Digitizing Cast Parts with Laser Scanners from ZEISS

The couplings in the RATO S product line from VULKAN consist of several cast parts. To achieve the required elasticity, two of these castings are joined in a technique known as vulcanization. The problem: technical drawings and actual cast parts did not always correspond 100%. This meant that the employees needed additional time to rework them. To improve the production process, the first thing that was needed was an exact analysis of the cast parts. "We have over 40 versions and sizes in this product line," says Andreas Ladwig, Junior Lean Production Officer. "We would have needed years to capture their geometry using slide gages." A faster and more exact approach was required.

Ladwig and his colleagues compared the CAD models with the scans using the INSPECTplus software from ZEISS. They then updated the 'old' CAD models and sent them to the cast parts supplier. They subjected the 'new' cast parts to initial sample testing via a laser scan. "It's all incredibly fast," says Ladwig. "If my colleague scans in the morning and I have time for the analysis in the afternoon, then we can complete the initial sample testing for the component in a single workday. We used to need weeks to do this." The optimization process has led to a major reduction in both the reject rate and in the time and effort required for reworking.