Automatiserad mätning av kvalité
Varför är inte all mätningautomatiserad?
AbstractThis bachelor?s thesis at the Department of Production Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm deals with the subject of automated metrology. The degree of automation of tasks within production has been a growing trend but the measurement of quality has not followed the same trend. The main thesis follows:What incentives are there to automate the measurement of quality in production?What factors are crucial and why are not all metrology automated?The thesis comes along with a number of sub-queries and delimitations.The working method includes both theoretical and empirical studies. The theory consists of relevant scientific literature and peer-reviewed articles. The theory has been merged with empirical data collected from interviews and study visits at well-known Swedish industrial companies. Finally the theory and the empirical data have been analysed. Further on conclusions and recommendations have been made.In essence there are three parameters that determine whether to automate the measurement of quality or not. These factors are: production volumes, geometric complexity and accuracy and tolerance requirements.The decision varies widely from case to case and it is difficult to generally quantify and make a decision model. It is mainly profitability that determines automation. Profitability requires large volumes and simple geometry. For example a company that manufactures camshafts have successfully automated their measurement of quality. They have a built-in measuringfixture in the production line that reconnects and adjusts the production line. After implementation they experienced smoother production flow, higher quality and increased profitability. Within the safety industry quality determines. Automated metrology can be motivated by increased repeatability and precision.It is our hope that this bachelor's thesis will enhance the reader?s interest in automated metrology. If we were to further continue our work, a decision model would have been developed. The model would specifically answer how and when it is appropriate for a company to automate the measurement of quality. The thesis would also include a case study in order to quantify and ensure our already drawn conclusions.