Ogihara Enhances Production Quality with CogniTens OptiCell

CogniTens Ltd. (Wixom, MI), a Hexagon Metrology company, in partnership with its systems integration partner, InspectionAir Gauge, announced that Ogihara America Corporation will expand the successful implementation of the CogniTens OptiCell system in its facilities. Ogihara, a U.S.-based Tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, will launch its second OptiCell, which is a fully automated 3D optical measurement solution for measuring sheet metal parts and assemblies. Cognitens is a leading provider of 3D optical measurement solutions.

The first installation of OptiCell occurred in 2007. Based on customer requirements, the system has over 50 different parts to measure before delivery to an OEM's assembly plants. Ogihara?s unique process combines OptiCell?s white light measurement technology with fast and agile laser welding systems installed at Ogihara?s manufacturing facility. Ogihara complements detail part inspection with functional build applications to produce the best parts for its automotive customers. OptiCell provides Ogihara?s production associates with instant line side data required to make comprehensive functional build adjustments as needed. The ease of use, rich metrology data set and location on the plant floor turned the OptiCell into a welcomed asset for Ogihara's launch and production teams.

?We were pleased with the performance of the CogniTens InspectionAir Gauge cell and decided to expand its use in our processes,? says Steve Peca, Executive Manager for Quality Assurance at Ogihara America. ?We are realizing less quality loops for the new production and assembly tooling and have them ready for production faster than ever before. During launch phases OptiCell?s 3D measurement results makes it easy to reach a full understanding of our initial part quality and allows us to focus our quality support efforts to customers during launch team part reviews. Based on our experience, the OptiCell has paid for itself in about three months simply by eliminating hundreds of CMM inspection hours and iterative quality procedures.?

?Each cell that we provide to customers has been tuned based on lessons learned and enhanced with best practices and latest technologies to offer Ogihara the very best shop floor measurement solution,? notes Ray Sparnaay, InspectionAir Gauge General Manager. ?We are now at the point at which the modular design of these cells allows us to go from idea, to concept to shop floor integrated cell in a fraction of the time required to build traditional fixtures. CogniTens continues to take a market-driven approach to system and software development, which supports such a shift in process from traditional fixtures and probing to white light shop floor measurement.?

?The close cooperation we enjoy between Ogihara, InspectionAir and CogniTens has strengthened by virtue of Hexagon Metrology?s acquisition of CogniTens,? added Dr. Danny Albeck, CogniTens General Manager. ?Hexagon Metrology has integrated the CogniTens product line into its family of well developed market proven industrial metrology technologies. Today, CogniTens' global customers are benefiting from the established infrastructure Hexagon has developed to support its large customer base. We are delighted with Ogihara?s decision to expand its use of our systems and believe it would further enhance their competitive standing as an innovative high quality automotive supplier.?

www.ogihara.com
www.inspectionair.com
www.cognitens.com
www.hexagonmetrology.us