Rugby-based Faro Technologies UK Ltd (www.faro.com) has released the next generation of its Tracer platform for laser-guided assembly and verification — TracerSI, an advanced laser projection system that includes improved hardware, based on the TracerM product and BuildIT projector software.

Like its predecessor, TracerSI uses 3-D CAD information to project 3-D laser images onto a physical surface to
provide a live virtual template that assemblers can use to quickly position components with precision and complete confidence.

This solution can deliver significant return on investment, as companies no longer need to invest capital in
physical templates or tools that have to be built, maintained and stored — and even repaired.

Additionally, manufacturing errors are minimised; as a result, scrap and re-work costs are reduced.

Faro says there are documented cases where re-work and scrap savings alone have resulted in payback periods as short as 90 days, adding that TracerSI is the first laser scanning camera of its kind offering projection and high-resolution image-scanning capabilities throughout its entire projection volume; and because the system does not rely
on lenses or conventional image capture, the depth of field is equal to the full projection range.

Furthermore, there are no lighting limitations, since the system uses laser illumination.

At any point of the assembly process, users can quickly run an image-based quality check. This includes the ability
to detect the presence (or absence) of features during the assembly process or at final assembly.

Additionally, at any point in the process, loose fragments can be detected and “cared for” with the Foreign Object Debris feature.