Due to rapid scientific and technological development, continuous product updating and more intense market competition, the mould manufacturers are required to manufacture larger and more complex mould products with higher precision while manufacturing cycle of moulds should be continuously shortened. This requires the mould manufacturing technology to be updated continuously to meet the requirements for informationization, digitalization, elaboration, fast speed and automation. The flexible and smart manufacturing can be achieved by virtue of fast prototype reconstruction technology and reverse engineering technology so as to form the closed loop of enterprise manufacturing information in the form of digital flow.

Metro-3D Discovery gantry measuring machine is the best solution to measure the large size and high precision moulds (in particular, covering moulds of large trucks). The machine’s axes adopt granite guideway with large cross-section, which enables the high rigidity air bearing more widely distributed, having the stable gantry framework. Compared with other types, this machine guarantees the long term stability of machine precision in a better way and has excellent repeatability precision. The continuous flying movement controls could provide more accurate data collection capability by reducing the stops and corners and further improves the operating efficiency of machine and reduces the test time of the whole machine. Its ultra-high precision and various contact and scanning probes could help finish fast automatic contact or non-contact measuring tasks for complex shapes.

Metro-3D is able to meet the requirements for mould dimension measuring and reverse engineering application so as to speed up the mould manufacturing process. The reverse engineering is designed based on the prototype or actual objects to greatly shorten the development cycle of products. It can support various aspects such as forgings measuring to optimize the processing routes, mould 3D dimension verification, panel trial manufacturing and mould reproduction etc. The curve and cambered surface modeling is the most important and most complex link in the reverse engineering. Smooth cambered surface model or the triangle network formed by good point groups is needed in the final model processing. Therefore, the point data treatment, cambered surface building mode, programming and modification and analysis function improvement are an integral part of cambered surface model rebuilding in reverse engineering. PS-DMIS has point cloud management and compartmentalized tools, small plane modeling and compartmentalized tools, robust curve setup tools and robust cambered surface modeling and shape identification tools which enables the discrete points to form cambered surface simply and easily and change the existing products into 3D digital model, which facilitates the use of users greatly.

The mould manufacturers could reduce the quality problems and realize the fast delivery of moulds through provision of specific instructions of actual mould surface. Meanwhile, this strong measuring machine could support the die setting of mould. The detailed data provided by measuring system for the actual mould surface is used to analyze the finished metal sheet after die setting to accurately point out the problems and offer the correct operating method to reduce the test time. The production cost of moulds is saved by shortening the product delivery cycle and improving the qualification rate.