Bringing Quality Management to a Whole New Level

An Automated Solution for Quality Assurance and Control in the Automotive Industry

With innovative technology and solutions, the need to standardize the method, procedure, and process becomes a new hurdle to overcome. Without training the operators, the results from the recent technology would vary depending on the understanding and skills used during the measurement process. Moreover, safety and ergonomics for the task can play a factor as large objects that require measurements can create new complications. For repetitive and dangerous tasks, many have opted to utilize industrial robots to complete the necessary work. Likewise, an automated solution that uses 3D scanners, laser trackers, and robots was developed by eZRobotics and is known as the Leica Scan Automation (LSA) Solution.

Leica Scan Automation (LSA) Solution

The LSA Solution utilizes the high accuracy measurement hardware combination of a 3D Laser Scanner and Leica Laser Tracker with commonly used industrial robots and linear rails to measure automotive objects per the specifications of the client. By using the expertise of the engineers who specialize in automation and robotics with the application-based simulation and robot offline programming software DMWorks-LSA, the layout configuration of the hardware, robot, and auxiliary axes are customized to the requirements of the product and dimensional restrictions of the factory floor space.

Once the robot programs have been generated after simulation, these robot measurement programs are downloaded into the robot and verified on-site for a final check before allowing the program to run in automatic mode. Using this method, time spent on manually programming the robot on-site and testing for required scan data can be reduced significantly. After collecting the scan data for the measurement, these files can be imported into a metrology software to extract and analyze data to improve quality.

Blurring the Line Between the Digital and Real World

The concept of a “digital twin” has been a relatively new idea that become popular in the manufacturing industry in the 2010s. The basic premise of a “digital twin” is creating an adaptive virtual model to emulate the behavior of a real-world system. Although the effectiveness of a “digital twin” can vary depending on sector and investments, the technological advancements related to this phenomenon have provided many benefits in the manufacturing industry.

Even before the term “digital twin” was coined in the 2010s, “digital manufacturing” has been around since the 1950s with the CNC. Developments for digital manufacturing have even provided advancements for the “digital twin”. Concepts such as “virtual calibration” and “3D scanning” have provided ways for the real-world parameters to be applied to the digital world instead of forcibly changing the conditions of the real world.

The Software Behind the Solution

The LSA Software Solution is comprised of two main software: DMWorks-LSA and the LSA-Controller software. DMWorks-LSA is the backbone of the LSA Solution as it is used to generate accurate robot measurement programs based on simulation of all the components within a virtual workcell. The LSA-Controller software is an automation management software that controls the measurement hardware via the commands in the robot program and displays the scan data collected in real-time.

The combination of the two software in the hands of eZRobotics engineers to a whole new level when completing a project to satisfy the needs of the client. Prior to the installation of an LSA System, all major components of the workcell (e.g. the laser tracker, the laser scanner, robot, linear rails, parametric models (e.g. robot risers, fencing), and the measurement objects) can be constructed virtually and used to validate and propose a customized layout that matches the specification of the client.

Tailored Configuration

As with any solution, the standards and requirements will differ between clients and factories. One of the greatest advantages of the LSA Solution is that various inspection configurations can be simulated prior to finalizing a layout that can be used to install the physical solution. The ability to simulate various layout can help narrow down the right solution based on the parts that require measurement, budgetary concerns that could limit how the cell is constructed, and the placement of the cell in the manufacturing process (i.e., offline, inline, or near-line). Having prior understanding of how a space can be utilized and the ability to experiment prior to installation reduces significant costs that can be incurred from installing and using the wrong or limited solution.

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Virtual Calibration: Innovation at its Finest

After the physical installation of LSA System, “virtual calibration” is done to support the offline robot programming for measuring the part. “Virtual Calibration” is the process of taking measurements of the real-world components (i.e. the robot/linear rail combination, rotary/turn table, mobile tracker, and measurement target object) and implementing the data into the virtual workcell, which will minimize the positional errors of the robot scanning program with precise and reliable robot offline programming (OLP).

Ease of Mind with Engineering Experts

The professional engineers at eZRobotics have over 20 years of experience in utilizing digital manufacturing software, consulting about customized solutions by collaborating with the clients, and providing engineering services to complete the project.

One client was utilizing a CMM to measure parts as part of their quality control and assurance. As the preparation and operation took quite some time, they were limited to the number of parts they could measure and inspect. After contacting our engineers, a dual-industrial robot on a linear rail each with a laser scanner and a two stationary laser tracker configuration was proposed to satisfy the requested conditions of the client.

The LSA Solution was about 7 times faster in terms of preparation and operating time and was able to inspect at least 5 times more parts per day than the CMM solution. With more parts being inspected per day, there would be more historical data to trend any fluctuations and issues that can occur with time during the manufacturing process. This increase in data, including the color maps, can help pinpoint the issues that require correction and reduce costs.

Another client had been purchasing checking fixture jigs to inspect the quality of the parts being produced. Checking fixture jigs are customized to a specific part and additional time as well as money is required to make any minor changes. If a new product is designed, a new checking fixture jig would need to be built and purchased. Until then, the purchased checking fixture jig had to be stored and maintained until the introduction of a new product. As the costs for storage and maintenance for the purchased checking fixture jigs as well as purchasing new checking fixture jigs every time the latest product was designed, the client wanted a quality control and assurance solution that could help reduce these costs. Moreover, with a checking fixture jig, the results related to quality would not be consistent as it would be based on the experience of the operator.

After consulting with the client, a customized solution was proposed where an industrial robot on a linear rail with a stationary tracker configuration would accomplish the needs of the client. With the LSA Solution, the client would be able to get consistent and standardized results as an industrial robot would be used for measurement and inspection. Furthermore, instead of the continuous purchasing of new checking fixture jigs for each new product, the once simulated and validated robot programs that eZRobotics engineers had provided could be reused with modification and limit additional spending.