Unit 11 Miscellaneous Metrology
Unit 11 Miscellaneous Metrology
UNIT 11
Precision Instrumentation based on Laser Principals:
Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
(laser) produces an intense emergent beam of light that can
be parallel to a high degree or can be focused onto a very
small area.
Although a number of materials may be used to produce
lasers, the helium–neon gas laser is the most popular for
applications in metrology.
Some of these are described here:
Laser light is monochromatic. It has a bandwidth in the
range of 0.4–0.5 μm. Stabilized lasers have still narrower
bandwidths, with the result that very high resolution can be
achieved during measurement.
Laser light is coherent. In normal light, the rays are
randomly phased, resulting in partial interference within the
beam. In contrast, laser rays are all in phase, producing a
coherent beam of light.
Laser light is naturally collimated. The rays in a laser
beam are perfectly parallel with little divergence and scatter.
These factors combine to produce a beam that is perfectly
parallel and very small in size. The light is extremely
bright and can produce images or fringes that are quite
sharp when employed in an optical system. Therefore,
laser-based instrumentation is the best choice for precise
measurement.
Probe assembly
Operation: Most modern CMMs invariably employ
computer control. A computer offers a high degree of
versatility, convenience, and reliability.
A modern CMM is very similar in operation to a
computer numerical control (CNC) machine, because both
control and measurement cycles are under the control of
the computer. A user-friendly software provides the
required functional features.
The software comprises the following three components: