Following our recent collaboration with Strathclyde University; Calman Technology has invested in new, state of the art metrology equipment. This development allows us to offer our customers more accurate, dependable dimensional data of their manufactured product.

It's accuracy and repeatability offer unsurpassed peace of mind. The benefits apply to membrane keypads, graphic overlays, labels and printed electronics as the control of the physical attributes of all these products can be critical. The fit of a part to its host device is crucial as it can have both an aesthetic and a functional purpose. 

An area where Calman Technology differs from other manufacturers is in its early adoption of CNC cutting in place of conventional knife tooling. Although we still use hard tooling where appropriate the advantages of using CNC mean it's our main production cutting process. Lower tooling costs, flexibility, accuracy and efficiency are its key benefits. CNC cut files can be easily modified or adjusted in a way that hard tools can't. The new co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM) allows us to be far more precise in measuring the actual cut size of the part against the CAD file and this means that the cut files become more accurate.

As well as enabling us to be more accurate at the prototype or set-up stage by comparing the actual cut to CAD data the system is very fast and efficient which allows it to be used to control cur profiles in volume production ensuring no dimensional drift occurs due to blade wear or other processing factors.

Many parts that we manufacture may be bonded into a recess in a moulding or substrate, so creating an accurate and consistent cut profile is of key importance to ensure a snug fit that can be replicated and monitored effectively.

In addition to measuring cut features we are also able to very accurately measure printed features of a product as well as the relation of print and cut features registration.

The new state of the art measuring equipment at Calman Technology provides benefits in a number of different ways:

• CNC cut profiles can be scanned at the first-off inspection stage and areas out of tolerance colour coded to allow easy modification to the cut file.
• Sample parts from clients can be scanned to allow for more accurate and speedy reverse engineering.
• Mouldings and enclosures can be scanned and profiles generated or compared to the artwork to ensure a superior fit.
• The first off inspection report (FOIR) is stored in the cloud and can be viewed or sent electronically

Through this investment we aim to improve support to our clients through the design and development stage of their product as well as throughout the subsequent manufacturing life of the product.