Conmed Labmet's robotic laser scanning cuts large-part CMM inspection times in half

Conmed Labmet, a Mexico-based metrology systems integrator, has built a series of automated laser-scanning inspection cells that the company says cut large-part measurement times by "more than 50 percent" compared with conventional CMM-based methods. The systems combine robotic arms, laser scanners, optical tracking and inspection software to measure components from 1 to 7 meters long, both off the line and while still mounted in production fixtures.

Built with hardware and software from 3D Infotech, InnovMetric, Scantech, Vention and Universal Robots, the cells have gone into four Mexican plants so far. The first, at SAFRAN in Querétaro, uses a 5-meter linear guide, an ABB robot and a red laser line scanner to inspect landing gear components, with results validated against a gantry CMM and inspection time cut by roughly 50 percent. At Yanfeng in Saltillo, a stationary ABB robot scans plastic interior door panels mounted on mobile fixtures. At CIE PEMSA in Celaya, a Vention gantry with a 4-meter axis and a Universal Robots UR10 cobot scans stamped-metal parts, with tracking cameras mounted on the guide rail to create two independent inspection zones.

What's new here is the scale of the newest cell, at Gestamp II in Puebla. It reuses the T-shaped Vention gantry from the CIE PEMSA project but pairs a Scantech TrackScan Sharp scanner with stationary tracking cameras, 3D Infotech's STREAMLINE software and PolyWorks, extending the inspection volume to 7 meters so long stamped parts can be measured on their production fixtures. Conmed Labmet says the cell cuts cycle times by more than 50 percent versus the plant's previous CMM and structured-light methods, and the faster data helps production teams tune laser cutting and punching operations.

The TrackScan Sharp uses 25-megapixel cameras and Tri-Laser scanning to capture up to 5.4 million points per second, with volumetric accuracy of 48 micrometers within its initial 3-meter range. Tracking updates at up to 120 times per second, and temperature compensation lets cells run from 10°C to 40°C ambient, letting manufacturers inspect parts near the line instead of in a dedicated metrology lab.

The overhead-rail design installs on existing factory floors without dedicated foundations, and the modular Vention gantry can be reconfigured between projects. Conmed Labmet says a PartId feature that verifies part identity and positioning before scanning has so far prevented any collisions between robot and scanner across its installed cells.