API’s Volumetric Error Compensation (VEC™) is an innovative process which establishes a new methodology in volumetric error compensation for large machine tools. This innovative, multi-award-winning technology was just included in the 48th Annual R&D 100 Awards, which salute the 100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace in the past year.
The R&D 100 Awards have long been a benchmark of excellence for industry sectors as diverse as telecommunications, high-energy physics, software, manufacturing, and biotechnology. “The R&D 100 Awards have always represented some of the most innovative concepts to reach the marketplace in the past year. 2010 is no exception, and we had a particularly strong field of entries for the judges to evaluate,” said Rita Peters, editorial director of R&D Magazine.
R&D Magazine recognized VEC™ because it is a game-changing technology for anyone with large and complex machine tools. According to Dave Maxham, Global Marketing Director at API; “Older technology considers each machine axis separately, stacking errors from three or more individual coordinate systems. This limits the mapping of errors to three linear axes and 21 error parameters which has proven very challenging for large five- and six-axis machine tools.”
The difference is that VEC™ uses a unique, global, free-form error model to allow error mapping of every point with its six degrees of freedom in the machine’s entire working volume, regardless of the number of axes or machine complexity. According to Sam Easley, Engineer/Scientist, at The Boeing Company, “This groundbreaking process will dramatically reduce assembly and fitting costs which represent up to 1% of the total cost per aircraft. On large programs like the F-18 or the 700 aircraft series, we could save $100 million per year."
Wayne Bromiley, a Northrop Grumman facilities engineer, summarized VEC™ by saying, “API’s VEC™ improved our machine tool performance considerably. It reduced the calibration times from one week of 12 and 14-hour days down to one eight-hour shift. This saved us a major amount of down time and made the machines more available for production use.”
Winners of the R&D 100 Awards are selected by an independent judging panel and the editors of R&D Magazine. The publication and its online portal serve research scientists, engineers, and other technical staff members at high tech industrial companies and public and private laboratories around the world.
The award-winning Volumetric Error Compensation (VEC™) process is available exclusively from Automated Precision Inc.
About API
Automated Precision Inc. (API) is a world leader in advanced measurement solutions. Founded by Dr. Kam Lau in 1987, API pioneers progressively higher standards of accuracy for coordinate measuring and machine tool operation. API products are used by the world’s leading automotive, aerospace, machine tool, and CMM manufacturers. API’s experienced engineering team is unmatched in its ability to create advanced, innovative products, which meet the needs of rapidly evolving industries.
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More information:
API's VEC web page
API VEC Videos on Youtube
R&D Magazine
VEC™ Product Brochure (click to download)
PDF Document. English Language. (2.2 Mb)
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