Introduction to N.C.M., a Non Contact Measurement Tool

About the Book

This book is designed for the quality professional and student. It explains what a non contact measurement tool is, what it does, how it takes a measurement, why it would be used, how to utilize the data, what the benefit of using it is, how the measurement is made within a coordinate measurement grid and compares it to other coordinate measurement tools. With examples and visual aids throughout, under standing what is read is simplified.

Examples include algorithms, measurement data, comparing measurements, root causing dimensional problems based on the data, data comparisons to other measurement tools, and correlation to other measurement tools.

With a better understanding of the source of the data and how is it derived, the quality professional will have an improved ability to be proactive in preventing a quality issue from becoming another scrap part.

About the Author

The author has accumulated over twenty years of hands on experience working with laser measurement systems.

He has obtained, technical training from two different manufactures of this type of measurement equipment and is recognized as one of the most proficient users of this measuring tool by Perceptron Inc., a manufacturer of the equipment.

It had become apparent there was a lack of basic knowledge concerning the use of this type of measurement tool, and the ability to trust the measurement data it generated. Most of this misunderstanding stemmed from the attitude " If I cannot see it measure, then I cannot trust the data" and some mistrust of the data, came from the lack of not understanding how it performs the measurement within a coordinate grid measurement system.

He has also noted the interest of this type of measuring tool from a local collage in his home state and other companies that came to tour his place of employment were referred to him for assistance in answering questions about the equipment.

Over the years, he has transformed the use of the equipment at his employer from being used as a source of reference only measurement data to the intended decision making data.

The need to educate others on the basics of this type of measuring tool became apparent with every lost opportunity of product quality improvement, improper usage and misunderstood expectations of the equipment.

By increasing the awareness, understanding, and confidence in the equipments ability to provide the much-needed measurements, he has been able to improve his quality departments' response to preventing minor issues from becoming major ones and solving major quality issues in far less time than is required with a manual measurement method. Improved utilization of the equipment has also been realized.

By continuously providing familiar statistical data, proving the equipments capability, and reliability, he continues to educate others that the data provided by a Non-Contact-Measurement system, is very reliable and highly beneficial to the company.