more quickly. It will also help the company win contracts involving more complex components and higher levels of accuracy. Sales director Paul Dawson explains: "We have come across several opportunities in the past year where we have had the machines and the skills to make the parts, but not the inspection capabilities to prove we can do it. This investment will allow us to go after these contracts." The high performance CMM offers the maximum permissible error of MPEe=(1.7+3L/1000) m. It has a maximum drive speed of 520 mm/s and a maximum acceleration of .23 g. The result when compared with a general purpose CMM is a difference of approximately 100 mm travel per second . Furthermore, with a maximum measuring speed of 8 mm/s the Crysta-Apex C produces measurements much more quickly than other ordinary CMMs. The Crysta-Apex C's optional thermal-effect compensation system guarantees the accuracy of the CMM main unit under temperature conditions of 16 to 26°C. Finance director Julie Hughes commented: "It's quite unusual for a company of our size, which makes such small parts, to make such a big investment in a CNC CMM. We recognise that it is impossible for UK businesses to compete with other countries on price, so we have always sold on quality, response time and service. Our policy is to continually invest in providing higher levels of quality because that's what our customers need. This investment will help us provide a broader and more efficient service, which many of our competitors can't offer."