CD Laboratory for Precision Measurements in Motion

This CD Laboratory develops methods for precise 3D measurements on continuously moving objects as well as advanced robotic inline measurement systems. The aim is to achieve comparable performance and reliability for flexible and high-resolution measurements directly in the production line as in a controlled laboratory environment.

Measuring systems are indispensable for modern industrial production. The reason is that the precision of manufacturing systems can never be better than that of the measuring system used to guide the production process. The most cost- and resource-efficient option is measurement directly in the production line. However, current inline measuring systems are no longer able to cope with the increasing demands placed on modern production systems. Motion and vibration-induced motion blur prevents high-resolution measurements from being carried out. In order to keep pace with this development, flexible robotic inline measuring systems are required that are able to handle the movement of the measurement object and offer comparable performance and reliability to laboratory measuring systems.

By integrating optical measurement principles, mechatronics and control technology, the CD Laboratory is developing the basis for advanced 3D inline measurement systems that can dynamically create a local, laboratory-like environment between the measurement object and a corresponding optical 3D sensor system. To this end, optomechatronic processes for active real-time compensation of the relative movement between the measurement object and the 3D sensor system are being researched. Optical sensor principles and integration methods are being developed to enable the precise measurement of lateral movements of any technical surface. In addition, research focuses on new data processing strategies for high-throughput measurements and advanced, learning-based processing algorithms, which form the basis for the design of intelligent correction methods for acquired measurement data based on precise movement data of the measurement object.

In order to optimise the use of motion compensation and correction, an integrated system design approach is pursued that takes into account all system components and their dependencies. The holistic set of developed methods will significantly increase the performance of inline measurement systems by minimising the motion-induced uncertainty component and, depending on the target application, enable a customised system architecture for high-precision 3D measurements on moving measurement objects.

The research results of the CD Laboratory will enable unique solutions for advanced and flexible robotic inline measurement systems capable of monitoring product quality with high throughput and comparable reliability to laboratory conditions directly in the production line to monitor modern production systems in real time for resource efficiency.