An Optimization Strategy for Maximizing Coordinate Measuring Machine Productivity, Part 1: Quantifying the Effects of Operating Speed on Measurement Quality

Abstract

The ability to quickly obtain precise dimensional information about manufactured parts is vital for any successful mass production operation. Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) can be used to obtain dimensional measurements, but the effects of structural vibrations often limit the speed at which measurements can be obtained. In this, the first of two papers, the effects of operating speed on CMM measurement quality are illustrated, and the factors affecting measurement speed are then analyzed through an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) study. Results of the illustration and ANOVA show that as operating speed increases, the quality of the measurements obtained decreases, and that the individual axes of the prismatic CMM structure experimentally evaluated react differently to measuring speeds. Also given are results that show the trade-off between measurement time and quality and indicate the existence of optimal operating speeds for certain values of measurement quality. A model is then developed that describes the relationship between measurement speed and measurement quality for use in the optimization strategy presented in Part 2 of this paper.