New BINDT Corporate Member at forefront of measurement technology
20/10/2021
The Wenzel Group has been at the forefront of measurement technology for over 50 years. Wenzel is synonymous with high-quality machines manufactured from the finest materials while delivering customer-focused technical solutions and premium levels of customer service. With an installed base of over 10,000 machines worldwide, Wenzel has subsidiaries and agents in more than 50 countries to provide after-sales service support to its customers.Wenzel UK has been operational since 1994. The company’s recently-opened Technology Centre is located in Coalville in the heart of the UK. This brand new facility includes a high-accuracy coordinate measuring machine (CMM), a shop floor CMM with Renishaw REVO-2 head, a CORE D CMM with the hybrid head for touch-trigger and non-contact measurement and an exaCT M X-ray computed tomography (CT) machine with 225 kV source.
Wenzel’s extensive range of products is suited to all areas of metrology, from traditional surface geometry inspection using CMMs to measurement of internal defects and voids using X-ray CT inspection. This wide product portfolio allows Wenzel equipment to thrive in many industries. The company prides itself on working with larger original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Rolls-Royce Cars, Bentley Motors, Renishaw and Jaguar Land Rover and, more recently, working with smaller emerging companies such as CMR Surgical. The more focused small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) such as CMR use Wenzel’s metrology equipment to measure the surgical tools of the future. This is an attractive partnership for both parties to develop products targeted at specific applications to work on best practices while improving processes and keeping return on investment at the forefront of any decisions.
With over 10% of its turnover invested back into research and development (R&D), the company’s exaCT L won the 2020 Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award. Wenzel also released a new gear measurement machine (GMM) at its Wenzel Expo, which took place from 7 to 8 July. This was held as a hybrid event with both in-person and online attendees. The expo also gave participants a chance to take a virtual company tour to view the metrology manufacturing plant.
The CMM product group is formed from traditional bridge-style CMMs, horizontal arm CMMs, gantry CMMs and a range of shop floor CMMs, which remain accurate and repeatable even in the toughest production environments. Wenzel is highly regarded for high-accuracy CMMs, which are capable of sub-micron levels of accuracy and increased longevity. There are customer machines in use that are still running more than 30 years after installation! The machines are capable of this extended usage time due to the accuracy and quality of the components used in the company’s CMM range. The all-granite frame offers stiffness, rigidity and optimal thermal coefficient for high-accuracy metrology.
The CORE range of CMMs offers optical high-speed scanning solutions and the ability to measure at the speed of light. The unique ‘Double-eye’ sensor can measure parts at an angle of 85° from normal. This is combined with five-axis measurement to offer accurate and repeatable measurement of components such as turbine blades and medical parts. The hybrid-head introduces a touch-trigger probe alongside non-contact measurement. The newly released Wenzel RS-C white light interferometer probe adds non-contact surface finish measurement to the range.
For deeper insights into parts, the exaCT range of X-ray CT machines offers a non-destructive method of measuring internal and external features as well as defects within the components. The exaCT range comes in a variety of powers and sizes. These range from the bench-top exaCT S to the exaCT U with large measurement volume and 300 kV source. The latest addition to the X-ray CT range, the exaCT L, offers high powers up to 225 kV with 1600 W, which sets new standards in scanning speeds. The exaCT range also has the option for additional robot loading, allowing the inspection process to be fully automated.
Within the Technology Centre in Coalville is housed a smaller exaCT M. With a 225 kV source it can penetrate dense parts and allow internal and external features to be measured. Internal defects and voids can easily be measured with the Wenzel CT Analyzer. Third-party software such as Volume Graphics or Polyworks can also be used to analyse the data.
It is now more important than ever to supply hardware with a range of software options. These include Wenzel Quartis, Wenzel Pointmaster, Modus and Polyworks. Wenzel Quartis offers a flexible metrology software that works across the full range of hardware. This broad software range ensures the correct software and hardware is available for the measurement task at hand.
As well as offering new metrology equipment, Wenzel has access to a wide range of ex-demo and second-user machines. Furthermore, the Service Department offers upgrades and retrofits to third-party manufacturers’ equipment. This includes upgrading CMMs to run the latest in sensor technology such as the REVO 2 from Renishaw and various non-contact laser scanners. All upgrades improve the speed and accuracy of data collection and are installed by experienced engineers.
Wenzel welcomes members of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) to contact them to discuss any measurement requirements or to answer any metrology questions they may have. The company is keen to accept part samples to perform example measurements to be undertaken on a variety of Wenzel metrology equipment to highlight the accuracy of the machines on actual parts and offer the opportunity to spend time with the engineers in person or using an online viewer. To get in touch, email sales@uk.wenzel-cmm.com or telephone +44 (0)115 939 8550.
www.wenzel-group.com
