Month: July 2011

Metrology’s Role in Reverse Engineering

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With many OEM’s out of business or the details of their designs lost or out of reach due to closings, downsizing, and consolidation, many replacement parts are needed for which drawings are unavailable.

Critical components deserve better than calipers and a hand mike, especially when they provide essential functionality to aerospace, automotive, or automated systems.

PMPA Technical Member FARO Technologies provides this case study on use of their Faro Arm Platinum for shop floor measurement and data acquisition to reduce time to measure the parts and to assure key characteristics (like blended radii) are captured.

Headquartered in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Astro Machine (www.astromachineworks.com) serves top regional and national companies like GE, Hershey, DuPont, Bayer, and the U.S. government. They serve industries such as aerospace, general manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical, food processing, and energy.

PROBLEM:

Each of Astro Machine’s different applications presents unique challenges, but their work in reverse engineering obsolete OEM parts was a particular challenge. These parts range in size from 1” cubes through 48” cubes and larger. Previously, AMW used older methods such as hand gages, calipers, micrometers, and protractors. These options proved to be ineffective since many of these OEM parts are very complicated, with an array of blended radiuses and compound angles. Manual tools, even when used carefully, resulted in “hit or miss” accuracy.

SOLUTION:

AMW searched for a better solution for their metrology needs. They considered a conventional fixed CMM, but found a more versatile solution matched their needs: the 8-foot FaroArm® Platinum. This tool serves both in-process and final inspection functions, as well as reverse engineering. It can be taken directly onto the assembly floor and secured to custom machine assemblies while manufacturing is still in-process. This provides an integral inspection device that can aid in alignment and part position during various stages of assembly.

Any inconsistencies associated with manual reverse engineering have been eliminated and AMW’s work is now totally accurate, while increasing productivity. What previously took hours of work has been reduced to approximately one-tenth the time. Many of the parts they reverse engineered manually in the past are now being done again so as to bring the accuracy up to their new “FARO standards.”

ROI:

The greatest value to Astro Machine with the FaroArm has been the massive time reduction in reverse engineering obsolete OEM parts. In many cases, the time has been reduced ten fold. “Prior to our FARO solution, it was not uncommon for our more sophisticated parts to take 8 to 50 hours to reverse engineer,” says Designer Dan Hughes. “This time has now been reduced to 30 minutes to 5 hours.” A reduction in time is a reduction in cost, which makes AMW even more valuable to their customers.

Astro Machine invests heavily in its technology, and advancements are the cornerstone of their continuous improvement strategies. Not surprisingly then, the FaroArm was well accepted. The implementation process was very easy and the learning curve was extremely simple with the user friendly software. AMW uses their FaroArm on a regular basis for inspection purposes and at the outset of projects for reverse engineering. With the gained versatility of the FaroArm, no part is outside their capabilities.

Here is link to Faro Case Study

OSHA Proposes Revisions to Injury and Illness Reporting Requirements

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Your chance to comment on the proposal is NOW!

On June 22, 2011, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking an update and revision of two aspects of the agency’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements for work-related injuries and illnesses.
The new proposed reporting requirements revise OSHA’s current regulation that requires an employer to report to OSHA, within eight hours, all work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees.

Under the revised proposal, employers would be required to report to OSHA any work-related fatalities and all in-patient hospitalizations within eight hours, and work-related amputations within 24 hours. Reporting amputations is not required under the current regulation.

OSHA is requesting public comments on the proposed revisions, and has included in the proposed rule’s preamble specific questions about issues and potential alternatives. 

 Written comments must be submitted by Sept. 20, 2011.

 See the Federal Register notice    for details on how to submit comments.

 Here is link to official OSHA /DOL June 22, 2011 News Release

WTO Rules Against China’s Raw Materials Hoarding

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The World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday that China was unfairly protecting its domestic manufacturers by limiting the export of nine raw materials that are used widely in the steel, aluminum and chemical industries.

We wrote about this http://pmpaspeakingofprecision.com/2009/12/30/china-resource-hoarding-wto-panel-convened/

and originally here: http://pmpaspeakingofprecision.com/2009/11/04/chinese-resource-hoarding-dispute-before-wto/

Today, the WTO panel  ruled for the United States, European Union and Mexico,  all of whom had filed complaints against China  using export duties and quotas to drive up the prices they pay for raw materials such as coke, bauxite and zinc.

The panel rejected China’s argument that its export limits were needed to “protect its environment,” and said those export restrictions should be removed.

The WTO panel concluded that “China’s export duties were inconsistent with the commitments that China had agreed to” when it joined the trade organization in 2001.

This is an important development for our industry which uses vast quantities of raw materials  such as steel aluminum, and brass.

But it is also an important bellwether for the Chinese export restrictions of rare earth metals.

Round 2 coming up…

Photo credit

(compiled from press reports and Michelle Applebaum Commentary.)

Independence Day- Grateful To Many

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Our country has a long tradition of citizens standing up for what they thought was right, or against what they thought was wrong.

Our history books were replete with stories about the Boston Tea Party, the Stamp Act, impressment of American sailors into the British Navy.

Reading the Stamp Act

Image

Thanks for your courage.

Civil War, Womens Suffrage.

During my teenage years I witnessed people taking to the streets to right wrongs,  to push for civil rights, and to protest the draft.

This is the Selma I’d like to remember

Joan Baez poster

 
This is the Selma I saw on the Evening News.
Tough times to be a teenager

Vietnam protest

I don’t remember ever seeing very much coverage of people going to work, stepping forward at the  armed forces recruiting station and swearing an oath to serve their country, but they did. And they still do.

R Day. West Point. A grateful nation thanks you, New Cadets!

West Point AOG

My family has some stories about this. About how my namesake, Miles Sr., joined the army cavalry back in WWI. Sounds dashing, but the assignment in the cavalry in those days for farm boys from Ohio was all about the barn, not about riding.

My father, Miles Jr., was first in his graduating class of 1942 to enlist in the Army. He got some great training at the New England Aircraft School and as ground crew chief was responsible for the maintenance of a number of B-17’s over Europe.

Thanks Dad.

My daughter, Emma, and her husband, are deployed in Europe with the U.S. Army where they command helicopter units.

I’ll bet your family has some stories like this too. I hope you share them this weekend. They are important ways to share your family’s values.

I got a pass.  I got a university deferrment. then I got a high draft number. No crazy asian war for me.

So, when they bring up the flag at the community band concert  this weekend, I’ll be the first to jump up (or try to be) to salute, not the flag that goes by, but the sacrifices and love gifts of all who have worn the uniform of  a U.S. Armed Service, who stepped forward and chose   “Duty, Honor, Country” instead of “What’s in it for me?”

I'll be on my feet.

Who made personal sacrifices, not to attack the enemy in front of them, but rather to assure the safety and well being of the families and friends behind them. And our way of life.

I thank those folks, for assuring that I have choices.

And on the 4th, this year, I’m going to  exercise my ability to choose.

I will choose to stand up for old Glory.

I will choose to thank the veterans I meet for their service.

And I will choose to respectfully listen to what it is that they have to say.

And I’m going to choose to grill a steak.

Happy Independence Day.

I choose to do this for  the sake of those brave souls in uniform who are out there eating something less than steak as they patrol and otherwise do their duty.

They wouldn’t have it any other way.