1. © C M C M i cr o s y s t e ms | w w w . c m c . c a
Measuring success
by the micrometre:
Industry-university
collaboration helps
automotive companies
innovate
A
University of Windsor
research team and a
small Canadian company
are helping the automotive
industry dramatically improve
a key productivity factor,
while creating skilled talent
for the advanced technology
manufacturing sector.
Windsor-based Landau Gage, a producer of
custom roundness gages used for inspecting
automotive engine and transmission parts, was
approached by one of its client manufacturers
with a challenge: How to reduce the 20-minute-
per-part inspection time needed for a widely used
transmission line component?
Ensuring the accuracy, repeatability and quality
of mechanical parts is crucial to competitiveness
in the industry, says Ken Bishop, Vice-President
of Operations at Landau Gage. “Getting the high
level of detail needed to confirm those attributes
more quickly leads to faster process adjustments
and less production down time. This request
immediately got me thinking about non-contact
measurement.”
Realizing they didn’t have the expertise to
address the problem on their own, Landau Gage
turned to University of Windsor, where a novel
application of electrical engineering knowledge,
and support from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Council’s Engage program, provided
the solution.
“Manufactured parts, especially transmission
parts, have to be carefully measured,” explains
Dr. Rashid Rashidzadeh, Manager of the
Research Centre for Integrated Microsystems
and Adjunct Professor at University of Windsor. “If
a part is off by as little as 50 micrometres, it can
cause transmission line failure.”
Current measurement systems use touch probes,
making data-gathering and analysis time-
consuming. Investigation by Rashidzadeh and
his students showed that existing mechanical
measuring systems weren’t the answer.
Working with the company’s engineers for
about a year, the research team developed a
non-contact measuring system that uses lasers
and algorithms to rapidly scan, capture and
analyse thousands of data points on the round,
grooved component.
“In the field of test and measurement, we know
the techniques for mainly electrical circuits and
systems, but had never applied these
techniques to test and measurement of
automotive parts,” says Rashidzadeh, whose
research includes 3D integrated circuit testing,
radio-frequency identification and smart
sensors. “We used some of the techniques we
knew and applied them to auto industry parts.
That background in test and measurement
helped us a lot.”
He credits that knowledge in part to past
work with CMC Microsystems. “We gained
this knowledge partially from information
we received from CMC, and from solutions
developed for testing chips fabricated through
CMC.”
The results of the collaborators’ work were
significant. When tested in a full parts run at
the client manufacturer’s, their Non-Contact
Measurement System reduced the company’s
projected 34-hour inspection time to 90
minutes, or under two minutes per part – a
93 percent reduction in measuring time, says
Rashidzadeh.
The patented system is now part of Landau
Gage’s commercial product offerings, and an
international company with 20,000 employees is
already using the technology.
“This tool could have a huge impact on
automotive supply companies, especially small
companies,” says Bishop. “We hope to be able to
export this all over the world.”
The project has produced more than a leading-
edge product: It resulted in a full-time job
at Landau Gage for one of Rashidzadeh’s
students, as well as at least two internships. It
also generated a waiting list of students eager
to work in Rashidzadeh’s lab. “Students were
volunteering to work on the project,” he says.
“They like to go to industry and get involved. I
came from industry, and I always advocate
working with industry, because I know how
valuable it is to apply knowledge in practice.”
“The project couldn’t be completed without
dedicated graduate students. I would like to
recognize all of them for their contributions,
and particularly acknowledge the role of Esrafil
Jedari, Ali Mohammad Shanawaz and Mahmood
Mirhashemi in the success of this project.”
Today Landau Gage continues to work with the
University of Windsor group, who are developing
a next- generation version of their laser system
that incorporates mirrors with the laser, enabling
illumination and measurement of small features
deep inside components that can’t easily be
reached. “It’s the first time this mirror-based
solution has been used,” Rashidzadeh says.
“There’s nothing else like it on the market. We’re
excited about it.” cmc
August 2016
Rashid Rashidzadeh, adjunct professor at University of Windsor, and his students helped Canadian
automotive supplier Landau Gage address a key productivity barrier for parts manufacturers while
developing highly skilled innovators for the advanced technology manufacturing sector.