INTEGRATED LASER CMM SYSTEM FOR THE DIMENSIONAL INSPECTION OF OBJECTS MADE OF SOFT MATERIAL

The applications of the coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) with a contact trigger probe to the dimensional inspection of manufactured products are restricted to the parts made of hard material, such as steel. By combining the laser and CMM, the applications of the CMMs can be extended to the inspection of objects made of soft materials, such as foils, plastics, wood, wax and clay materials. In this research, replacing the contact probe with an inexpensive laser sensor is attempted so as to eliminate the possible deflection of the component being measured when using contact probe. By combining a laser sensor with the existing automated inspection environment, a CAD-directed, three-dimensional coordinate sampling system which can perform non-contact dimensional inspection is developed.