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Technology update
Fast track
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Composite manufacturer Brookhouse Holdings has installed a 3-D tracking laser system for use in connection with its work on the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Leica LTD 500 tracking laser interferometer incorporates a high-precision absolute distance measurement capability. It can take up to 1000 3-D measurements per second, which are then converted, encoded, stored, and displayed on an integral PC. Hard-copy reports can be generated and data exported to other Windows 95 compatible applications.
Interferometry systems involve measurements of changes in the distance between two reference points – in the Brookhouse application, between a reflector and a measuring head. The built-in infrared absolute-distance meter allows measurement to be recommended almost immediately in the event of the beam being broken, which saves time when measuring large, complex objects such as mold tools. In addition, by using an existing file of reference coordinates, sequential point measurement of a tooling jig with fixed reflector targets can be achieved. A sophisticated software algorithm enables the operator to make a quick and approximate manual measurement of the first three points, with the remaining points in the file automatically measured and their coordinates calculated.
The Leica system is fully portable. It can be located alongside the component to be measured instead of being installed in a central, air-conditioned measuring facility.
Stuart Birch
Aerospace Engineering July 2000
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