With a new member in the METROTOM® family, Carl
Zeiss is once again setting standards in CT-based coordinate measuring technology:
The new METROTOM 800 computer tomograph was specifically developed for 3D measurements
and structural inspections of complex parts made of plastic, composite materials
and ceramic. With the help of metrotomography® - the combination of metrology
and tomography - this measuring system enables both the dimensional measurement
of the geometry and the inspection of the interior structure of parts up to
150 millimeters. Carl Zeiss thus fulfills the expectations on extensive quality
assurance of the manufacturers and users of such parts.
The x-ray-based METROTOM 800 coordinate measuring machine from Carl Zeiss is the leading measuring system in its class for 3D measurements, material and defect analyses of complex parts made of plastic, composite materials and ceramic.
“With the METROTOM 800, we systematically implemented the ideas and suggestions
of our customers in the injection molded and die-cast part industries. With
its price-performance ratio, this coordinate measuring machine meets the needs
of many mid-sized enterprises in the plastic and aluminum die casting industry
and will lead to the further expansion of this technology," says Dr. Hubert
Lettenbauer who is in charge of the large/x-ray business unit at Carl Zeiss.
The key performance features of METROTOM 800:
- The maintenance-free x-ray technology results in extremely low maintenance
costs and thus minimal downtimes.
- The small focal point of the x-ray source generates razor-sharp projection
images on the detector. The high physical resolution of the x-ray detector
of around 3 million pixels enables very high detail recognition.
- Thanks to the combination of the familiar precise kinematics from Carl
Zeiss and innovative calibration procedures, METROTOM 800 achieves measuring
accuracy of 4.5 µm + L/100.
- Through the use of polymer concrete for the enclosure, the use of lead
can be largely avoided. Here, Carl Zeiss demonstrates how the utilization
of modern materials can protect employees, system operators and the environment
- while implementing perfect measuring technology, ergonomic excellence
and a corresponding design.
METROTOM 800: flexibility
The properties of METROTOM 800 enable users to reduce internal processes.
The innovative metrotomography procedure makes structures on parts visible and
permits metrology evaluations, which would otherwise be very time-consuming
and technically involved with standard measuring technology.
With METROTOM 800, parts with difficult-to-reach structures can be quickly
and easily measured non-destructively. It is no longer necessary to cover the
parts with synthetic resin and gradually destroy them to be able to measure
two-dimensionally plane-by-plane. In addition to dimensional metrology, the
complete 3D capture of a workpiece makes it possible to compare CAD models and
measurement data sets. The color-coded, easy-to-interpret display of a geometry
comparison provides meaningful information about the dimensional stability of
the entire workpiece. The single measuring results no longer have to be viewed
and assessed to evaluate parts - another way to save time and money.
Metrotomography enables injection-molding or die-casting toolmakers to reduce
the number of corrections during development. The part deviations determined
by the measuring software are used to optimize the tool form. The reduction
of the tool corrections leads to faster availability of the parts on the market.
In addition to metrology, a non-destructive material and defect analysis -
porosity analysis, material inspection and assembly checks - can also
be performed using a measured data set without significant effort. Furthermore,
the production process can be optimized and monitored; products are quickly
and easily checked for defects.
Just like the larger model METROTOM 1500, METROTOM 800 is extremely user-friendly.
Operators can start using the system after only a short training course. Those
who already use CALYPSO® measuring software from Carl Zeiss can switch to
metrotomography with practically no additional training and take advantage of
its full functionality.
Thanks to its performance features and attractive price, METROTOM 800 is the
ideal system for mid-sized operations in the plastics industry. As a result
of the maintenance-free x-ray technology, users have very low running costs.