CD Laboratory for Precision Engineering for automated In-Line Metrology

The CD Laboratory develops high-resolution 3D measurement systems to meet the increasing demands for product reliability and throughput in modern production systems. Highest precision and flexibility are often required to carry out measurements directly in the line and to determine various product properties.

There is an increasing demand for high-precision measuring systems that can be used versatilely and customised to the respective application. The workpieces are becoming increasingly complex and include, for example, free-form surfaces, additive manufacturing and a high local resolution, which now extends into the nanometre range.

By integrating optical point and line sensors with high-precision motion systems and state-of-the-art signal processing, the CD Laboratory develops 3D measurement systems with the highest resolution and measurement speed. New methods for system design and the integration of precision mechatronic systems are developed in the course of basic research, for example to design new mechatronic systems for scan-based measurements with the highest performance. An integrated approach makes it possible to optimise the interaction between the mechatronic measurement and positioning system and the real-time control system as early as the design phase, taking into account all components and the requirements of the actual target application.

Furthermore, research in the CD Laboratory is concerned with the development of methods for flexible and planar measurement data recording, as well as new and efficient algorithms for their automated evaluation. These methods ultimately form the basis for automated measurements directly in the production line, for dimensional measurements, as well as colour measurements and for the characterisation of optical components.

The results of the research in the CD Laboratory will primarily be fast, flexible and versatile systems for non-contact 3D measurement that can measure directly in the line in robot-based measurement applications, for example, in order to control product quality with high resolution and high throughput and to monitor production systems.