GD&T - What Is It and Why Do I Need to Use It?

A common term in the world of metrology is Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, also known as GD&T. You may hear this term often, but what does it really mean? Do you know when and where you should be using it? And exactly how does metrology equipment fit in?

GD&T is a symbolic language, developed by engineers, for engineers to communicate the design characteristics of a part clearly, consistently and unambiguously that are fundamental to its correct function, in order to enable manufacturing to know how to produce parts and for inspection to know how to verify whether or not those parts will be fit for purpose at the design stage.

GD&T is an indispensible tool, but in common with most tools it needs to be treated with respect and handled in the right way to get the most out of it. In too many cases GD&T is misapplied – causing a return to the days of trial and error, resulting in time and cost deficits instead of realizing the expected benefits.

If you are trying to guarantee the assemble-ability and/or interchangeability of components, and trying to make your manufacturing processes more cost effective, then GD&T may be for you.

Some of the main benefits of using GD&T are

• Decreased recurring costs

• Decreased overhead costs

• Reduced design changes

• Increased profits and growth

• Producing a better product

• Customer satisfaction

Portable coordinate measuring machines offer a quick and easy way of applying and checking the feasibility of GD&T schemes during development and for monitoring in-process compliance.

Watch these recorded webinars to learn the understanding of the time, engineering, and cost benefits that proper implementation of GD&T can provide.

GD&T Part 1

GD&T Part 2

Reconstructing Dinosaur Fossils Using the FARO Laser Scanner

Paleontologists from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History are working towards reconstructing the anatomy of missing bones of a juvenile Apatosaurus. With approximately only 15% of the bones collected, scientists look to digitally reconstruct the rest of the bone structure using the model of the adult Apatosaurus currently on display in the Museum. Reverse engineering the large skeleton would be the best solution.

The FARO Laser Scanner Photon proved to be the ideal solution. With a measurement range of 395 FT. and a high resolution capture of 711 million pixels per scan, the FARO Photon was able to provide the researchers the required data to reverse engineer the adult skeleton into a CAD based model. FARO’s post-processing software, FARO Scene, automatically registers each scan together for a complete point cloud mesh. 

Paleontologists and researchers all agreed that laser scanning can open up new avenues to studying and rebuilding the past, specifically anything fragile in nature and delicate to handle. By applying a non-contact laser to such objects, it allows researchers the benefit of examining features without degrading the specimens.

To read the full article titled “Reconstructing Dinosaur Fossils Using the FARO Laser Scanner” click HERE

Using a Forward-Thinking Approach to an Ancient Process

Based in Mansfield, Texas, Trinity Forge is a modern, closed-die forging plant that specializes in complex shapes in a wide variety of sizes to meet the most stringent customer specifications. Trinity’s commitment to quality requires them to not only stay on top of customers’ needs, but to stay ahead of them. That’s why Trinity Forge was the first closed-die commercial forge in the United States to receive ISO 9000 certification and why they continue to invest in the latest forging and machining technologies and quality controls.

As might be imagined with a forging company, Trinity Forge must inspect very large dies – often weighing from 500 to 4000 pounds. To inspect such large and cumbersome dies, the typical practice was to pour a plaster cast and then measure that cast on a fixed CMM. The difficulty with this method was that the inspections were of the cast impressions and not of the actual die faces. Trinity wanted to improve their inspection process to include scans of the entire die face, the actual die face and not just the impressions. Gaining this scanning capability would give them the ability to track critical die wear features, learn from the die wear, fix potential problems before they became actual problems, and engineer tooling changes to alleviate wear.

After surveying potential solutions, Trinity Forge decided to use the FARO Laser ScanArm® with Geomagic® Studio/Qualify 12 software. This hardware/software combination gives Trinity the total solution they were looking for to upgrade their inspection process.

By implementing the FARO Laser ScanArm solution into their processes, Trinity Forge is now able to check dies in about half the time as they did before using older techniques. They don’t have to pour a plaster and wait for it to cure. Scanning is very quick and, on average, it takes only one hour per die and thirty minutes of modeling time.

“The speed at which we can operate is a great value to us,” said Sheppard. “Several new dies from the CNCs can be scanned in the morning and approved in the afternoon. Reverse engineering of parts, maintenance of parts, or die models are all a snap using FARO.”

Read the full case application 

Positive Signs at Farnborough Air Show

The Farnborough International Air Show is one of the world's most iconic global aviation events, held in Farnborough, England every two years. The show kicked off yesterday, July 19th with a day of conferences, seminars and exhibitor presentations. With a record-breaking $88.7 billion worth of orders announced during the show's last appearance in July 2008, many are wondering what the show will bring this year given the recent economic setbacks of the past year.

The show is reported to be off to a good start, with Boeing and Airbus bringing in billions of dollars worth of aircraft sales on Monday, a seemingly positive message to the global economy. Many industry watchers consider the FIA show to be a key test of the industry's health so many are watching closely to see how the rest of the week will unfold. With more than 1,000 exhibitors (only down slightly from the 1,393 from the 2008 show) and delegations from Egypt, Taiwan and Morocco for the first time, many believe that the show may be a sign of the market starting to turn.

The AP reports, "There is a renewed enthusiasm to look forward again among the airlines," said Howard Wheeldon, a senior strategist at BGC Partners, who upped his forecast for commercial plane orders at the show to 400 from 300 after the early bust of announcements Monday morning.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Jim Albaugh said the market "has come back faster than we expected" and the Chicago-based company has twice raised its internal forecasts for the number of orders at the biennial show.

Still, some stay cautious about the near-term outlook, such as Bombardier Commercial Aircraft President Gary Scott, saying that airlines needed to be sure they could sustain recent post-crisis gains before had they "balance sheet and courage to order airplanes in significant quantities again."

Regardless, it seems as though all eyes will be closely on the turnout of this massive show. Time will tell if the initial rush of orders is truly a sign of the start to recovery for the aerospace industry.

Read the entire story.

Learn more about the Farnborough International Air Show.

A Laser Tracker is only as Good as its Target

A laser tracker and its target goes hand in hand. Regardless of how accurate the laser tracker is, the quality of the measurements is directly affected by the precision of the target. It is this concept of working together that sets laser trackers apart from non-contact laser measurement systems. The laser tracker and its target comprise a system that together determines the tracking performance, and most importantly, the accuracy of the measurement.

The majority of laser tracker users choose a spherically mounted retroreflector (SMR) as their target. There are many different options available, with the most common being the glass panel SMR. These targets tend to have high accuracy and are also more affordable than other models. However, their one major downfall is their ability to break. These targets are fragile, and if dropped, become useless.

The answer to this problem is the break resistant SMR. Typically these targets would be more expensive and you would have to sacrifice the high accuracy you would get with a glass panel target. However, a new line of SMRs has been released that has an accuracy that is equal to or better than a traditional glass panel SMR, while having the added advantage of being break resistant. They also come at a lower cost that before – some are even less than a traditional glass panel SMR. These targets contain a single element retroreflector with a gold coating. Since the retroreflector is constructed of a single element, there are no separate glass panels that can shift or break over time.

Learn more about these new laser tracker targets, including the World’s Most Accurate Break Resistant SMR.

Growth Spurt Expected for Nuclear Power in the United States

With the economic recovery still being in a state of array, one thing is for certain; the federal government has put enormous amounts of funding towards energy efficient programs and infrastructure. Roads, highways, energy plants and even wind farms are part of the steady growth that the US government wants to see happen in the next few years to help boost the economy.

One particular segment that the US is looking towards is the nuclear power industry. Only 20 percent of electricity is generated by nuclear power. The US Department of Energy projects a rise in electricity in the upcoming years, therefore, nuclear power is being strongly considered to alleviate the burden of other power generating outlets.

What does it mean for other energy supporting industries like FARO? Well, with the projected increased building projects in the near future, companies will be looking to be competitive at every level. To do this the newest and most advanced technologies are sought after to minimize cost and most of all, time. For example, when considering the expansion of nuclear power plants, the FARO Laser Scanner Photon is the ideal tool for planning and documenting existing or new facility additions. Piping and electrical circuit mapping can all be quickly documented in 3D and preserved for future upgrades. The FARO Photon will help drastically reduce work stoppages, properly plan maintenance checks and visualize asset layout before actual installation. To read more information on the FARO Laser Scanner Photon click HERE.

To read the Quality Digest article titled “Growth Spurt Expected for Nuclear Power in the United States” click HERE.

To watch a webinar on portable metrology solutions and the power generation industry, click HERE.

The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining

Established in 2003, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) addresses and supports the broad manufacturing and machining needs of the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its suppliers. Since its inception, the NCDMM has continued to expand its network of contacts and alliances to become increasingly involved with the manufacturing and machining issues facing DoD organizations and their contractor community.

The NCDMM’s staff of experienced manufacturing and machining engineers is the nucleus of a world-class team. Appropriate teams of Center engineers work with individual organizations to quickly and efficiently meet the goals of assessing issues, developing solutions to meet those needs and advance capabilities, demonstrating solutions to reduce risk and accelerate implementation, implementing solutions to advance operations, and training personnel to enhance their skills and knowledge base.

The Center has projected financial savings that exceed $478 million to date for companies that have implemented “best” solutions. The NCDMM targets a minimum of 30% cost reduction, but solutions can result in as much as a 70% reduction in fabrication cost. Implementation of these solutions result in improved schedules and lead times, the ability to overcome material and design limitations, and improved quality.

The NCDMM has a vast network of over 80 Alliance Partners that work them to indentify, develop, demonstrate, and deploy new solutions in partnership with the Center. One defense supplier that benefitted from the NCDMM and its Partnership with FARO was McNally Industries of Grantsburg, Wisconsin. McNally is a full service manufacturer providing product design and testing as well as make-to-print manufacturing. After traditionally using an assortment of measuring tools including a fixed CMM, McNally turned to the NCDMM for a recommendation for a solution that was both accurate and fast. Based on the Center’s recommendation, McNally acquired the FARO PowerGage. The Gage allows for accurate measurements to be taken right on the production floor. McNally uses the Gage everyday and inspection times have been reduced and operator error eliminated. They have also gained the ability to send computer generated inspection reports to customers.

The relationships the NCDMM continues to build with its Alliance Partners, the DoD, and, most importantly, its suppliers have a positive impact on the manufacturing operations of these critical companies. The Center provides clear benefits that impact all of us – defense industry suppliers and everyday citizens alike.

Learn more about the NCDMM

Full case study where NCDMM recommends FARO to McNally

Improve Manufacturing Efficiencies

In today’s environment, we are all being asked to do more, but with less resources. This is especially prevalent in manufacturing – there is a constant need to create efficiencies within manufacturing processes.

One of the aspects of manufacturing where efficiencies can be created is in measurement/inspection. Why does manufacturing need highly-accurate measurements? An increasing number of manufacturers require even more precise measurements for products with various complexities, sizes, and shapes. Metrology helps guarantee the precision and quality of an ever-widening range of products and production processes.

In today’s highly competitive markets where time is money, portable metrology boosts efficiency by supplying the ability to accomplish a job with minimum expenditure of time and effort. The global marketplace requires improved metrology in order for manufacturers to remain or become more competitive.

Traditional inspection tools such as calipers and micrometers are easy to use and inexpensive, but their use for complex parts is very limited, they have high levels of measurement variability or human error, they are not repeatable, and cannot work directly with CAD.

Portable coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) such as articulating arms, laser trackers, and 3D laser scanners provide manufacturers the flexibility, accuracy, and repeatability necessary to compete in today’s efficient environments. They can be used in a variety of locations throughout one plant, provide improved product quality, reduce scrap, comply with Six Sigma and ISO standards, and allow you to write, save, call up and use inspection routines.

Watch the Improving Manufacturing Efficiencies webinar