SBIR Phase I: Integrating Electrical Flux Metrology with Third Party Machine tools for Precision On-board Measurements

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将量化电流量计量(EFM)技术的可靠性，将其精度与现有最先进的计量工艺进行比较，并验证其可移植到第三方机床上。微小零件加工的最大障碍之一是检验和验证。目前正在考虑EFM技术的潜在客户、合作伙伴和投资者没有一种衡量标准来比较这一新产品将如何满足他们的工艺需求和投资组合。本项目将(1)确定计量标准在精确度和不确定度方面的优劣系数。它将(2)将EFM技术的能力与目前最先进的光学扫描和坐标测量机技术进行直接比较。最后，它将(3)将EFM技术集成到第三方机床上，以验证该技术的可移植性，并确定它如何改变测量的基础数字。这是一种非接触和非破坏性的现场测量过程，允许在平台上加工的零件在同一平台上进行测量和重新加工。比较和集成EFM技术将验证这一新技术的精度。该项目的结果将提供重要的商业化组件并证明其市场可行性。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力集中在具有微型特征的微型产品和在医疗、汽车和航空航天行业迅速扩张的应用。例如，微创医疗产品市场在2011年是一个价值190亿美元的行业，由微型计量学支持。微制造最具挑战性的方面之一是对加工特征的检测。需要新的制造和混合工艺来提高生产能力，减少操作员的时间和材料浪费，并通过EFM技术来解决这些问题，EFM技术是一种优雅的微型部件车载计量解决方案。随着零件和零件的特征变得更小，需要更好的计量。EFM技术允许测量以前只能通过破坏性测试才能实现的特征。这项技术将推进微制造，使更高精度的部件能够更有效地制造出来。微型制造市场迫切要求改进小特征的计量方法。EFM技术将填补这一空白。这种产品的商业潜力是巨大的，将创造新的制造业就业机会。无论大小公司，都将把这项技术直接整合到制造工艺流程中。这项技术将加强产品中改进和先进的微型零部件和微特征的制造。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will quantify the reliability of Electrical Flux Metrology (EFM) technology, compare its precision against existing state-of-the-art metrology processes, and verify the portability onto a third party machine tool. One of the greatest obstacles in machining micro-parts is inspection and verification. Prospective customers, partners and investors currently considering EFM technology do not have a measure for comparison that demonstrates how this new product will fit their process demands and portfolios. This project will (1) define a figure of merit for metrology standards with respect to precision and uncertainty. It will (2) directly compare the capabilities of EFM technology to the current state-of-the-art technologies of optical scanning and coordinate measurement machines. Finally, It will (3) integrate the EFM technology onto a third-party machine tool to verify the portability of the technology and determine how it alters the base figure of measurement. This is a non-contact and non-destructive in-situ metrology process, allowing parts machined on a platform to be measured and re-machined on the same platform. Comparing and integrating the EFM technology will verify the precision of this new technology. The result of this project will provide vital commercialization components and prove marketability.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is focused toward miniaturized products with micro-sized features and applications that are rapidly expanding in the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries. As an example, the minimally invasive medical products market, supported by micro-metrology, was a $19 Billion industry in 2011. One of the most challenging aspects to micro-manufacturing is inspection of machined features. New manufacturing and hybrid processes to improve throughput and reduce operator time and material waste are required and addressed with the EFM technology, an elegant on-board metrology solution for micro-parts. As the parts and features of parts get smaller, better metrology is required. The EFM technology allows features to be measured that were previously only possible through destructive testing. This technology will advance micro-manufacturing and allow for higher precision parts to be manufactured more effectively. The micro manufacturing market is desperately asking for improved metrology of small features. EFM technology will fill this void. The commercial potential for this product is significant and will create new manufacturing jobs. Companies, small and large, will integrate this technology directly into the manufacturing process flow. This technology will enhance the manufacturing of improved and advanced micro-parts and micro-features in products.