Inspection Software and Portable Coordinate Measuring Arm Offer Productivity Gains to Rayco Equipment Production

By Susan Smith

Rayco Manufacturing of Wooster, Ohio builds equipment for the tree and landscape industry. Established in 1978, the company’s primary focus is cutting and welding steel to form machine structures. For many years, Rayco has used traditional manual methods employed by fabrication shops to produce their machine parts, but as the breadth of products grew, the company knew it needed something more to improve the consistency of steel fabrications while assuring high quality throughout the design and production process.

Rayco bought a a Romer CimCore portable coordinate measuring arm equipped with Delcam’s PowerINSPECT inspection software to save money and time in their process.  Employees report that they get critical information about production faster, so they can make decisions and adjustments quickly and accurately.  From the purchase three years ago of PowerINSPECT and the measuring arm, grew a dedicated quality department, where parts and fixtures are routinely inspected.

What is particularly notable about PowerINSPECT is that the software’s simple user interface makes it very easy to use. It is not necessary to train employees to use as the learning curve is short and they can be up and running with the measuring arm, almost immediately. Additionally, users can import their CAD models directly into PowerINSPECT, then overlay what they measure, which discloses any problems in the design. Adjustments can be made before the components are committed to the assembly flow.

Rayco reports that they also use the system for troubleshooting out on the assembly floor to determine why a part may not be fitting correctly, so future parts can be corrected before they go to assembly.  This procedure can be accomplished in 10 minutes, a time saving of up to 1,000% compared to any manual method, according to the company.

More Info:
Delcam
Birmingham, UK

Romer, Inc.
Wixom, MI