It is to be expected that the use of noncontact sen-sors in engineered systems will increase since process control is now emphasized as much as final inspection. William P. Kennedy is an optical design engineer for CyberOptics Corp., Minneapolis. Because there is a predictable relationship between the height of the imprint and the performance of the completed, fired circuit, they looked for a method of measuring the wet thick film immediately after printing. With this capability for early inspection, boards with insufficient thick film can be discarded or reprinted before firing. With one scan, we are able to spot check the wet parts and make sure the thick film height is correct.
Noncontact gages are integral to our production process.
Using specially constructed fixturing, they position the triangulation sensor over the belt to scan the thickness, rib angles, depth, and radii. Mumford wrote application-specific software to take the digital measurement data and use them to analyze the specific lines and arcs of the belt, matching them to set parameters. These V-ribbed belts primarily go in cars, and the auto industry requires that these belts meet precise specifications. These deposits are the seal that is critical for ensuring a tight fit between the gasket and the engine block. Farnam started using laser profilers because no other measurement system could do the job.