Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
Glyndŵr University
Measurement of influence function using swing arm profilometer and laser tracker
The “Influence Function” (IF) characterises the 3D morphology of the material-removal from a polishing tool acting on a single location. The global removal is simply the time-weighted super-position of moving IFs, and the stability, or prediction of variability of Ifs becomes the determining factor in overall process predictability (“convergence”). In order to provide a numerical optimisation of edge-control, or to verify numerical models of edge-polishing, it is necessary to measure the 3D geometry of representative Ifs. This is challenging, as slopes are usually beyond interferometry, profilometers are not well-suited to 3D measurement, and a CMM doesn’t provide the precision required. This paper describes a new hybrid method, combining a swing-arm profilometer with a laser-tracker to provide high-quality 3D data. This solution is expected to have much wider applications than measuring Ifs – being suitable to complex engineering surfaces with high slopes. The paper also points the way to other hybrid metrology solutions