Case Study: m&h UK achieves real-time in-process 100% inspection with Hexagon probing technology

m&h UK - Customer Case Study

m&h UK, a manufacturer of precision machining equipment, introduced a new hard-wired touch probing system from vendor Hexagon (m&h Inprocess Messtechnik) to address the challenge of performing real-time, in-process quality control on sliding-head CNC lathes. The challenge was to measure milled and turned features on every component immediately after machining while it was still held in the machine, thereby eliminating the need for subsequent manual inspection and reducing scrap from parts drifting out of tolerance due to insert wear.

The solution involved mounting a fixed Hexagon type 41.00 probe on the lathe's headstock, allowing for rapid measurement of critical dimensions with micron-level accuracy. Hexagon also provided the necessary interfaces and custom measuring programs. This implementation resulted in a 20% productivity increase, a 10% reduction in scrap, and two extra hours of unmanned running per day for an early adopter. The system also allowed for automatic tool offset updates and enabled cutters to be used until they fail, significantly reducing tooling expenditure.