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Fixed Deadline Call - Dedicated Call - 10/00
TOPIC IV.29
The European virtual institute for geometry measurements
1. CONFORMITY WITH THE WORK PROGRAMME
Network proposals are requested for this topic in conformity with objective GROWTH-2000-7.2 "Setting up of virtual institutes", a section of the Activity "Support to research infrastructure" within the GROWTH programme, for which Expressions of Interest have been called. It is aligned primarily with the Generic Action: "Measurements and testing" and with the Key Action 1: "Innovative products, processes and organisations". It is also relevant for the Key Actions 2, 3 and 4 and for the other two Generic Actions: "Materials and their technologies for production and transformation" and "New and improved materials and production technologies in the steel field". The relevance of the Generic Action "Measurements and testing" is obvious. Within the Key Action 1: "Innovative products, processes and organisation", the "modernisation of industry and adaptation to change", the improvement of quality and the reduction of resource consumption is affected by geometrical measurements. Key Actions 2 and 3 are mainly related to transport systems. Reduction of fuel consumption (i. e. improvement of fuel injection systems, increase of product lifetime and reduction of wear) are all inevitably combined with reduction of tolerances and, thus, with an improvement of geometrical measurements. Especially in aeronautics (Key Action 4), lowest uncertainty budgets, 100 % inspection ratio, control of new manufacturing techniques and the use of new materials require high-end metrology, namely concerning geometrical quantities.
The other two Generic Actions of the GROWTH programme are dealing with advanced and/or new materials and the appropriate production technologies. These processes often show new effects and an altered dynamic behaviour. In order to run and control the changed processes improved or new measuring methods and devices are required.
2. KEYWORDS
Co-ordinate Measuring Machines (CMM), Surface Metrology, Form and Position Measurement, Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM), Tolerancing, Quality Control, Gear Metrology, Non-Contact/In-Process/Optical/Acoustic/Capacitive/Inductive/Interferometric/Tactile Measurements, Sensors, Calibration, Uncertainty, Standards, Gages, Measuring Languages, CAQ, Software Interfaces, Round Robin Tests.
3. SUMMARY OF OBJECTIVES AND JUSTIFICATION
3.1 Objectives
Geometry measurements are of decisive importance in the whole area of industrial production. The quantities to be determined extent from very large objects down to structures in the atomic scale. For this p+urpose, a broad variety of measuring devices from large-scale CMMs down to scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) using tactile, optical, acoustic and other sensing principles have been developed.
The main goal of the Virtual Institute is to keep and advance the leading European position in measurements of geometric quantities, concerning scientific knowledge, industrial experience, measuring devices and methodology.
To reach this end, several individual objectives have to be followed up:
- Keep and improve competitiveness of European manufacturers and suppliers for measuring devices, components and software.
- Install a network of competence centres throughout Europe, where any interested party can find support and help on all kinds of problems concerning geometry measurements. This offered assistance includes e. g.: mediation of specialised experts, suppliers or research centres; consultation and best practice advices; services performing measurements, evaluations and calibrations; advices and education concerning tolerancing, inspection plans, control and maintenance of measuring and test equipment; diagnosis of processes.
- Join the interests of "consumers", requesting for measuring knowledge and instrumentation, with the "providers", offering these technologies. The latter group includes SMEs, national and local calibration institutes, universities and other research centres. - Disseminate the knowledge, experience and scientific results, gathered from thousands of national, European and international research projects.
- Take advantage of new or improved measuring equipment and devices, Round Robin Tests, standards and calibration artefacts.
3.2 Justification
The more some tolerances at manufactured products and, correspondingly, the required measuring uncertainties are reduced, the more and the quicker measurements have to be performed, the more measuring equipment and procedures are specially developed for certain demands, the less the keeping and dissemination of this knowledge and the scientific progress can be realised in one or a few EU member states alone. Instead, the available state-of-the-art knowledge and recent scientific results are distributed over a large spectrum of companies including SMEs and research institutes. Joining their competence to a Virtual Institute, formed by a dense net of European representatives, "consumers" and "providers", can give access to this knowledge and human expertise all over Europe. Therefore, even very specific problems concerning e. g. the measurement in the micro- and nanometer regime, gear metrology or in-process sensors operating in adverse environment can be investigated and solved, mediating between customers with exceptional measuring problems and rare and highly specialised experts. Thus, the European Virtual Institute for Geometry Measurements will keep and improve the leading European position at this key technology in industrial production.
4. BACKGROUND
Measuring techniques for geometrical quantities represent an indispensable and decisive technology within industrial manufacturing. Geometrical measurements to be performed range from objects in the m3 size down to structures with atomic resolution. The corresponding numerically controlled measuring devices comprise CMMs, form testers, gear measuring centres, surface measuring instruments and scanning probe microscopes. Due to the broad variety of measuring tasks, these instruments are highly specialised concerning their mechanical structure, probing systems, length and temperature sensors, drives, guiding ways, control of mechanical movements, software systems, user interface and computer aided accuracy improvement (CAA). The broad variety of measuring tasks and available measuring instrumentation have led to a spectrum of measuring technologies, strategies, calibration procedures and uncertainty estimations, which is highly specific and difficult to survey. Nevertheless, geometry measurements still have to be improved due to reduced tolerancing, increased inspection ratios, lowered uncertainty budgets, reduced measuring time, reduced lot sizes, non-destructive and in-process measurements. All these demands require an improved metrological knowledge in order to purchase and install convenient measuring instrumentation, to improve education of personal, to run and maintain the measuring hardware and software, to integrate inspection processes into the production line, to calibrate measuring devices and to handle workpieces and calibration artefacts.
With respect to frequently performed and important measuring tasks, sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical experience is available at most industrial plants. But, specific measuring problems carried out only "every now and then" due to high-end technical specifications, high product prize or rare customer demand, require some specific knowledge of experts. Their help may also be requested, if the vendor and a customer of a product disagree about important measuring results, if new or significantly improved/reconstructed measuring devices are installed, if new measuring procedures are firstly integrated into production lines or if tactile/point-probing/post-process measurements are replaced by non-contact/face-oriented/in-process measuring procedures. Also the maintenance of older but still appropriate measuring equipment, for which the manufacturer's support was partially suspended or shut down, requires specific knowledge to perform periodic electro-mechanical inspection and software upgrades.
As "providers" of all the mentioned services, advices and assistance, an increasing number of SMEs and consulting bureaus exists in Europe, besides some well-known large scale enterprises, calibration centres and university/research institutes.
The main task of the European Virtual Institute for Geometry Measurements will be to install an effective mechanism bringing together the "consumers" of scientific and best-practice knowledge, measuring instrumentation and methodology with the "providers" of the necessary expertise hardware and software.
Until today, Europe plays an important role in geometry measurements. In some aspects, Europe is still leading the world market, namely at the manufacturing of CMMs, form testers, gear measuring centres, surface stylus instruments and, last but not least, in scientific research in geometrical measurements. But, increasing efforts within the USA as well as in Japan can be observed to shorten the technological gap. Namely concerning optical measuring devices and components, micro- and nanometrology and non-contact sensors, US and Japanese companies are dominating the world market. This trend is accompanied by a take over of well known European manufacturers by large scale US enterprises. Therefore, the European industrial and scientific community dealing with geometrical measurements must not repose on historical and actual merits and competitiveness. Instead, they have to offer answers and solution to actual and future measuring problems, in order to keep and enhance the European position in this key technology.
5. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS
5.1 Benefits from carrying out at EU level
The state-of-the-art in measuring geometric quantities as pointed out in section 4, and the scope of objectives listed in section 3.1 shows that the geographically scattered competence and industrial capabilities can only be linked together by setting up this Virtual Institute on the EU-level. Thus, all joined partners and all customers, requesting help or assistance via or directly from this Virtual Institute, can take advantage of all the knowledge and experience, gathered in thousands of research projects, hardware and software developments, application reports, Round Robin Tests, standards and calibration procedures. It is obvious that by no means this can be carried out by one EU-member state alone.
5.2 Contribution to the achievement of EU policies and objectives
The reduction of tolerances within manufacturing industry, the demand for zero-failure production of safety parts and the use of new improved materials leads to increased efforts in production processes and also increased demands for the necessary geometrical measurements. E. g., the reduced fuel consumption of engines and in automotive and aircraft industry, the reduction of noise emission and the prolongation of product lifetime significantly contributes to major issues of EU policies concerning environment. The reduction of wear and the minimised failure rate of safety parts inevitably leads to smaller uncertainty budgets and, therefore, needs an improved measuring technique. By achieving this goal not only the competitiveness of European industry is raised. It also helps to conserve scare resources (reduced fuel consumption and waste material), enhances the safety and reliability of products and prolongs their lifetime.
These increasing efforts in measuring geometric quantities will be carried out in the future by a rapidly growing number of consulting bureaus, software SMEs, service and calibration centres. It will result in a growing employment rate at a higher education level in the field of industrial metrology.
The setting up of a Virtual Institute for geometry measurements will strengthen the European metrology infrastructure. Especially it will improve traceability at important calibration chains and will promote the "measured once accepted everywhere" philosophy. Such activities are particularly important for candidate member states and for less developed regions of Europe.
5.3 Benefits for SMEs
Only SMEs, consulting bureaus or self-standing individual experts are flexible enough to react on the increasing demand for consultation, assistance and services on geometrical measurements. Therefore, namely SMEs will take advantage of the increasing importance of geometry measurements. But, most of them have no opportunity to market their services, software or components on their own. On the other hand, the "consumers" often do not know about the availability of highly specialised experts, SMEs or service centres. The Virtual Institute will act as a mediator between the mutually unknown "consumers" and "providers", especially in the latter described relationship.
6. SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES
The establishment of a Virtual Institute will link the geographically dispersed and complementary scientific competence and industrial experience and will become, after the setting up period, a self-financing entity. To achieve this, a highly skilled consortium should be formed with partners in most European member states.
Measuring techniques for geometric quantities form a key technology for the whole area of industrial production, covering
- the design and tolerancing of machines, tools and products,
- the production control of these products, including in-process and post-process measurements,
- assembly and disassembly,
- quality inspections and conformance tests,
- long term quality management including life-cycle and life-time assessment.
All these production related topics are combined with the measurement of geometric quantities, performed today by a broad spectrum of instrumentation and methodologies explained in section 4. In order to meet the envisaged scientific and technological development in this field, a broad spectrum of activities must be carried out all over Europe, in order to keep and advance the leading European position in this key technology.
- Actually, the European industry delivering measuring instrumentation, components and software plays an important role on the world market. Their competitiveness can only be kept and improved by combining research activities, instrumentation developments and scientific results on the EU level.
- The Virtual Institute will equally regard and pursue the interests of both "consumers" of measuring knowledge and instrumentation and the "providers", offering measuring technology. The Virtual Institute will be set up in a way that both parties will take advantage of this institution. All interested parties, ranging from large scale enterprises, national metrology institute, official control laboratories, SMEs, consulting bureaus, research centres, university institutes and even individual, self-standing experts will contribute with their competence and work to the success of the Virtual Institute.
- High level scientific tasks like the performance of Round Robin Tests, the generation of measuring standards and the exchange of calibration artefacts will be organised by the Virtual Institute.
- Since many years, metrology research and development is funded in all EU member states on the national and European level. The gathered scientific results, the developed instrumentation, the strategic approaches and the practice experience represent high economic value, worthy to be disseminated all over Europe.
- The envisaged future demands in geometric measurements require an increasing number of specialised experts, consulting bureaus and SMEs, offering metrologic services, instrumentation and software. This requires education of highly skilled staff, assistance to the founding of the named new companies in the individual EU member states, and the education and accreditation of high level experts. All this will be organised by the Virtual Institutes and their partners.
The whole scope of conventional information tools will be used, to inform the European public about the existence and activities of the European Virtual Institute for Geometry Measurements. Among these are workshops, seminars, tutorials and conferences to be held in many EU member states and covering specific or more general topics. Websites and the Internet will be used for both, as a communication tool within the partnership of the Virtual Institute and for an advanced information of the (external) international public.
7. TIME SCALE
After the setting up period, the Institute should be self-financing through, for example providing services and consultancy for European customers - industry, including SME's, and governmental bodies - on a commercial basis. The access threshold should be kept as low as possible, to stimulate customers to profit from the facilities, know-how, and technologies available in the European Virtual Institute for Geometry Measurments.
Proposers should provide details of the expected revenue against a time scale for the network.
8. IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The proposers' consortium should clearly demonstrate the proficiency of all partners, and should preferably have experience in collaboration on the European level in the field, e.g. by participation in relevant international programmes.
Proposers must specify in detail the activities that they consider to be relevant for the Virtual Institute and possibly provide examples of typical requests that they are able to provide solution for.
Proposers should note that submissions must follow the network modality and the allowable cost structure.
Proposers must provide detailed information in the form of business plan of how their network will become self-supporting at the end of the network contract. The envisaged future legal structures (not required at the launch) should be described.
In addition the proposal should contain a prioritised list of the initial target sectors pursued, "as well as details on how the Virtual Institute will achieve a sufficient coverage of European regions".
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