Nordam Europe 'flies' the Faro way

Citation

(1999), "Nordam Europe 'flies' the Faro way", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771eab.011

Nordam Europe 'flies' the Faro way

Nordam Europe "flies" the Faro way

Keywords: CAD, Software, Measurement, Components, Faro UK

Warwickshire-based Faro UK reports that it has provided Nordam Europe's quality management department with a comprehensive measurement solution that guarantees the dimensional integrity of its refurbished aviation components.

The Gwent-based nacelle component overhaul and repair specialist has implemented Faro's FaroArm Silver Series 12 model as part of a complete portable co-ordinate measuring system. Together with Faro's 3D CAD-based measurement and design software, AnthroCAM, the "Turnkey System" is used to monitor the contour data of the company's tooling fixtures for potential size changes occurring over time.

Part of the Nordam Group - whose facilities in Tulsa, USA and Singapore have serviced the commercial aircraft industry for over 30 years - Nordam Europe, equipped with the prompt, accurate data which the "Faro Turnkey System" delivers, now has "the" cost-efficient means to develop a schedule for tool assessment and renewal.

After their use within Nordam Europe's state-of-the-art autoclave as part of the bonding process, the fixtures are carefully measured for distortion. Points on the fixture are collected by touching the FaroArm's probe along its surface and are captured simply by the touch of two buttons on the articulated arm's pistol-grip handle. The detailed 3-D profile which FARO's AnthroCAM software swiftly produces is then instantaneously compared against the fixtures pre-programmed specification.

Constructed of aircraft-grade aluminium with precision bearings and featuring integrated counterbalancing for ease of use, FaroArm was discovered when Nordam Europe's need for a truly portable solution precluded the use of a traditional co-ordinate measuring machine.

A spokesperson for Nordam Europe's quality department said: "We needed an accurate measuring instrument with the versatility to measure a wide range of shapes and sizes, The portability and flexibility of FaroArm mean that our technicians can take the measuring arm directly to wherever it is needed. Such features, together with the user-friendly interface of AnthroCAM software, translate into real time-saving benefits", they added.

Further details are available from Faro UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1926 863036; Fax: +44 (0) 1926 851238; E-mail: UKingdom@faro.com