Trying To Automate In-Process Control Without Risking Sensitive Parts? See How OptiPro Made it Happen!

Based in upstate New York, OptiPro Systems manufactures precision grinding, polishing, and measurement equipment for the optics industry.

OptiPro manufactures machines for their customers. However, their customers increasingly demanded an automated way to inspect products during the production process.

They wanted systems that could manufacture and measure parts in one streamlined setup.

And considering many of their customers work in medical and military sectors…

Quality control had to be absolutely flawless.

It was time for something smarter.

That “something” was the Q-Span® Workstation Kit from New Scale Robotics, powered by a Universal Robots UR3 cobot that made all the difference.

“Instead of customers purchasing individual machines and equipment piecemeal for their manufacturing solutions, we can now handle the whole process, supplying them with a cell that both measures and manufactures the blanks, and turns them into a final work piece,” says David Mohring, Metrology Coordinator, OptiPro Systems.

The Issue Quality Control

When OptiPro customers produce highly precise products for medical, defense, or other industries where minuscule details matter, they can’t wait for the process to be finished before measuring for tolerance. It costs them too much to catch issues late.

Manual inspections were slow and inconsistent and risked damaging expensive, fragile parts like germanium lenses, which are worth more than gold.

So it’s about speed, precision, and careful handling. Something cobots know a lot about.

Catching issues early on also prevents costly bottlenecks and prolonged lead times.

Why The New Scale Robotics Solution

OptiPro already had experience with UR cobots for tending grinding and CMM machines.

So, when the Certified System Integrator (CSI) for Universal Robots, New Scale Robotics, released the Q-Span Workstation Kit for in-process measurement, OptiPro knew this was their shot at meeting this unique customer demand.

“We saw a unique opportunity to offer a safe, user-friendly solution for in-process measurement powered by cobots we already felt comfortable with,” said Kyle Wood, Optics Fabrication Supervisor at OptiPro.

The Q-Span is a UR+ application kit that automates QC measurements of small parts. It is a DIY cobot inspection tool for high-mix, low-volume applications. It is easy to set and use, making it a suitable addition to the OptiPro machines they supply to their customers.

But more than just in-process measuring, the Q-Span also picks and places the material. It’s a part handling solution on top of a quality control system.

“It’s not a pick and place gripper. It’s a pick and measure, record, and place gripper,” said Heidi Quinlivan, VP of Sales and Marketing, New Scale Robotics.

Ultimately, Q-Span allowed OptiPro to improve measurement accuracy by 4X. 

Before, manual caliper use could measure down to 10 microns. Q-Span gripper measures down to 2.5 microns, allowing their customers to be drastically more precise.

How The Process Works

OptiPro now provides the Q-Span Kit in their machining cells, polishers, grinders, and metrology stations. Once the part comes out of the OptiPro machine, the Q-Span Workstation immediately checks the part for tolerances. They can either pass or fail.

So, even if the drill or another tool experiences slight wear over time, Q-Span will spot the moment when the tool starts producing parts out of tolerance, prompting the staff to fix the issue. 

Perhaps one overlooked benefit of cobot in-process measurement is its flexibility and ability to handle various parts with one setup, saving customers’ cycle time. 

“We can also measure a variety of different parts without changing the gripper, which allows us to quickly move from one project to the next.” — Kyle Wood.

The Wins - What Makes All The Difference

OptiPro was able to improve the products they offer to customers by slashing the issues their customers face. The Q-Span addition into their systems allows:

• 4X increase in measuring accuracy.

• In-process measurement

• Elimination of manual in-process quality inspection

• Scrap reduction

• Small footprint

• Easy programming as it’s UR-based 

• Freeing up the operators from manual measuring.

• No safety fencing thanks to the collaborative robot technology.

Learn more about how OptiPro managed to improve their products by offering cobot-based in-process quality control:

• UR cobots offer safe and user-friendly automation solution

• Universal Robots Features Q-Span® System Case Study | New Scale Robotics

• Q-Span Systems | Automated Small Part Measurement | New Scale Robotics

Enjoy your week!

The Cobot Spotlight Team