Page 28 - MetalForming February 2019

3D METAL PRINTING
magazine connects engineers, manufacturing executives and plant floor leaders with suppliers of 3D metal printing equipment and services, for prototyping and production applications in aerospace, automotive, medical and other industries.
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• Application articles
• Tutorial “how-to” features
Metals are the fastest growing segment of 3D printing, growing at an annual rate of 30 percent. Now’s the time to align with
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3D Metal Printing magazine.
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Fabrication: FABTECH
Robotic 3D Inspection System
ABB’s Robotic Inspection System, showcased at FABTECH, was developed through collaboration between ABB and Nub3D, a provider of digital, 3D inspection and quality-control solu-
tions that ABB subsequently purchased in 2017. The system consists of a 3D white-light scanning sensor mounted to the arm of an ABB IRB 4600 robot, relying on the agility of the robot to provide the precise movements nec- essary for the sensors to access most areas of both simple and complex parts from the optimum angle.
The sensor technology rapidly records and compares highly detailed geometric and surface data with digital CAD models, enabling the automated inspection of manufactured parts and pieces, helping factories to reduce cycle times while raising quality and reduc- ing the risk of quality-control errors, according to ABB officials. The turnkey inspection and quality-control system is ideal for automotive OEMs, aero- space companies and users in other metals and plastics sectors.
In operation, the system employs a 3D optical scanner with structured white-light technology to compute a point cloud, which then is compared to the CAD model. The system differs from many competitive systems that use a laser scanner to perform meas- urement, according to company offi- cials, as it provides an enhancement
because every shot taken provides 1.5 and 5 million points for the system’s Sidio Lite or Sidio Airus scanner, respectively. The benefit of this improved accuracy: earlier detection of component degradation. When com- ponents start to degrade over time (dimensionally) or small imperfections start to appear, they will be detected earlier with the ABB system, where other inspection solutions would allow the part to pass through, claim com- pany officials.
ABB: www.abb.com
Powerful Light Accessory for Finishing
Many visitors to Nordson’s exhibit got their first look at the newly released Encore nLighten accessory that instant- ly adds the power of an LED light to the Encore manual paint-spray gun. The innovation helps to reduce rework, decrease material waste, and eliminate the use of unrated flashlights and other light sources that can create hazards for employees in a powder-spraying environment.
Nordson also showed its Digital Solutions Platform, central to the com- pany’s vision for next-generation prod- ucts, solutions and services that deliver anytime, anywhere connectivity to cus- tomers. The first major component launching under the platform is the company’s Parts Ordering App (POA), giving maintenance and engineering teams detailed access to replacement parts and image views through mobile smart devices such as a phone or tablet. Nordson Corp.: www.nordson.com
26 MetalForming/February 2019
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