Forward Groundbreaking Production Technologies

Written by Vishal Ranjan | Updated: September 18, 2025

Forward Production Monitoring Technologies

New manufacturing technologies are advanced by very accurate metrology. As an interdisciplinary research organization, SPSM collaborates on the creation of innovative manufacturing technologies with prominent European partners like the UK Future Metrology Hub or the German Fraunhofer IPA (Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation). The platform runs its measurement facility, the Sino-British Center on Smart Metrology and Quality Assurance, and views metrology as one of the critical essential competencies required to achieve this. The greatest level of user orientation and cutting-edge technology tools for project partners and business clients define this center. Yu Quin, the center’s metrology manager, explains that the goal of the center is to develop and advance innovative manufacturing technologies using high-precision metrology. She selects the measurement techniques and technology that are used. “At our measuring center, we work with the most reputable vendors and proven technologies,” she claims. The measurement service for customers in industries including tool and mold production, the automobile sector, and aviation is a significant component of the product line. When complicated components with minute surface details and close tolerances need to be checked, they contact Yu Quin’s team. The collaboration with Bruker Alicona has been going on since the end of 2019, and it promises further opportunities and advantages for businesses. Use one system to check both dimensions’ accuracy and roughness.

Geometry and roughness measurements for PCD tools in the tool industry

One of many examples that demonstrates how surface quality and geometric features both affect a component’s functionality is a PCD tool. Together with chipping, the verification of the shape parameters takes into account the radius, rake, chip, and clearance angles. The roughness parameters on the chip and clearance surface have a substantial impact on the surface quality of the machined workpiece, whereas these features affect the tool life of the diamond tool.

Aviation: Cooling hole and break edge geometry

Break-edge measurement of turbine engine components is one of the most often requested services from the aviation sector. The measured geometries are frequently only a few tenths of a millimeter, and the machined or rounded edges must adhere to strict tolerances. Focus: From several angles, variation is appropriate here. It allows for the measurement of extremely bright regions with steep flanks and captures the geometry in high resolution, enabling the precise assessment of even the slightest form deviations. We are getting more and more requests to assess the cooling hole geometry in addition to break edge measurement, according to Yu Quin. According to her, one of the most important fields of metrology is the geometric verification of cooling holes. This application necessitates a high level of automation in addition to technology that can measure the geometry and location of the cooling holes in comparison to a reference system. We are aware of measurement projects that call for the verification of up to 500 separate cooling holes in various locations. The center considers Bruker Alicona to be a suitable supplier in this area as well, and it is considering whether to expand the current measuring systems with suitable solutions. The SPSM Metrology Center will soon have the optical micro coordinate measuring machine (CMM) necessary for this measurement task.

For real-time data production monitoring, automation is essential.

According to Yu Quin, the three biggest developments in measuring technology for the future are automation, networked manufacturing, and measurement data analysis. Automation and networking, according to her, are the clear advantages in the race for effective manufacturing techniques of complex parts since they enable the collection of real-time process data for adaptive production planning and manufacturing optimization. Being a provider of tried-and-true automation solutions, including networking with current production and IT systems, Bruker Alicona is a beneficial partner for this project. So, there are developments planned for the future. For clients and project partners of the Shanghai Manufacturing Platform for Smart Manufacturing, one may claim that these are exciting chances.