Northern 50 not out for Aberlink
 Scotland’s leading measurement and inspection specialists, Northern Metrology recently celebrated the installation of their 50th Aberlink Coordinate Measuring Machine. Commenting on this impressive company milestone, company owner, Tony Smith enthused. “As we deal with the most demanding of customers - Inspection and Quality Control professionals - Northern Metrology’s philosophy of promoting only the highest standard of products, has enabled us to become the gauge supplier of choice to industry throughout Scotland and the North of England. We are particularly proud to represent the largest UK owned CMM manufacturer, Aberlink. As a result of our enthusiastic promoting of the brand and the growing reputation of Aberlink’s cost effective CMM’s, we have achieved the remarkable landmark of 50 Aberlink CMM sales in only 5 years.
Impressed by Northern Metrology’s performance, Aberlink’s Sales Director Gavin Bailey said. “To have achieved 50 Aberlink CMM sales in such a relatively short time is a remarkable achievement. Much of this exceptional sales success is due to the sheer enthusiasm Tony Smith shows for our products. As we now have such a broad base of happy Aberlink CMM users, across Scotland and the North of England, we are reaping the benefits of further sales by referral and of users purchasing second machines.”
Northern Metrology’s 50th Aberlink CMM was sold to Glenrothes based, Precision Engineering Company Almond Engineering. Chris Smith Almond’s Managing Director was Impressed by the simplicity of the intuitive Aberlink 3d software and the performance to cost ratio of his recently purchased Aberlink Axiom Too machine, when compared to its competitors.
Offering independent solutions based on many years of experience within the engineering and manufacturing industries, Northern Metrology represent many long established, respected metrology brands. In addition to Aberlink CMM’s, the company offer a comprehensive range of quality inspection equipment from Bowers Metrology. A full range of Baty Optical and Video, non Contact Measuring Machines are provided, along with Romer Measuring Arms and Laser Measurement devices. Servicing the important Oil and Gas industries Northern Metrology provides a full range of specialist products including the famous Gagemaker series.
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EXPRESS ENGINEERING CHOOSE NORTHERN METROLOGY
From its manufacturing plant located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, Express Engineering specialises in the production of high quality, precision machined components.
As a provider of CNC machining, precision engineering and specialist solutions, Express Engineering operates across a number of industries but is a premier supplier to the oil and gas, aerospace, defence and power generation sectors. Having recently invested in three large capacity machining centres and associated ancillary equipment, to enable the company to undertake new contracts within the burgeoning, renewable energy sector, Express Engineering is now able to machine a range of parts of up to 2m in diameter, weighing up to 8 tonnes.
Express Engineering’s managing director, Nigel Davison, elaborates: “In the medium to long term, we expect that our planned increase in business will largely depend on our ability to manufacture large complex parts from difficult to machine materials and in our capacity to strengthening our position in industry specific supply chains – such as oil and gas, renewable energy and aerospace. To realise these company objectives and help maintain our current competitive advantage, we have recently made a number of significant changes to our business.”
He continues: “Having previously been operating at full capacity, the first phase of our expansion programme – an 18,000ft² factory extension – means that we now have room to grow. To ensure the quality of the output from our large capacity horizontal machining centre, having examined the alternatives, we purchased a Hexagon, Romer Sigma Measuring Arm and Aberlink 3D software.
“Mindful of the size of the components to be measured, and their demanding tolerances, we consulted Northern Metrology and owner Tony Smith suggested employing a combination of two complementary technologies – 2.5m Romer Sigma Measuring Arm, linked to Aberlink 3D measuring software. Now fully employed, the new combination is proving both easy to use and able to meet our stringent geometric part accuracy specifications.”
One of the lightest measuring arms in its class, the Romer Sigma offers total flexibility through the use of the wireless communications, optimum rigidity and its infinite rotation ability. The Sigma series provides total compatibility with all Romer accessories and equipment, including both contact and non-contact sensors and laser digitalisation equipment.
Aberlink’s 3D measurement software is able to be used with almost any measuring arm. Featuring automatic shape recognition, a welcome bi-product of an Aberlink 3D inspection routine is that a picture of the measured component is created simultaneously on the system’s computer screen. Dimensions between the measured features, mirroring those that appear on the component drawing, are then picked off as required. In essence the ‘smart’ software package represents an intelligent measuring system that is able to automatically recognise and define the various features being measured. Aberlink 3D is simple to use and intuitive – so much so that a complete novice is usually able to perform relatively involved measurement routines after just five minutes product training, the company claims.
Northern Metrology
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