Alicona Imaging GmbH

What is Vertical Focus Probing?

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Here we will focus on a real gamechanger, allowing optical lateral probing even of steep flanks (≥ 90°), and thus enabling optical probing over a component’s entire surface. Let’s have a closer look at Vertical Focus Probing.

Vertical Focus Probing Technology easy explained


Imagine you work in the automobile industry, and you want to measure the bore hole of an injection valve. Until now, geometries with steep flanks were not possible to measure optically. If it wasn’t for Vertical Focus Probing, you’d still have to stick to tactile measurement systems for the lateral probing of components with vertical surfaces. But since Vertical Focus Probing has come into play, the optical probing of components over the entire surface, and thus, also of steep flanks, has been possible. Vertical Focus Probing provides results in high accuracy, high resolution and after short measuring times. Due to the area-based measuring principle which results in high measurement point density, a large number of measuring points can be used for the evaluation of, e.g., form deviations. This enables robust measurements, especially of small geometries.

 

Vertical Focus Probing is an optical technology which is based on the use of partial light. That means that not only coaxial light, but also light from different directions is used. As a result, individual light rays are diffusely reflected from vertical surfaces. They are captured again by the objectives of our measurement systems, enabling traceable and repeatable high-resolution measurements of slope angles with more than 90°. Thus, measurements of inner geometries and micro holes are possible.

Vertical Focus Probing: the measurement principle

Reflected light can also be detected by the objective when measuring slopes are steeper than 90°

The list of applications for Vertical Focus Probing is quite long, covering all areas of the manufacturing industry and production, from the tooling industry and precision manufacturing to the automotive and aerospace industries. Now even holes, bores, reference surfaces, contours or lengths can be optically measured.

 

Here are some examples:

Lateral Probing of an indexable insert

Vertical Focus Probing of an indexable insert

Lateral probing of a hole

Vertical Focus Probing of a hole

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