Arm flushes out leaky tanks

Dec. 12, 2002
A measuring arm conducta dimensional inspections of key features faster and more consistently than manual methods.
A technician uses a Faro arm to check the bond-line interface on injection-molded, glass-filled polypropylene pressure-vessel parts. Inspections let Sloan Flushmate adjust manufacturing conditions for minimal part-to-part variations.

A measuring arm from Faro Technologies Inc., Lake Mary, Fla. (www.faro.com), lets a design team conduct full dimensional inspections of key features faster and more consistently than manual methods. Plastic injection-molded pressure vessels hold water at 20 psi and release it during flushing. "Leak-free tanks depend on a good bond between dimensionally consistent mating surfaces," says Chuck Pelto, quality engineering manager at toilet-maker Sloan Flushmate, Hudson, Mich. (www.flushmate.com). The result is a pressure-assist toilet-flushing system that uses less than 1.6 gallons/flush without sacrificing performance.

"The Faro measuring arm monitors part-to part dimensional variations," adds Pelto. "And the arm's software generates statistical reports that help us tweak tooling and molding condition to lower part variations."

CAM2 inspection software bundled with the Faro arm shows where to take a measurement. The monitor displays a wire-frame part model and probe location relative to the part.

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