Qualiturn Products Ltd has reduced the inspection time of its turned parts to just seconds using the Sylvac Scan F60T optical measurement centre. Located in Hertord, Qualiturn Products Ltd was founded in 1974 and is now one of the leading suppliers of precision mill-turned components in the UK.

Nick Groom, Managing Director at Qualiturn Products Ltd said: “We’ve made a commitment at Qualiturn to update our processes in a way that makes everything much more efficient, and the Sylac Scan has been a key tool in achieving that.

Measurements are so fast they’re practically instant, increasing our speed of measurement immeasurably, and adding the reassurance of consistent process and quality. Anyone can load the machine with a part for measurement and get the same answer every time. It completely removes the problem of human error, in turn significantly raising accuracy and quality levels.”

Many of the parts manufactured by Qualiturn are required to meet exceptionally high levels of accuracy and tight tolerances. Manufactured components range from those used by hobbyists, parts for the electronics industry, as well as medical products that require strict process traceability and assurances of consistent quality.

As the sole distributor for Sylvac products in the UK, Bowers Group provided Qualiturn with a Sylvac Scan F60T. Designed especially for the non-contact measurement of cylindrical turned parts, this sophisticated optical measurement centre was the perfect solution for Qualiturn.

The Sylvac Scan is used by staff at Qualiturn to capture measurements at various stages of the production process; from first off measurements, checks during production, and for final part inspection. It has successfully allowed Qualiturn to increase productivity with a significant reduction in inspection time; providing fast, accurate and repeatable measurement for manufactured components.

The Sylvac Scan enables Qualiturn to carry out a complete component scan in under 3 seconds, taking multiple precision measurements at the same time, and with easy data output. Able to accommodate a measuring range of 60mm diameter and 300mm in length, and a scanning speed of 100mm per second, the Sylvac Scan enables all parts to be measured quickly and accurately. This enhanced measurement capability not only increases the speed of measurement, but also the return on investment.

Nick Groom continued: “We carried out a capability study on the Sylvac Scan F60T, and found such a massive improvement that it made perfect sense for us to invest. The Sylvac Scan F60T allows us to set up and save measurement programmes that can be repeated for the job life of the components that we produce. This reassurance of process is invaluable to us. We’ve made a commitment at Qualiturn to update our processes in a way that makes everything much more efficient, and the Sylac Scan has been a key tool in achieving that.

We were able to transfer our old measurement programmes onto the new scan centre with ease, essentially allowing us to pick up where we left off, and the support from Bowers Group was excellent during this process.”

The Senior Inspector at Qualiturn, said: “In my opinion, the Sylvac Scan F60T is 90% better than the previous solution we had. The biggest benefits are down to its speed, how easy it is to programme, and the increase in quality as a result.

It’s also very easy to calibrate; calibration programmes are set into the system so that the machine calibrates itself. It’s just much quicker, far more versatile, easier to use, and makes the job easier - a really good bit of kit!”

After more than 40 years at the cutting edge of CNC precision turning and milling component manufacture, Qualiturn strives to provide customers with the complete package; quality products, customer support, and high levels of service. Qualiturn manufactures 8.75 million turned parts per year, is heavily focussed on driving efficiencies within the business, and on the quality and credibility of its products.

As part of a drive to make Qualiturn’s processes even more efficient, the business carefully assessed ways it could improve. Qualiturn has always had a scanner as part of its inspection department, but due to the modernisation of the factory and the businesses’ ongoing investment in a variety of new machines, Qualiturn decided it was time to replace its Tesa-Scan 50 with a more sophisticated machine.

The Sylvac Scan F60 range is designed for use on the shop floor; its enclosure includes a door and safety curtain, integrated calibration master, temperature sensors and LED status light. The Reflex One Click technology also offers part recognition and auto measure with one button click.
Quick release tooling is ideal for making rapid part change overs, combined with sophisticated software giving immediate visual results, assisting in providing essential efficiencies in a busy working environment.

Exclusive to the Sylvac Scan F60T, this model features exclusive helix tilting system which enables sensors to tilt to a 30 degree angle. This ensures that measurements taken for threads are very precise, taking data on the flank, thread and root with ease.