Certification Body Created for 3D Metrology Services and Equipment

WARSAW, Ind., Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Manufacturing and metrology leaders
have announced a new certification body establishing performance standards for
service providers and equipment manufacturers in the rapidly expanding digital
metrology industry.

The American Association of Advanced Metrology (AAAM) “encourages and
facilitates effective use and integration of advanced metrology tools, and
provides an avenue for professional users of these technologies to demonstrate
their competence to the market,” according to the organization’s mission
statement.

Advanced Metrology uses innovations in 3D white light, LED, laser and other
non-contact methods to generate accurate and complete part surface scans. The
scans can then be compared to CAD models or blueprints to help manufacturers
isolate problems — speeding up production, improving quality, and reducing
costs.

“Our goal is simple,” AAAM Chief Coordinator Joseph Meyers said on Monday. “For
the U.S. to regain its lead in precision manufacturing, products need to be made
faster, leaner, and less expensively, all to a higher quality standard. Advanced
metrology helps toward those objectives. Our mission is to help North American
metrology leaders qualify and quantify their performance, increasing their
impact in the industries they serve.”

AAAM offers a rigorous and tailored three-step certification process consisting
of an on-site audit, a straightforward application packet, and a
self-administered gauge repeatability and reproducibility (Gauge R&R) study
based on inspection of a feature-rich artifact. After completing the
certification process, metrology laboratories and equipment manufacturers are
permitted to use AAAM’s certification mark in their advertising. They are also
listed with their qualification score on the AAAM website.

AAAM’s process evaluates equipment manufacturers, laboratories, on-site field
inspection companies, and technicians. “Inspection is a process,” Administrator
Sean Greene explained from AAAM’s Tucson, Arizona branch. “Having a hammer
doesn’t make you a craftsman. We’ve found that the most competent practitioners
have made themselves their customers’ trusted partners. They’ve incorporated
outstanding metrology into every relevant design and production stage, and have
helped their customers develop trustworthy manufacturing processes according to
Lean Six Sigma or whichever quality standards are most appropriate.”

To help manufacturers find the services and technologies best suited for their
own needs, AAAM has developed a portfolio of industry-specific riders for
aerospace, jet engine, industrial gas turbine, medical instrumentation,
orthopedic implants, and spinal applications. Forthcoming riders may include
Consumer Product Safety Commission and ENERGY STAR co-certification, forensic
examination, injection molding, investment casting, and laser machining. AAAM
has invited leaders from these industries and related certification bodies to
serve on its Board of Advisors.

The customers that stand to gain the most from AAAM-certified services and
suppliers include tight-tolerance manufacturers including automotive, aerospace,
optical, turbine engine and medical device companies, Meyers added. “We’ve also
received inquiries from less obvious sectors, such as green construction firms
and RV manufacturers. By bringing metrology experts together with these
industries, we’re increasing the technology’s availability, improving confidence
in its results, and driving down overall cost. Everybody benefits from
well-qualified partners and thoroughly certified systems.”

More information can be found by visiting http://www.aaametrology.org or calling
1-872-AAAM-449.

Contact:

Joseph Meyers
872-AAAM-449
872-222-6449
admin@aaametrology.org

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SOURCE American Association of Advanced Metrology