INSPECTION , MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING
ŠKODA AUTO has adopted automated optical 3D measurement at its plant in Mladá Boleslav , Czech Republic .
The Leica T-Scan 5 is designed for high-speed automated inspection , with a data collection speed of 210,000 points per second .
PRECISION
HxGN Robotic Automation software .
PROCESSES
“ The robotic measuring cell concept now in place in Mladá Boleslav is the direct result of close cooperation between ŠKODA AUTO and Hexagon on 3D optical systems for inspection .”
Leading automotive manufacturer ŠKODA AUTO has been part of the Volkswagen Group for 30 years . During this time , it has developed into a strong and internationally successful company offering ten different vehicle model lines across worldwide markets . With the emerging trend of clean mobility , it plans to further expand its portfolio and not only with electric cars .
ŠKODA AUTO operates at three sites in the Czech Republic . Its main factory is at Mladá Boleslav , with the other two in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí . Vehicles bearing the winged arrow logo are also manufactured in China , Russia , Slovakia and India , primarily through Group partnerships , as well as in Ukraine with a local partner .
Hexagon and ŠKODA AUTO have been measurement partners for decades . Hexagon is a global specialist in sensor , software and autonomous solutions . This cooperation moved to an even higher level at the end of 2018 , when the companies concluded an agreement to support ŠKODA AUTO in reconfiguring their inspection processes for 3D optical systems instead of tactile measurement .
This programme has resulted in a significant increase in measurement capacity and quality , as well as the digitalisation of outputs from measuring devices . This was done through the modernisation of several installed coordinate measuring machines ( CMMs ) but , above all , through the installation of two fully automated smart measuring cells for the ŠKODA AUTO measuring centre in the ŠKODA AUTO factory at Mladá Boleslav .
Offline programming of robotic measurement
The measuring cell is equipped with Hexagon ’ s metrology platform , PC-DMIS – the same software solution in use throughout all ŠKODA AUTO ´ s factories in the Czech Republic . The use of a single software platform across the factories has several practical advantages , such as the uniform integration of VW Group measuring principles directly into PC-DMIS . It has also added technical value with the possibility for offline preparation of measuring programs .
“ A significant shift in the development of PC-DMIS in recent years has made it possible to take full advantage of offline programming . Operators of the new measurement cells in Mladá Boleslav have been able to make the most of this capacity , which allows them to start measuring very quickly when new parts production starts ,” Hexagon told ISMR .
Up to now , ŠKODA AUTO has used offline programming in a limited capacity , typically for tactile measurement on traditional CMMs . But with its new HxGN Robotic Automation software , launched by Hexagon in 2021 , this functionality within PC-DMIS can be more fully exploited for optical robotic measurement .
A significant shift in the development of PC-DMIS in recent years has made it possible to take full advantage of offline programming
54 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR October 2021