Equator™
gauging system

Key aspects of the Renishaw Equator

Comparative Measurement: Equator gauging relies on comparing the measurements of the manufactured parts with the measurements of a reference part. If the measurements deviate from the accepted tolerances, it indicates a defect or deviation from the desired specifications. 

Flexibility: Equator gauging is highly flexible, allowing manufacturers to measure a wide range of parts without the need for custom fixtures. This flexibility is crucial in dynamic manufacturing environments where products change frequently. 

Automation: The Equator can be integrated into automated manufacturing processes, enabling automated measurement and inspection, helping to in increase efficiency and reduce labour costs. 

Rapid Setup: Designed for quick setup and programming. Manufacturers can rapidly switch between different parts and measurement configurations, reducing downtime and increasing productivity. 

Real-time Adjustments: The Equator adapts to changes in the manufacturing process when there are variations in the parts being produced and can be adjusted in real-time to maintain the desired quality standards. 

Data Analysis: Provides detailed measurement data and analysis tools, which is valuable for process analysis and improvement, allowing manufacturers to identify trends and make informed decisions to enhance the manufacturing process. 

The Renishaw Equator is an essential tool in industries where precision and efficiency are paramount, such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical device manufacturing. 

The role of Renishaw Equator gauging systems on the shop floor

To control manufacturing processes on the shop floor, gauges have been used for decades, for example sets of callipers, go / no-go gauges or bore gauges. With advances in manufacturing, the need for new process control methods is increasing. 

The Equator system is a flexible gauge, designed to provide speed, repeatability and ease of use for manual or automated applications, which is why hundreds of manufacturers worldwide are replacing their current gauging method with Equator systems. 

Implementing the Renishaw Equator system on the shop floor involves careful planning, setup, and ongoing management to ensure seamless integration into the manufacturing process. Our team of expert engineers can guide you through this process regarding the implementation of an Equator or a shop floor CMM. 

Who would use the Equator Gauge?

The Renishaw Equator is a versatile gauging system that can be used by a wide range of industries and applications where high-precision measurements and quality control are critical. Here are some industries and scenarios where the Renishaw Equator might be used: 

Automotive Manufacturing: Equator can be used to measure components in automotive manufacturing processes, ensuring that parts meet the required specifications and tolerances. This includes measuring engine components, transmission parts, chassis elements, and more. 

Aerospace and Defence: Equator is valuable in the aerospace industry for measuring complex components like turbine blades, aircraft structures, and other critical parts where precision is paramount for safety and performance. 

Medical Device Manufacturing: In the production of medical devices and equipment, such as implants or precision instruments, Equator can be used to ensure the highest quality and precision in the manufacturing process. 

Electronics Manufacturing: Equator can measure small electronic components with high accuracy, ensuring that they meet the strict tolerances required in the electronics industry. This includes measuring PCBs (printed circuit boards) and microelectronics. 

General Manufacturing: Equator is suitable for various general manufacturing applications where high-precision measurement is necessary, including measuring machined parts, moulded components, and fabricated assemblies. 

Job Shops and Contract Manufacturing: Equator is often used in job shops and contract manufacturing facilities where the production requirements can change frequently. Its adaptability allows these facilities to measure a wide variety of parts without the need for specialised measurement equipment for each product. 

Machine Tool Calibration: Equator can be used to calibrate and verify the accuracy of machine tools, ensuring that they are producing parts within specified tolerances. 

Research and Development: Equator is used in research and development settings to measure prototypes and experimental components with high precision, aiding in the development of new technologies and products. 

Tool and Die Making: Equator can be used to measure tooling components and dies, ensuring they are manufactured to precise specifications for use in various manufacturing processes. 

Plastics and Injection Moulding: Equator is used to measure moulded plastic components, ensuring they meet quality standards and tolerances. 

Metal Fabrication: Equator is used to measure various metal components and assemblies, ensuring they meet design specifications and quality requirements. 

In summary, any industry or application where high-precision measurements are necessary, and where there is a need for flexibility in measuring a variety of parts, can benefit from using the Renishaw Equator gauging system. 

Reduce scrap

The cost of scrapping parts can often be reduced with the right process control in place. Whether implemented as an automated in-line or stand alone process control method, the Equator gauge’s speed has enabled customers to move from sample inspection to 100% inspection of parts, significantly improving process capability. 

With the Process Monitor function, operators are given visual bar graphs and charts of real time gauging data allowing processes to be corrected before scrap is produced. 

Reduce bottlenecks

CMMs are often located in temperature controlled rooms around the shop floor. With access at a premium and queues for measurement of parts, there can be delays in receiving inspection data. These delays may mean production has to be paused, or continued at risk before knowing whether the parts have been made to tolerance. 

Through the Equator gauge’s versatility and speed of operation, switching between parts is quick and short cycle times are possible. The system’s thermal insensitivity and ease of use allows operators to save time by gauging parts directly on the shop floor. 

Low cost of ownership

The purchase of an Equator gauge will see a rapid return on investment. Replacing manual measurement with an automated Equator gauging system can greatly increase throughput whilst 

reducing labour costs. Equator systems are a fraction of the cost of an equivalent custom gauging solution, including associated fixturing. 

As Equator gauging systems are reprogrammable, there is no need to pay for expensive rework of custom gauges in order to gauge modified or new parts. 

Easily automated

With increasing demand for fully automated manufacturing driven by the creation of ‘smart factories’, many Equator gauging applications have involved integration into automated cells. 

The Equator EZ-IO kit can be supplied with an Equator system and is designed for automation integrators, to provide easily-configured communications between the system and a variety of equipment in automated work cells. Typically part loading on Equator gauging systems are performed by a robot or a shuttle system. 

Thermally ‘insensitive’

The Equator gauge’s ability to measure parts quickly and accurately on the shop floor, rather than in a temperature controlled environment, has been a major benefit for many applications. 

Its innovative technology is based on the traditional comparison of production parts to a reference master part. Re-mastering is as swift as measuring a production part and immediately compensates for any thermal effects. 

Re-programmable

In a design and manufacturing environment, improvements to parts are frequently made. The Equator gauge has proven to be the perfect solution as a single gauging system which can cope with the current range of parts and any future design changes. 

Using the Renishaw MODUS software built into all Equator systems, it is simple to modify part programs to add or change features. 

Versatile

For applications where different parts are produced in batches every few weeks, the Equator system’s ability to switch quickly from one part to another has proven indispensable. 

Using Equator’s Organiser™ software, operators can easily choose between different part programs using images, part names or bar codes. Fixturing can be changed quickly using repeatable fixtures and plates.