Workpiece temperature measurement and stabilization prior to dimensional measurement

In- or close-to-process dimensional measurement of workpieces allows rapid detection of production errors, which allows responsive corrections. The time required for the component to reach thermal stability before measurement is a more sensitive issue than for post-process coordinate metrology in a measurement laboratory. The traditional approach of waiting for a nominal, empirically selected duration with the component “soaking” in the environment results in considerable inefficiencies. Similarly, surface temperature measurement can have significant uncertainty due to sensor accuracy, deployment and the correlation to the core component temperature. This research analyses surface temperature methods and then utilizes finite element analysis to predict the timespans required by a component to stabilise using different boundary conditions in order to optimise the quality process.