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Dimensional inspection is the very fine and precise measurement taken of manufacturing machinery to ensure that products made with that machinery conform to required specifications. It should be carried out by accredited specialists during machinery installation and should form part of regular ongoing maintenance inspections. Benefits of Dimensional Inspection The process is essential to ensure product quality. If you think about the accuracy required in machining parts for cars or aeroplanes, you can see that's it's critical to have parts manufactured to exact specifications to avoid malfunction during operation. Even common household appliances such as gas ranges and cookers, fridges and many other kitchen appliances, have to be made with precision. If not, either the end product will fail during use or the actual manufacturing machinery could fail during the manufacturing process. The costs of such failure would be enormous. Good pre-emptive maintenance routines will include dimensional inspection. Some industries require more precision than others. For example, wind power generation has grown significantly over the past few years. Production of the blades and particularly blade edges has to be as precise and error free as possible to obtain the most efficient profile for generating turn. Dimensional inspection of the blade manufacturing equipment can help ensure that the blades are manufactured and continue to be manufactured as per specifications, thus providing optimal performance of blades during operation. Dimensional inspection during machinery installation ensures that it's set up from the outset to correct specifications and tolerances. Regular ongoing inspections will help to keep it that way and ensure continued optimal performance and minimize downtime. Correct alignment of machinery and their components can help to solve a large amount of manufacturing problems, for example, straightness of a machined edge, thickness of material, and alignment of connections. Of course there is a cost to business for such maintenance but it should be seen and treated as an investment in the company. This extra cost is small as compared to the costs of machinery or component replacements, downtime, lost sales and the company's reputation. Most manufacturing companies maintain quality records of production runs and therefore should be able to quickly see if production quality standards are falling. If this is the case, it may mean that the manufacturing machinery is wearing out due to age, use or improper alignment. Dimensional inspection can identify problems because if corrective action isn't taken, then things will only continue to get worse. For example, improperly aligned machinery or components may suffer from excessive vibration which can put unwanted stresses on bearings, joints or casings causing them to wear out well before a scheduled replacement period. By undertaking regular inspections, this problem can be seen early and corrective action taken to ensure continued production while at the same time reducing overall costs. Some of the most modern Dimensional inspection equipment available utilises laser for precise measurements. The laser equipment allows for quick, accurate measurements that are repeatable and eliminate any human error during measurement. This type of optical measurement equipment has quickly become the industry standard. Schaeffer Precision Alignment Inc. has been providing excellent countrywide engineering support including dimensional inspection and Turbine alignment services since 1989. To review their services see their website at schaefferprecision.com/turbine-alignment/
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