Material Buildup & Advanced Straightness Metrology Software
Overview
Adcole’s Material Build-Up & Advanced Straightness software is a sophisticated linear scan data analysis solution designed to detect material accumulation—commonly referred to as “material build-up”—on the leading or trailing edges of a journal bearing scan. This type of build-up typically occurs outside the standard straightness calculation zone and can indicate underlying manufacturing issues such as grinding wheel breakdown.
The software supports multiple methods for measuring linear traces on a crankshaft journal. The most basic approach involves scanning from the lower radial cut to the upper radial cut. An alternative method uses the cheek positions of the journal to define its actual length for measurement. A third, more recent method allows users to define a scan length that exceeds the distance between the radial cuts. This extended scan capability enables a broader surface area of the journal to be analyzed without the need to measure the journal faces, thereby reducing cycle time.
By extending the linear scan range, engineers can identify potential manufacturing issues near the journal edges. The software enables users to specify the linear scan reduction method and define parameters such as the two edge sections used for material build-up analysis. This is particularly useful for detecting wheel degradation that may result in excess material being deposited at the journal edges.
The software divides the linear scan data into segmented regions. The center region is analyzed for straightness, concavity, and convexity, while the end sections are evaluated for maximum and minimum error. This end-region analysis is critical for identifying material build-up, as the highest deviations in these areas often indicate the presence of excess material.
Adcole’s Material Build-Up & Advanced Straightness software provides manufacturers with a powerful tool for improving quality control, optimizing production processes, and reducing inspection time—all while offering deeper insight into journal surface conditions.
Software Capabilities
The Material Build-Up & Advanced Straightness software empowers operators to select from a range of specialized scanning methods to accurately determine material build-up values. These include:
- The Basic Linear Scan Method
- Linear Scan Based on Cheek Positions
- Linear Scan Using an Alternative Scan Length
- And the Convexity Specification approach
Benefits
Adcole’s sliding window technology provides manufacturers and engineers with a powerful tool for pinpointing localized issues on camshafts and crankshafts. By defining a specific segment—or “window”—of a part, users can analyze data in inch or millimeter-spaced sections to detect peak-to-peak errors within that region. This focused analysis is especially valuable for identifying subtle manufacturing defects, such as grinding wheel breakdowns or tooling inconsistencies, that may not be visible in full-length scans. For complex crankshaft designs, a sequence of sliding windows can be used to locate the maximum error across multiple small segments, offering a highly accurate method for diagnosing production problems.
- Enables precise detection of peak-to-peak error within small, user-defined segments of a part
- Supports sequential window analysis to identify maximum error across complex crankshaft geometries
- Helps diagnose manufacturing issues such as grinding wheel wear, tooling faults, or machine-related defects
Comprehensive Engineering & Technical Support
Our team of dedicated engineers is ready to help you with any needs regarding your Adcole shaft metrology gage. We offer global technical support, training, upgrades for your gage, and gage recertification. Contact us today to schedule your service with one of our field service engineers.
