Effects of Humid Air and Heavy Precipitation on Coordinate Measuring Machines

With the development of modern industrial production technology, the requirements for precision measurement are getting higher and higher. Coordinate measuring machines possess incomparable advantages featuring high accuracy, fast efficiency and high reliability. However, many factors may affect the normal operation of CMM during measurement. For example, heavy rainfall in summer leads to very humid air. Although humid air does not directly affect the accuracy of CMM, high humidity tends to cause rust on critical machined surfaces and exert adverse impacts on electronic components. Excessive humidity may also result in equipment corrosion and condensed water. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the air humidity between 40% and 70%. Technicians from Weihong advise customers to install dehumidifiers.

In addition, when using air compressors in rainy seasons, the compression process forces water molecules and oil molecules in the air into liquid water and oil. Meanwhile, air compressors require lubricating oil for internal mechanical lubrication, and part of the lubricating oil will enter the compressed air. Water and oil in the compressed air will flow into balance cylinders and air floating blocks. When the measuring machine is operating, water and oil attached to the guide rails will change the straightness of the guide rails. When the measuring machine is idle, oil droplets inside pipelines may block the air holes of air floating blocks, preventing the air floating blocks from lifting normally. This causes friction between air floating blocks and guide rails, damages the measuring machine and ages air pipes. Water inside pipelines will also corrode air floating blocks and balance cylinders.

The Taiwan King Air CMM air filtration system developed by Weihong is designed for such scenarios. The features of the Taiwan King Air CMM air filtration system are introduced as follows:

1. The only water remover that can completely intercept water mist (liquid + aerosol).

2. The only water remover with dryer functions.

3. Impurity interception rate (Dry Air test): 99% for 1μm particles and 68% for 0.1μm particles.

4. Staphylococcus aureus interception rate: 99.998%.

5. Oil mist level below the minimum detection range of SGS test.

6. Consumable-free, no filter cartridge required and easy maintenance.

7. Automatic regular water drainage with consistent performance.

8. The water blocking effect remains 99.999% for flow rates from 1 up to unlimited.

9. KingAir equipment supports forward and reverse washing to avoid clogging. Its performance stays the same after 15 years of use as after 15 days.

10. Adopts patented multi-impact design. After guiding airflow into the air chamber, it intercepts moisture and dust without relying on stable or high flow velocity. It has an ultra-long service life, maintenance-free operation and high safety.

11. Extends the service life of pneumatic equipment by several years, improves product qualification rate, and brings value to customers by taking the lead in the industry in equipment management, production processes and product quality.

Therefore, we must pay close attention to the impact of external environment on coordinate measuring machines during operation. Weihong Precision Instruments keeps working to extend the service life of CMMs, solve problems caused by external environmental influences in a targeted manner and minimize such impacts.