Nasmyth Arden specialises in the machining of large aluminium components for the aerospace industry. These components, crafted from billets, castings, and forgings, are primarily electronic and electrical control (EEC) cases, crucial, as they protect the ‘brains’ of an aircraft’s engine.
Due to the exacting nature of their work, Nasmyth Arden felt the need to automate their measurement process to ensure consistent, accurate and efficient results.
Nasmyth Arden chose the OGP UK’s SmartScope CNC machine as their solution for achieving efficient, reliable and quality inspection of their components.
Project Brief:
The nature of Nasmyth Arden’s work demands a 100% inspection rate, meaning each component they produce needs to be meticulously inspected under quality control. The complex prismatic machined parts produced by Nasmyth Arden feature hundreds of threaded inserts and the manual task of inspecting each one was tedious and prone to inaccuracies.
“Put simply, we had to automate the process,” says Harjit Bhurjee, who was tasked with sourcing the necessary inspection equipment.
After evaluating several suppliers, Nasmyth Arden determined that OGP UK capabilities were unparalleled.
“The only people who could get close to what we wanted were OGP UK,” explained Harjit.
“As soon as we saw what could be achieved using the Smartscope CNC, we signed on the dotted line.”
The Solution:
Nasmyth Arden made decided on the OGP UK SmartScope CNC multi-sensor shop floor measuring system. This has resulted in a significant reduction in cycle times for Nasmyth Arden’s inspection and measurement procedures, from a 2-hour task with conventional CMM technology to just a few minutes.
The SmartScope CNC is a high-specification measuring machine designed for automatic inspection of components in even the most challenging environments. Its high accuracy levels and multi-sensor functionality, includes video, laser, and touch probe sensors. The multi-sensor configuration enables unmanned inspection and facilitates a high throughput of components.
“There are many different features on the cases to be measured and these were taking 2 hours in some instances on our CMM,” says Harjit.
“Using the Smartscope CNC we can measure each side in just six minutes, without any detriment to accuracy.”
The Benefits:
A key advantage of the OGP UK SmartScope CNC machines lies in the user-friendly software interface. Nasmyth Arden capitalised on the exceptional training services provided by OGP UK’s service engineers, enabling their own apprentices to learn how to use the system effectively.
Peter Stevenson, second-year apprentice, explained:
“I’ve had two sets of two-day training from OGP UK … the Measure-X® metrology software is very simple to use. I can program a typical case for insert checking within 40 minutes, before walking away to do something else while it runs through its six- or seven-minute inspection cycle.”
The OGP UK SmartScope CNC800 is now responsible for the automated inspection of threaded inserts in all of Nasmyth Arden’s large EEC cases. It checks for the undesired presence of insert tangs and performs comprehensive dimensional measurements, a big upgrade from their CMM technology.
“The machine is great for first-offs because I can measure while I program, whereas a CMM would need a CAD model,” explained Peter. “The OGP Smartscope has taken a lot of work from our CMM and more is set to follow.”
Why OGP UK?
OGP UK has empowered Nasmyth Arden by providing an advanced SmartScope CNC machine that enables efficient, automated, and accurate inspection of aerospace components, resulting in significant time savings and enhanced quality control.
