Integrated metrology systems

The integration of quality into future manufacturing planning is an essential part of the factory of the future, one specific area of quality assurance — metrology or dimensional inspection — plays a key role in guiding, coordinating, and approving manufacturing efforts. The advances in modern industrial production towards greater precision and more reliable function of products have created the need for a continuing, parallel improvement in dimensional measurement and inspection technologies. Selecting, justifying, and integrating these technologies into manufacturing operations requires careful planning and the consideration of alternative approaches for implementation. An overview is presented of a programme recently completed for the US Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) with the purpose of assisting TACOM vendors in the integration of metrology into future operations to improve quality and reduce overall costs.