Measuring large castings, shafts, bearing seats and machined housings to tight tolerances can be challenging using portable inspection equipment alone. For CMS Cepcor, increasing demands for accuracy, repeatability and productivity highlighted the need for a dedicated coordinate measuring machine (CMM) capable of verifying critical dimensions with greater confidence.
The introduction of an Altera M CMM has improved large part inspection capability while reducing reliance on manual measurement methods.
Challenges of Measuring Large Components
CMS Cepcor manufactures and refurbishes components for crushers used in the mining and aggregates industries. Many parts feature demanding tolerances that stretch the capabilities of portable inspection equipment.
Examples include:
- Bearing seats with tolerances between 30 and 50 microns
- Shafts up to 500 mm diameter requiring accuracy within 20 to 30 microns
- Housing features with even tighter tolerances
- Eccentric tapers with drawing tolerances as small as 15 arcseconds
Portable measuring arms were used successfully for many inspection tasks, but some critical measurements still required manual gauges such as micrometers. This added time to the inspection process and increased the potential for variation between operators.
Improving Large Part Inspection Capability
To address these challenges, CMS Cepcor installed an Altera M CMM with a measuring volume of 3,000 x 1,500 x 1,000 mm.
The system provides the accuracy required to inspect large components consistently and repeatably while supporting automated measurement routines.
According to CMS Cepcor, the CMM delivers measurement performance that is significantly more precise than portable measuring arms, providing greater confidence in inspection results for both the company and its customers.
Eliminating Inspection Bottlenecks
Before the installation of the CMM, portable measuring arms were frequently moved between inspection activities and urgent shop-floor measurement requests.
This created interruptions and reduced overall efficiency.
With the CMM handling final inspection tasks, the portable arms can now remain dedicated to:
- In-process measurement
- Machine tool verification
- General inspection activities
This separation of responsibilities has streamlined workflows and reduced wasted time.
Scanning Improves Analysis of Rotational Components
Many components inspected by CMS Cepcor are rotational parts produced through turning, milling and drilling operations.
To support these applications, the Altera M was supplied with:
- Renishaw PH10MQ PLUS motorised indexing head
- SP25M analogue scanning probe
The scanning probe captures up to 1,000 points per second, enabling rapid evaluation of:
- Roundness
- Cylindricity
- Diameter
- Form deviations
Compared with traditional touch-trigger measurement, continuous scanning collects significantly more data, producing more robust inspection reports while reducing measurement time.
Thermal Compensation Supports Measurement Accuracy
Large castings and machined components can present challenges due to temperature variation.
To maintain accuracy, the CMM incorporates thermal compensation technology, including:
- Temperature sensors on each machine axis
- A dedicated part temperature probe
This allows inspection to be completed without waiting extended periods for large parts to stabilise at the same temperature as the measuring environment.
Common Software Across Multiple Inspection Platforms
The installation also included PolyWorks Inspector software.
Using the same software platform across the CMM, portable measuring arms and optical scanning equipment provides several advantages:
- Faster operator training
- Simplified programming
- Consistent reporting
- Easier comparison of measurement results
- Greater flexibility across inspection activities
The common software environment also supports combining in-process measurement data with final inspection results.
Increased Productivity and Confidence in Measurement Results
The move from manual and portable inspection methods to a dedicated CMM has delivered improvements in both efficiency and measurement capability.
Key benefits include:
- Greater accuracy and repeatability
- Improved inspection of tight-tolerance components
- Automated measurement routines
- Reduced interruptions to inspection workflows
- Faster analysis of rotational features through scanning
- Consistent reporting across multiple metrology platforms
For CMS Cepcor, the result is a more efficient and reliable approach to large part inspection, helping ensure critical crusher components meet specification while strengthening confidence in the quality of finished parts.
