Centering device enables faster positioning for bearing rings and other flat workpieces.
Mahr Engineered Solutions has developed an accessory for the MarForm MMQ 500 that’s designed to convert the tactile shaft measuring machine into a measuring station for bearing rings that can operate near the production line.
Consisting of an aluminum base plate with three embedded magnets and three support rails, the accessory is designed to be mounted on the centering and tilting table of Mahr’s form-measuring machine. The magnets secure the centering position of the bearing ring or any other flat, rotationally symmetrical workpiece up to 110 mm in diameter.
Three levers enable operators to center workpieces from 20 mm to 330 mm manually using a single handle. Pulling the handle moves all three levers simultaneously to the center of the fixture, aligning the workpiece with the MarForm MMQ 500’s C-axis. The levers then swing back automatically to avoid interfering with inspection of the form and location characteristics of the workpiece.
Mahr is also offering an optional clamping device for parts with more complex geometries, as well as a housing with a traffic-light status indicator and worker interface. The hardware can also be combined with software designed to evaluate bearing rings for vibration velocity and wall-thickness variation.
The company has stated in a release that the accessory was originally developed for a major customer but is now available as an add-on to the MarForm MMQ 500 due to “the flexible application possibilities and the high customer benefit.”
Mahr touts the MarForm MMQ 500 as being fast, precise and applicable to a wide range of workpieces, including heavy parts weighing up to 80 kg. According to the company, automatic alignments from 1,000 µm to 1 µm using the centering and tilting table built into the MarForm MMQ 500 are 75% faster than the same alignments on the MarForm MMQ 44.
The machine can measure form and position, roughness, contour, waviness and line form. Like many of the latest quality tools, it’s intended to be user friendly, requiring minimal training to operate and allowing for components to be positioned with only one hand. According to Mahr, the combination of a rigid C-axis bearing and the one-handed design of the centering accessory makes the MarForm MMQ 500 suitable to be used close to the production line.
Industry applications include bearing production, automaking—for steering components, braking systems, gearboxes, and motors—and the manufacture of hip and knee endoprostheses and medical screws.
