Coherix Expands its Precision 3D Vision Solutions for the Brake Manufacturing Industry
Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 20, 2013 — The importance of high quality and functional braking systems is not often questioned – it is a requirement that is indisputable in the automotive manufacturing industry. One of the key components in the braking system is the brake pad. “The contour and shape of the pad area that contacts the rotor plays an important role in braking, stability control and braking feel,” says David Gruber, Coherix Braking Specialist. “Understanding this shape is a step forward in understanding wear, brake noise and longevity.”
Due to the pad material used and the shape of brake pads, up until recently, they have been very difficult to measure. Traditionally, brake pads have been limited to being measured with micrometers and pad mapping stations which use a series of touch probes to measure pad thickness. These approaches have serious limitations when the manufacturer needs to obtain a full understanding of the entire brake pad surface. These traditional testing methods are hard to repeat and do not obtain the accuracy required to improve design, production quality and product performance.
Brake manufacturers now have access to a robust 3D vision solution from Coherix that provides a full surface measurement of the brake pad and backing plate along with depicting how both parts interact with each other. Data-rich point cloud information is captured in minutes using the state-of-the-art ShaPixtechnology. The ShaPix software included with the solution provides the tools necessary to fully conduct an analysis of the surfaces, quickly providing actionable results.
An additional powerful and unique offering of this solution is the wear analysis capabilities, which are greatly enhanced using measurement subtraction. With this process the operator measures the brake pad before and after the test and then looks at the difference between the shapes. Additionally, full surface measurements of the backing plate provide insight into the application of the brake pads.
The ShaPix visualization outputs include 3D color height maps, which easily identify high and low spots, 2D line plots, profile tools and many more. These easy to understand visualizations quickly identify problem areas and help manufacturers mitigate shape based issues, like low frequency vibration.
Coherix, Inc., the robust 3D company that is revolutionizing the vision standard for inspection and metrology has technical centers in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. An innovative, advanced technology firm, Coherix has mastered the complexities of 3D machine vision solutions and is continuously mining its potential. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Coherix products are used in industries that demand micron level precision.