Fastener Testing

Addmore Engineering, a family business that supplies CNC turned and milled components, believes it has found the perfect way to measure safety and performance critical components thanks to an air gauging system from Bowers Group.

As part of its inspection process, Addmore Engineering needs to measure bolts, which are critical components on braking systems. It is therefore imperative that 100% of the parts produced are within tolerance. The air gauging system from Bowers Group ensures the performance critical parts manufactured satisfy customers requirements to 100% inspect safety critical characteristics and meet tight tolerances.

“The Bowers air gauging system is the perfect solution for us because it standardises the measurement process and eliminates the potential for human error,” states Ben Vasquez, managing director at Addmore Engineering Ltd. “The system allows multiple operators to accurately check the diameter of the components in minimal time, and the modern control panel gives a quick yes/no output that enables each bolt to be checked with guaranteed high precision results in a matter of seconds.”

Addmore Engineering manufactures in excess of 10,000 of the bolts every month, therefore a fast, repeatable, and user-friendly solution was key. The business had previously experienced some difficulties whereby operators were achieving differing readings with micrometers; a significant problem when trying to measure 7-micron tolerances. The Bowers air gauging system enabled many members of the team to check component diameters in a short space of time, and the touchscreen display – with its customisable display interface – is easy to read and interpret results. The air gauging system uses air flow volumes and pressures to measure parts and is well suited for applications that demand sub-micron precision tolerancing.

The air gauging technology also enables the measurement of not only dimensions, but geometric and relational characteristics, such as squareness, parallelism, ovality, taper and straightness. “Personally, I have always been aware of the benefits of air gauging. During my apprenticeship I regularly used the older dial/clock-based systems. The advantage of the modern digital display is that anybody can see if the component is correct just by looking at the colour,” adds Ben. “The sales and technical support from Bowers has also been first class and we have already begun discussions about further projects.”