Fonderies Fraisse hopes to guarantee the quality of its products through 3D scanning with the Kreon measuring arm.

With only a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), Fonderies Fraisse had until that point been restricted in the range of checks it could carry out. The size of the CMM imposed limits as to the size of the parts to be checked. Today, with the Kreon measuring arm, the company is able to inspect parts of all sizes, from 10 cm to 70 cm. Furthermore, although the checks performed previously, all by scanning on the CMM, were precise, they took a long time. With the Kreon Skyline Wide 3D scanner and its 200 mm laser line, it is now possible to digitise all the parts much more quickly.

The chosen solution also incorporates the Polyworks software to analyse the acquisition data. Most often, thickness mapping is applied to the part to check the compliance of the thickness in zones that cannot be checked in other ways, for example with a standard thickness checker.

The team at Fonderies Fraisse quickly got to grips with the easy-to-use Kreon Ace measuring arm. Several members of personnel, whether they have a professional diploma, a technology degree or a vocational degree, regularly and easily handle the measuring arm, which makes the internal organisation of the measuring operations much more flexible.

During the study phase, the Kreon system can be used to inspect the tooling and the first prototype, an essential stage before the full production launch, to ensure that all the specifications and requirements are met. This proactive approach means that the necessary adjustments can be made to guarantee quality from the first stages of production. When mass production starts, a sample of 10% of the parts produced is taken to prevent and detect deviations that could occur over time. These parts are carefully checked using the Kreon measuring arm, so that swift action can be taken to correct any problems and maintain high quality standards.

The Kreon Ace 7-axis 2.5m measuring arm with Skyline Wide scanner and PolyWorks Inspector software are used for the following applications:

• Overall performance of inspection processes
• Improvement of internal 3D measuring capacities, too limited by the CMM
• Option to digitise parts and models of all sizes
• Quick and easy to use
• Flexibility and compatibility with other applications

Recognising the measuring arm’s flexibility, operators began to envisage using it for other applications. These include checking excessive machining thicknesses and part deformations, which is easy as a result of the acquisition speed and precision of the Skyline Wide scanner. After data acquisition, a comparison is made with CAD using colour mapping to easily visualise potential deviations. The team can also imagine using the Kreon system for reverse engineering operations, after further training in the software.

More generally, the introduction of the Kreon solution contributes to the company’s continuous improvement approach. It joins other testing and inspection processes established in the company: spectrophotometer, 3D measuring machine, micrography, hardness test, tensile tests, dye penetration, etc.