Dimensional Measurement Blog

If you work in an industry that requires dimensional inspection, you know how important it is to get accurate, precise measurements in a timely manner. Poor testing procedures and equipment can cost you a lot of time and money, both in the short-term and in the long-term. In order to meet minimum quality standards you need the right equipment and a trained staff that knows how to use it. 

Because such a high degree of specialization is required, many businesses opt to outsource dimensional inspection services to a provider that has the necessary expertise. In addition to being cost-effective, another benefit of outsourcing these services is the ability to obtain independent third-party validation.

Look for these seven features in a dimensional inspection service:

1. Equipment quality - State-of-the-art measuring instruments are required to get the most precise measurements. Ensure that any provider you work with uses only the best available equipment.
2. Facility quality - A good provider will have an environmentally controlled facility with high security standards. Customer confidentiality should be a priority and the provider's facilities and policies should be reflective of this commitment.
3. Testing diversity - There are countless measurement and inspection needs across a broad range of industries. A provider that works across multiple industries and provides a diverse range of testing methods will be able to meet your dimensional inspection needs, no matter how your business changes over time.
4. Trained staff - The most sophisticated equipment is useless without highly trained metrologists, test engineers, and technicians to operate it and analyze results.
5. Regulatory standards - Look for a provider that is ISO 17025 accredited to the minimum standards required in your industry. All measurements should also meet NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) traceability standards.
6. Reporting capability - Analysis of test results is a critical part of the dimensional inspection process. A good provider should be able to customize reports so that you and all other stakeholders can clearly and quickly understand the test results.
7. Portability - In some cases, you may need the equipment and the testing personnel to come to your facility.

Q-Plus Labs meets all these criteria and more. We are a full-service provider with expertise in a variety of industries, manufacturing methods, and testing technologies. Whether you need to validate a valve for a race car, the curvature of a prosthetic, or a surface profilometry measurement for a machined part, our highly trained staff has the expertise and the technology to do it. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing your dimensional inspection needs.

Dimensional measurement is useful for much more than just production line setup and quality control. Manufacturing businesses can also greatly benefit from dimensional measurement in both prototypes and research.

Dimensional inspection during the production process can help prevent costly errors such as:

• Flawed batches - A production line that creates duplicate products requires precision setup and alignment. Errors in the production line can lead to entire batches of flawed goods, which can be quite costly for business owners. Dimensional measurement is worth the investment to prevent these expensive mistakes.
• Defective parts - Using dimensional inspection as part of the quality control process for high-precision manufacturing ensures that each part meets the required specifications.

Quality control is essential for producing consistent products, but implementing dimensional measurement even earlier in the process can help you prevent costly manufacturing errors that can lead to the following problems:

• Friction - Using a part that is just a little too large can result in friction, which leads to a shorter equipment life and possibly even greater problems. Using dimensional inspection to create properly sized parts can help prevent this problem.
• Stiction - Surface characteristics and size of manufacturing components can be very important in preventing stiction problems that may cause motors to work harder and become less efficient. Ensuring that a component is properly sized and has the specified surface characteristics can reduce errors caused by stiction.
• Mechanical stress - Improper alignment can put unnecessary stress on ball bearings and moving parts, causing more wear and tear on the machinery and possibly leading to equipment failure. Laser alignment can help prevent this problem and lengthen equipment life.

The entire point of manufacturing is to create a process that is repeatable, scalable, and reliable. When successful, it results in lower manufacturing costs and lower pricing for the end user. However, precise, accurate measurements are required for any manufacturing line to be successful.

Q-PLUS Labs offers a broad range of dimensional measurement services to help you avoid these manufacturing errors and more. Starting with a capability study is an excellent way to save time and money and improve the efficiency of your manufacturing process. Contact us today to learn more or to discuss how we can work together.

Dimensional measurement has very different meanings for different industries, which is one of the reasons it can be so difficult to determine what type of equipment to purchase. Even if you know exactly what you need to measure, there are still a lot of steps in the process before you make a purchase.

Dimensional Measurement Criteria

Specifying the equipment is the first step in the process. You will need to ask and answer a series of questions, including the following:

• How precise do you need to be? This is perhaps the most important question you must answer. Precision is a limiting factor that must be addressed early in the purchasing process. If you buy equipment that is unable to meet your precision requirements, it will be useless for your project.
• Do you need to meet regulatory requirements? If you work in an industry that requires regulatory reporting or auditing, it is important to take the correct measurements at the correct level of precision.
• How long will you need to use the equipment? Testing a series of prototypes may require you to use the equipment for several months and then no longer have a need for it. On the other hand, testing equipment for a production line will be in operation more frequently and for a longer period of time. In this case, it's important to select equipment that is durable and reliable.
• Is your staff trained to use the equipment? When it comes to dimensional measurement, the testing procedure can be just as important the equipment itself. Make sure you have qualified staff or an adequate training budget before you make a purchase.
• What is your budget? Knowing how much money you have to spend on equipment, staff, training, and operation is a critical factor in purchasing dimensional measurement products. You may find that purchasing used equipment is more cost effective, or decide that you can only support one type of measurement in-house?
• What is the size range of the parts? Smaller parts need different equipment than larger parts.
• What are the parts made of? Measuring soft rubber requires different sensors than hard metal.
• How difficult is it to use, calibrate, and repair the equipment? While your staff may be trained to use the equipment, it's important to know what type of support you will receive from the manufacturer and the supplier. 

Work with a Dimensional Measurement Expert

Because there are so many factors to consider when making such an important decision, it's important to work with a qualified specialist throughout the purchasing process. A good provider will work with you through every step of the process:

1. Specify - You should go through a rigorous process to determine exactly what type of equipment you need. This will include answering the above questions and many more to ensure that your new equipment can meet your needs and integrate successfully into the rest of your process.
2. Purchase - After deciding what type of equipment you need, you have to decide which manufacturer to go with, whether to rent or buy, and whether to buy new or used products.
3. Set Up - A good provider will continue to support you after you've made a purchase. Proper set up is critical for accurate results.
4. Integrate - If your new equipment is part of a larger process, integration with other systems is a necessary part of setting it up.
5. Validate - After setup and integration, your new equipment must be tested to ensure that it is working properly.

In addition to providing outsourced dimensional measurement services, Q-Plus Labs also resells new, pre-owned, and custom measurement and inspection equipment. We work with a broad range of manufacturers and only sell equipment that we have approved to work in our own lab, so you can be confident that it will work for you. Contact us today to learn more about the products and services we offer.

A recent Frost & Sullivan report has indicated that more and more industries are cutting back on their internal dimensional inspection resources because of limited funds and a lack of skilled technicians.  The most viable solutions for many companies it to outsource this valuable service to third-party providers like Q-Plus Labs.

When it comes to dimensional inspection, the more accuracy you have, the better the outcome will be. In many cases, this means applying different measurement techniques for different applications. The same equipment and technology will not be used to measure both automobile parts, medical devices, and the sharpness of an instrument. By the same token, a diverse staff of trained professionals is required to provide dimensional inspection services across multiple categories.

Reasons to Include Dimensional Inspection in Manufacturing
Regardless of the industry or the type of dimensional inspection required, there are some universal reasons to include this valuable step in your manufacturing:

1. Risk management - Testing products or components before they enter the manufacturing process helps you reduce overall risk and liability. You can identify and solve problems before they become costly, or even worse, disastrous. Whether you are testing the roundness of a precision bearing or the curvature of the interior thread root of a bolt, accurate measurements can mean the difference between failure and success.
    
2. More effective decision making - Sometimes a process or product that looks good on paper does not seem like such a good idea when it becomes a reality. Advance measurements can help you make key decisions during the development process, before it's too late to make changes.
    
3. Ability to determine process capability - If the end product requires high levels of pressure, force, shear, or any other extreme environment, validating a process or equipment with a capability study before it is subjected to these conditions can save your business a lot of time and money. In fact, any products that will be going into high-volume production should have a capability study as part of process control.
    
4. Regulatory compliance - Depending on your industry, you may need to meet certain regulatory requirements. Validating these requirements before submitting to an audit is the best way to ensure that you are compliant.
    

Applications for Dimensional Inspection
The applications that can benefit from this type of measurement and testing are countless; these are just a few examples:

• Wall thickness of bottles, pipes, castings, and formed sheet metal
• Settling disputes between manufacturers and subcontractors
• Video, laser, and light scanning for objects that are too small or soft for contact measurements
• Nano measurements for surface finishes, extremely small parts, and high-precision instruments
• Fully-automated CMM inspection to test manufactured parts for conformance to engineering drawing requirements

Q-Plus Labs has the equipment, technology, and knowledge to provide the dimensional inspection services you need for your products. Whether you need to analyze large contours, measure dimensions at the nano level, or perform a specialized non-contact inspection, we have the necessary resources to provide accurate, unbiased results in whatever format you require. 

Contact us or download one of our many product and services brochures to learn more about dimensional inspection and the many other services Q-Plus Labs offers.

How has dimensional inspection benefited your business in the past?