DYNAMIC 9D LADAR
12Pages

9D LASER DETECTION AND RANGING SYSTEM: THE NEW STANDARD FOR AUTOMATED, NON-CONTACT, OPTICAL DIMENSIONAL METROLOGY API’s 9D LADAR (Laser Detection And Ranging) captures both dimensional and surface geometry data and incorporates a breakthrough technology that is set to revolutionize automated production measurements. The patent-pending 9D LADAR offers the novel interferometry-based non-contact measurement system incorporating Optical Frequency Chirping Interferometry (OFCI) technology. API’s OFCI technology uses 20 kHz speed fast laser chirping to generate a wide spectrum for optical...

• 9D LADAR captures both dimensional and surface geometry data targeting all manufacturing industries including but not limited to; automotive, aerospace, ship building, energy, transportation, machine tool, robotics and construction. • 9D LADAR outperforms traditional, off-line, large volume coordinate measuring machines (CMM) and near-line and in-line inspection solutions using conventional Laser Radar, optical laser-line and structured light scanning systems. • 9D LADAR systems process measured data at the impressive rate of 20,000 points per second and with scanning speeds of 0.2...

9D LADAR COLOR SCAN FUNCTIONALITY • 9D LADAR delivers X, Y, Z, and I, J, K data for each generated cloud point along with the addition of R,G,B, (Red, Green, Blue) data allowing for scanned data to be imaged directly onto the captured camera image. This unique capability allows features with distinct background color contrast, surface vectors, surface roughness etc, where it is difficult to isolate with only the standard 3D point cloud data. • The RGB data contained within the generated point cloud allows a full color representation of the scanned part with associated fidelity, highlighting...

9D LADAR PERFORMANCE COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL LASER RADAR CONVENTIONAL LASER RADAR SYSTEMS Frequency-Modulated Coherent Laser Optical Frequency Chirping Interferometry Scanning Speed Raster Scanning Beam Spot Size Target Reflectivity Incident Angle Inability to measure translucent objects Measurement of translucent objects Core Technology Data Rate Control System 9D LADAR ADVANCED FEATURES • 9D Ladar mounted on an industrial robot can be tracked real-time using API’s 6DoF RADIAN Laser Tracker. Exact 6DoF positioning of the 9D Ladar’s measurements provides unlimited precision robot...

DYNAMIC 9D LADAR AUTOMATION DELIVERING QUALITY 4.0 For more than 30 years, API has pioneered advancements in laser-based metrology equipment for both measurement and calibration tasks. API’s founder and CEO, Dr. Kam Lau, invented the Laser Tracker while working at the USA’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) allowing industrial robot accuracies to be determined. API subsequently delivered the world’s 1st 6DoF Laser Tracker in 1989. API also invented the 1st 6DoF Laser Interferometer for machine tool calibration, allowing all 21 parameters of a machine tool to be...

QUALITY 4.0 APPLICATIONS AUTOMATED PORTABLE MEASUREMENTS The compact size and light-weight design of API’S 9D LADAR allows the instrument to be taken directly to manufacturing locations, allowing automated measurement to be performed quickly and with minimum set-up times. Measurement variability using current manually operated tactile and optical measuring devices are eliminated with execution of all measurements automatically. Existing third-party metrology software’s can be utilized for data reporting, minimizing learning curves and ensuring seamless integration into existing measurement...

NEXT GENERATION ROBOTIC AUTOMATED MEASUREMENTS Non-contact Laser Radar technology has proven its ability to measure automotive parts including full ‘Body-in-White’, as a replacement for CMM measurements adjacent to production lines providing both external and internal measurements of vehicle body regions. 9D LADAR precision automated high-speed ‘raster’ scanning provides both surface geometry point cloud data collection as well as ‘gap and flush’ dimensional data. Laser Radar systems, although offering advantages over CMM measurements, remained too slow to pace production thereby providing...

MULTI-LADAR - IN-LINE BIW INSPECTION To-date in-line inspection of vehicle bodies has been performed by a fixed array of laser-line scanning sensors targeting specific features deemed critical to operations and providing process control rather than specific part inspection data. The high scanning speed and versatility of 9D LADAR allow an in-line inspection paradigm shift by providing a fully programmable measurement solution to be installed, delivering both complete individual car body inspection, (including critical gap and flush measurements), together with overall process control data...

AUTOMATED CMM MEASUREMENT The Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) remains a workhorse of manufacturing organizations due to its benchmark accuracies. Typically, CMMs are isolated away from the manufacturing floor, due to their inability to pace production, and they are typically only used for audit inspection tasks. 9D LADAR can be seamlessly integrated with a large volume gantry or bridge style CMM or can be retrofitted, converting an existing tactile CMM to a high-speed optical solution, negating complex CMM programming and decreasing CMM measurement cycles times 10-fold.

9D LADAR TRACKING AND CALIBRATION Robot mounted Laser Radar measuring systems have traditionally been calibrated and robot positional accuracy compensated using ‘tooling balls’, limiting programmable calibrated robot poses, with the loss of measurement flexibility. API offers Dynamic Tracking of robot positioning using its 6DoF RADIAN Laser Tracker providing accurate real-time robot positioning and, unlimited calibrated robot poses. For applications where customers select tooling ball calibration the high dynamics of the 9D LADAR gimbal, along with high scanning rate, ensures that...