Forest City Gear Adds Zeiss CMM to Quality Assurance Department

Forest City Gear has expanded the capabilities of its Quality Assurance Department with the addition of a Zeiss ACCURA Coordinate Measuring Machine.

The next-generation bridge-type Zeiss is Forest City Gear’s fourth CNC inspection system, and is particularly well suited for very fast, complete analytical inspection of all types of high precision fine- and medium-pitch cylindrical gears. A variety of interchangeable Zeiss sensors provide a high degree of flexibility and faster calibration, approach and scanning for lead, involute, pitch, surface finish and other critical features across a wide size range.

The system also features a particularly compact and ergonomic design, making it ideal for Forest City Gear’s fast-expanding, busy Quality Assurance room. The Zeiss ACCURA’s bridge, for example, is made of steel and aluminum, making it extremely rigid, yet slim and compact. The reduced weight of the moving parts improves the dynamic rigidity and speed of the machine.

“The added capacity of the Zeiss ACCURA has now enabled Forest City Gear to move its existing Zeiss CONTURA CMM to meet the quality requirements of its new, stand-alone gear blanking facility,” according to Forest City Gear Quality Assurance Lead, Amy Sovina. “The ACCURA couldn’t have arrived at a better time, freeing up the CONTURA so we could put it in close proximity to the blanking operation and thus eliminate the travel time for inspection of blanks,” says Ms. Sovina. “The Zeiss ACCURA checks all the metrology boxes. With quality and throughput requirements never higher in all the industries we serve, this system is the perfect addition.”