The company, which produces injection moulded plastic parts, electronic components and electrical sub-assemblies, said in an 18 June statement that the investment in a Nikon Metrology LC15Dx laser scanner was due to increasing demand for customisation of parts.
“Increasing customisation and complexity of the parts, which are used mainly in the vehicle interior, air conditioning system and control units, places a high demand on the inspection department and requires the use of diverse metrology equipment,” said the company statement.
"To manufacture assemblies and components that will withstand regular daily use, parts are subjected to various life cycle and climatic tests as well as quality assurance (QA) procedures and analysis to assess performance,” explained Miroslav Pavlu, measuring technician at Lukov Plast.
As QA previously involved using various manual gauges, larger plastic parts in particular were problematic to inspect using tactile techniques, as they were difficult to clamp without distortion.
With the new system, the company is now able to check a part against the CAD model and highlight areas of concern using colour mapping.
“An upgrade from Nikon Metrology was deemed to be best solution due to its cost effectiveness and the supplier's extensive experience of retrofitting to third-party systems,” Lukov Plast said.
According to measuring technician Pavlu, the laser scanner has accelerated measurement by about 50% and the creation of programmes for new parts is about 40% quicker.
Additionally, costs are also lower due to the use of less dedicated fixtures than are needed for traditional tactile inspection, Pavlu said.