Center for Precision MetrologyUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteDr. Robert Hocken, Director (hocken@uncc.edu)

Center Facts Designated an NSF IUCRC with a nine

member industrial affiliates program 25 faculty & staff from 5 academic

departments 50+ Masters and PHD students Center occupies more than 30,000 sq ft

of laboratory and office space Capital equipment in excess of $20M

Research/Educational Focus Dimensional, Coordinate Machine Tool,

and Computational Metrology Nanotechnology Instrumentation Design Manufacturing Process Modeling Machine Dynamics and High-Speed

Machining Computer –Aided Tolerancing Electro-Optics

Center Mission

To further applied research and technological progress in the field of precision metrology as applied to manufacturing by: Education of highly skilled technologists Performance of original research, and Involvement with industry

Center History & Growth Late 1980’s, Early 1990’s – Development of

graduate program in precision engineering Early-Mid 1990’s – Industrial Consortium in

Precision Metrology Mid 1990’s – State recognition as a Center Late 1990’s - Funded as a NSF I/UCRC 2003 – Refunded as an NSF I/UCRC 2008 – Graduated as an I/UCRC Future – Collaborative research with industrial

R&D divisions located on UNCC CRI campus

Center Facts - 1 CC Cameron building with 1000 sq ft

temperature controlled metrology lab. Clean room access. Duke building with Center on the first floor.

Approximately 30,000 sq ft with new metrology labs main metrology diamond turning precision CMMs instrument development

Center Facts -2-

Capital equipment ranging from scanned probe microscopes to high speed machining centers.

7 CMMs and fully equipped metrology and surface finish labs.

Diamond turning machines, jig bore, jig grinder, and precision wire EDM.

Center Facts -3-

Center core projects fund approximately 20 graduate students annually. Funding includes a stipend, tuition and books.

Core funding comes from the Federal government and industrial affiliates.

Industrial affiliates pay $30,000 per year. Other projects (about 30 more students) are

funded by industry and government (NSF, NIST, DOE, DOD…)

Current Affiliates

Cummins Engine Co., Inc.

BWXT -Y12 Intel Corporation Lawrence Livermore

National Lab GE Energy

Mitutoyo America Corporation, Micro Encoder

United Technologies Corning Cable

Systems General Dynamics

Initiation of ProjectsAffiliates meet twice a year to propose new

projects. Professors and students also propose projects.

Projects are voted on and selected projects are started.

This November a project using MEMs accelerometers for machine positioning and a project using MT connect were started.

Some past projectsLaser tracker for API NIST

Spindle error analysis (Lion Precision) Standing wave probe (Insitu Tech)

Chip breakingTool settingHole standard5 axis machine accuracyB5.54 and B5.57standards (machining centers

and lathes)

Input Excitation

Xi, i

OutputResponse

Y(t)

Probe-Surface Interaction

• Resonator generates sufficient energy to transfer pronounced standing wave along a high aspect ratio

• Virtual tip• Mode shapes• Inertial forces• 7 um diameter

• > 3.5 mm lengths

Standing wave probeStanding wave probeprinciple of operationprinciple of operation

InsituTech

Example aerospace projects

Critical components for helicoptersPioneered thin walled aircraft parts

F/A-18 avionics tray Monolithic technology has spread to other

partsThin walled parts for radar

systems(challenge part from Milacron)

Rotor yoke for Bell 412 Helicopter

Machining time reduced by more than 60%

Bell Helicopter V-22 Blade Fold Support

Advancement Recognized in 2003 with Pinckney Award from American Helicopter Society

Raw stock2,449 kg

Completed part 113 kg

3 m x 1.7 m x 14 cm 9.8’ x 5.6’ x 5.5”

Part of the raised cargo floor for the flight deck of the

Boeing 777-300ER

UNCC was instrumental in creating the technology to manufacture

components with thin walls and thin floors.

Inner center spar for the A380

Thin parts outside aerospace

Radar challenge part: 4 inches high.0.040" wall thickness

The Cobra Judy phased-array radar system on the missile range instrumentation ship USNS OBSERVATION ISLAND (T-AGM 23)

Location: PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII

Grid-Locktolerancerequirements

Fiducials measured on

CMM

Fiducials measured in machining

environment

Part Program

NC Code

Automated coordinate

transformation program

NEW Part Program

NC Code

Features measured on

CMM are correct

The fiducial calibration system references the machine positioning metrology directly to the

current state of a workpiece through the measurement of fiducials.

Fiducial Calibration System Approaches error avoidance and error correction from a

different point of view Uses fiducials to generate information about the existing

errors, and their corrections Allows part to be more accurate than the long-range

accuracy of the machine Allows small machines to make large parts

Deformation Machining - Many aerospace parts are mostly 3-axis, but have a few sections which require

5-axis machining

There is a weight issue:-Machining the obtuse

angle is easy-Machining the acute angle

leaves much material behind

Lighter weight –

Other projects - nanotech

Nanoimprinting machine with UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford et al. Nanometer positioning 10 nanometer feature size

Subatomic Measuring Machine 10 picometer resolution Sub nanometer accuracy over 25 mm With MIT

UCLA IMPRINTING METHODUCLA IMPRINTING METHOD

Lower stamp into contactLower stamp into contactwith substratewith substrate

Pull vacuum to remove airPull vacuum to remove air

Apply 50 psi to both stampApply 50 psi to both stampand substrate to flattenand substrate to flatten

Flood area with UV lightFlood area with UV lightto cure resistto cure resist

Separate stamp and substrateSeparate stamp and substrate

Summary The Center for Precision Metrology has research

covering a wide range. Emphasis is on technologies needed for precision

manufacturing. We are ready to work with industry on both short

and long term projects ranging from high speed machining to nanotechnology.

Now building instrument for plasmonic lithography for Berkeley

Current proposals being developed for large scale metrology.