High precision ultrasonic on-machine measurement

The integration of metrology into the manufacturing process is getting more and more important for production technology. The measurement directly on machine tools is especially improving manufacturing strategies. So far optical or tactile measuring systems are state-of-the-art for dimensional measurements in process metrology. However, the wall thickness of structures with inner cavities cannot be measured with these systems. Due to these deficits, an ultrasonic system has been integrated into the periphery of a machine tool. Both the extensive signal processing of the acoustic echoes and the developed software tool “μ-sonic” are discussed in the paper. The objective of this article is to illustrate the potential of the ultrasonic in-line measurement. Finally, a practical application for the individual machining of gas cylinders and initial results are presented.