When designing a vehicle or any other object that is required to move through the air, wind tunnels are commonly used to help perfect the characteristics of the air flow across the subject’s surface. An acknowledged global expert in this field, East Sussex-based Ate Aerotech specialises in designing, manufacturing and installing state of the art wind tunnels and related test equipment.

ATE Aerotech’s worldwide clients work in challenging areas such as the aerospace, motorsport, automotive, defence and industrial research sectors. The application of the company’s advanced technologies help users to develop efficient and competitive products and to undertake in-depth research.

The Large Cartesian Flow Survey Systems supplied by ATE Aerotech offer comprehensive solutions for accurate wind tunnel air flow measurement. The company’s innovative system comprises a series of beams mounted on precision rails and a telescopic strut, all located inside the wind tunnel. The dynamic system accurately positions a range of probes allowing them to measure parameters such as pressure, velocity, temperature or acoustic noise within the wind tunnel test section. The probes are traversed around the model under test to survey user selected locations, thus providing a profile of the measured parameters.

Before a wind tunnel test is undertaken, it is vital to calibrate the positional accuracy of the system’s various movable elements; this enables the company’s sophisticated control algorithms to achieve the required intricate and precise profiles. Faced with the need to perform highly accurate 3D metrology procedures in such as large-scale environment, ATE Aerospace recently searched for a precise, non-contact coordinate measuring system that could provide high levels of calibration accuracy and also offer ease and speed of use. Having considered several alternative options, ATE purchased a VantageS Laser Tracker from Faro UK to be incorporated into one of their systems for a Chinese client.

Speed and accuracy put to the test

The advanced Faro Laser Tracker has proven its ability to provide the required, challenging levels of accuracy over long distances. ATE Aerotech staff perform precise wind tunnel calibration tasks by accurately plotting the position of each of the system’s moving parts at their start positions, then when each element is traversed throughout a predetermined grid pattern a series of further readings are taken. The impressive precision of the captured data allows micro adjustments to be made so that the maximum accuracy potential of each Ate Aerotech system can be realised.

During the VantageS Laser Tracker’s setup, in addition to calibration tasks, many other uses have been found for the highly precise Faro Laser Tracker, so much so that the company invested in a further unit for its own use. As well as being used to verify the accuracy of fabricated parts and assemblies in-house, the portability of the Faro Laser Tracker means that company staff are able to take the VantageS to all parts of the world and to quickly verify the accuracy of each new wind tunnel installation.

Besides the significant accuracy improvements made to the company’s 3D metrology procedures, the use of the Faro Laser Tracker has considerably speeded-up all measuring tasks. So successful has the use of the company’s Faro Laser Tracker been, ATE Aerotech now offers its customers a Faro VantageS as optional equipment with every installed wind tunnel system.

ATE Aerotech managing director, Richard Mower, explains: “ATE Aerotech an ISO 9001 accredited company with a wealth of experience in designing, manufacturing and installing wind tunnel test equipment. As a specialist engineering company we provide highly accurate and cost-effective systems for a variety of applications and are able to deliver a wide range of standard off the shelf products, or when required, we can design and manufacture tailor made solutions that exactly meet our customers’ specific requirements.

“As part of our quest for constant improvements, given the considerable size and volume of our wind tunnel systems and our demanding accuracy standards, we recently searched for an advanced non-contact measuring system that could provide highly precise 3D dimensional readings over long distances. After looking at several systems, as the FARO VantageS Laser Tracker ticked all of our boxes and was able to provide us with an impressive accuracy of up to 0.015mm throughout the volume of our wind tunnels, we were happy to place an order.

“Having received excellent training from our FARO UK Sales Engineer and given the simplicity of the system, our staff soon became proficient in our new Laser Tracker’s use. In addition to improving our accuracy capability, the efficiency of our VantageS has enabled us to speed-up all of our manufacturing, assembly, installations and system calibration tasks.

“As we have been delighted with the ease of use, speed and precision of our VantageS, it occurred to us that the multiple advantages the advanced FARO Laser Tracker provided would also prove invaluable to our customers, therefore we now offer the FARO VantageS as an integral part of our wind tunnel packages.”

More information on the VantageS

Faro Vantage Laser Trackers are extremely accurate, portable coordinate measuring machines that deliver solutions by measuring quickly, simply and precisely. The advanced Laser Trackers are ideal for, but not limited to large-scale metrology applications such as assembly, alignment, calibration, inspection, machine installations and reverse engineering. The Vantage range are the only laser trackers that measure angle and distance with a single laser. The use of the Vantage range ensures improved reliability as the errors and drift associated with two-beam tracker technology are completely eliminated.

The VantageS, as purchased by ATE Aerotech has an accuracy specification of up to 0.015mm and is intended for short-to-long range measurement applications of up to 80m. With a fast data output rate of 1,000 points per second, the VantageS provides feedback for high-speed motion control and high-density scanning, making it ideal for automated applications

The VantageS uses RemoteControls workflow that streamlines Laser Tracker operations and allows a single user to control functions, such as live video feed and tracker movements, from a mobile phone or tablet. A lone operator is able to easily control the tracker from anywhere in the measurement area.

With no external master control unit (MCU), Faro Vantage Laser Trackers are the extremely portable. Their compact size makes them easy to move between locations in the factory or on job sites. To further improve portability, continuous operation is available with hot-swappable battery packs that completely eliminate the need for external AC power.

Rated at IP52 for dust and water resistance, the VantageS has been rigorously tested for resistance to shock, vibration, temperature cycle, and humidity and can be used within demanding industrial conditions.

www.faro.com