Optical CMM Development Project To Capture 500 Million 3D Points Per Second

Fraunhofer IPM and Fraunhofer IAF, together with the ‘Optical Systems’ chair at the University of Freiburg, Germany have announced a joint project to develop the world’s first optical coordinate measuring machine for the full-surface measurement of large objects on a meter scale. The system is intended to measure components in the production line quickly and with accuracies in the sub-micrometer range.

Holographic sensor systems such as the HoloCut developed at Fraunhofer IPM can already perform interferometric precise measurements within sophisticated multi-axis systems such as machine tools. With the developments in the MIAME project, interferometric absolute measurements are also possible for the first time – the missing piece of the puzzle for the optical coordinate measuring machine.

Coordinate measuring machines check the dimensional accuracy of components with very high precision. They are an important instrument in production metrology and thus quality assurance, especially in mechanical engineering, automotive and aerospace industry sectors. Tactile coordinate measuring machines use a measuring head that probes the component surface at various points with the help of a motion and positioning system. The spatial coordinates measured by the process provide information about important geometric parameters such as lengths, flatnesses or angles. Measurements with tactile coordinate measuring machines are typically very time-consuming, take place in separate measuring rooms and are therefore only possible on a sampling basis.

Capture 500 million 3D points Per Second

The aim of the MIAME research project, which will run for three years, is an optical, non-contact coordinate measuring machine that measures complex-shaped components with sub-micrometer accuracy across the entire surface of the product The core of the development is a digital holographic sensor with a new type of laser light source based on whispering gallery resonators. The light source should be able to be switched quickly and precisely between different wavelengths, which, in combination with digital multi-wavelength holography, enables interferometric measurements with significant precision. Integrated in multi-axis handling systems, the sensor system is proposed to record up to 500 million 3D points per second – with a single point accuracy of better than 0.1 µm and a measuring range of up to 1000 mm.

For more information: https://www.ipm.fraunhofer.de/en.html