Machining specialists achieve higher accuracy in half the time with the Faro laser tracker.

Smart engineering and technology have often been the key drivers for any kind of industrial development. In particular, the science of precision engineering has been and still is a core enabler for complex manufacturing pro?cesses in manufacturing. One such com?pany that contributes to the Precision Engineering industry is Self Levelling Metal Machines (SLMM), part of the Self Levelling Machines (SLM) global network.

Incorporated in 2000, SLMM is a Singapore based alliance between Self Levelling Machines (Australia) and Metal Machines Engineering Services (Singapore).SLMM provides companies with large-scale, in situ precision machining services such as boring, milling, and drilling. SLMM Project Engineer Lok Qiuquan said, ?Most of our clients are from the marine and offshore industries. Some examples of the offshore oil processing products we work on include floating production storage offloading (FPSO) turret mooring systems, offshore cranes and catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) buoys. The sizes of these components are so large that they cannot fit into a conventional machining centre, so we have to bring our machines to these clients instead, and machine parts for them on-site.?

For every project that SLMM undertakes, surveys need to be conducted before and after the machining work. Mock up installations, machine alignments and geometrical dimension surveys are also part and parcel of every day work at SLMM. ?These surveys require detailed measure?ments that are sometimes of very different natures,? Lok said. ?Measurements can range from 30 mm holes to 30 m diameter structures, and typically involve using a variety of conventional instruments and hand tools.?
 
While such methods have worked relatively well, SLMM was in search of a more efficient alternative. ?As our projects became increasingly complex, we realised that we had to improve our workflow to prevent bottlenecking,? Lok mentioned. ?The Faro Laser Tracker was introduced to us by our US counterparts as it worked really well for them, especially on projects where the Circular Self Levelling Machines (CSLMs) were required. And when we started using the Faro device ourselves, it improved our work flow in so many aspects, surpassing our expectations by leaps and bounds.?

Workflow challenges
Depending on the nature of a job, the engineers at SLMM utilise various measuring equipment that they need on-site for each project. Measurement instruments and devices owned by SLMM range from calibrated measuring tapes and laser survey equipment, to optical scopes, inner diameter tubular micrometers, outer diameter micrometers and bore gauges.
 
?With conventional instruments and hand tools, sometimes measurement fixtures had to be fabricated from scratch to cater for the need of individual projects, which meant that extra time and effort needed to be spent,? said Lok. ?If the fixtures were then found to be unsuitable when brought on site, all that effort would be wasted. Apart from that, we needed technicians to be skillful and meticulous when taking measurements because they collect the information manually. This meant that even more time and effort was required for training and also to take the actual measurements properly.?

In addition, SLMM engineers had the extra challenge of presenting technical metrology data to its customers once measurements were taken and recomm?endations had to be made. In fact, the ability to generate comprehensive reports was an important link that SLMM felt was missing. ?Reports are necessary to help our customers understand why we make certain recommendations,? said Lok. ?In the past, it required a tremendous amount of time and effort for us to prepare these reports, as measurements needed to be processed manually before we write the reports. Even then, it was still difficult for customers to visualise our concerns at times.?

SLMM knew that it needed a good solution that would efficiently execute measurements prior to and after the machining processes, as well as one that could generate accurate and easy-to-read reports for its customers to appreciate.
 
New capabilities
When the suggestion to invest in the Faro Laser Tracker first surfaced, SLMM was very interested and quickly researched the measurement device to ensure that it was the right decision. There were a few options available in the market, but Faro stood out for several reasons. Firstly, one of SLMM?s top considerations is machine portability. All of SLMM?s jobs require its staff to go on-site with all necessary devices and instruments. Naturally, the aim is to minimise the load as far as possible. ?In my research, I found that the size and weight of the Faro Laser Tracker was the most suitable for us,? Lok revealed. ?And when I did a feature to feature comparison, it was clear that Faro offered the best value for our investment.?
 
With the Faro Laser Tracker, SLMM was more confident than before of the site surveys they conducted. The impact of possible human error was substantially minimised, since the new device did not rely on an individual?s skill. ?Not only did the Faro Laser Tracker help us achieve repeatable measurements with tighter tolerances, it also helped us complete measurements in half the time,? said Lok. ?The need to fabricate customised check fixtures has also been cut down to a minimum. The new capabilities that we now enjoy with Faro have definitely translated into greater efficiencies and long term cost savings.?
 
Besides being able to take measurements more quickly, SLMM also enjoyed time-savings in the area of report preparation. Lok emphasised, ?Other than being able to generate our reports in a much shorter time, we really value the fact that the reports are much more comprehensive now. Faro solutions enabled us to present technical data in a 3D format that is simple to understand, and our customers really appreciate the new reports that we are now able to provide.?
 
SLMM even managed to gain working hours in the projects it undertook. In the past, SLMM used laser survey equipment that functioned on infrared rays. This equipment could not be used in the day as sunlight interferes with its operations. ?Given that our jobs take place under harsh weather conditions, we could only schedule work in the wee hours of the morning,? stated Lok. ?This meant that we always lost out on daylight hours. Unlike our older devices, the Faro Laser Tracker?s accuracy is not affected by the sunlight, and can be used at any time of the day. We can now minimise time wastage and reduce the necessity of extended work hours for our engineers and technicians.?

Long-term solution
SLMM found it advantageous  that it could purchase additional Faro devices to complement the Laser Tracker for greater measurement capability. Faro?s range of measurement devices (eg FaroArm? or Faro Laser Scanner) caters to different measuring envelopes, which provides sol?utions to suit every measurement chall?enge. On top of that, the data collected across devices can be integrated seamlessly. Lok disclosed, ?In fact, we have since bought the Faro Laser Scanner, and may plan for further expansion with additional purchases.?

?The new capabilities that we now enjoy with Faro have definitely translated into greater efficiencies and long term cost savings.?