Axiom CMM Case Study
When engineer John Partridge founded an underwater acoustics consultancy in a small town in southern England in 1971, he had a vision. He wanted to make operations beneath the waves safer and more efficient. Driven by technical curiosity and a desire to solve real-world challenges, his company, Sonardyne has gone on to provide highly effective and trusted answers to successive offshore, scientific and marine industry challenges.
Over five decades, their innovations have set and then reset the benchmarks of what’s possible, first in underwater positioning with products like Compatt, which is still a global byword for acoustic transponders six generations later, and, since the start of the century, equally significant developments in inertial and optic technologies.
From helping to accurately position the very first truly deepwater offshore structures to surveying globally significant historic wrecks, and from detecting tsunamis to broadcasting live video from a submersible, their history and future is one of industry firsts.
Sonardyne’s product range is operational from shallow water coastal work to the greatest depths of the oceans. In recent years they have seen growth in autonomous and uncrewed vehicles. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and even uncrewed surface vehicles) (USVs) are increasingly being used offshore to carry inspection and survey work.
Martin Gregory first got in contact with Aberlink in 2008. The need to improve in-house the quality control of high-precision parts made for underwater navigation systems, and Aberlink’s reputation for being the easiest to use CMM in the market, lead Martin to get in contact, he explains: “Our equipment relies on precision to ensure the best positioning and navigation possible. It is designed to operate in the harshest environments, at depths exceeding 8,000 meters below the sea's surface. Every measurement in the manufacturing of our products matters. It is a testament to Aberlink's excellence that we are now investing in our fourth Axiom CMM, which meets our exacting standards for quality.”
Since the first purchase of an Axiom too 1200 CNC CMM in 2008, Sonardyne has gone on to purchase another three Aberlink CMMs to keep up with the demands of the business. The latest purchase is the 3rd generation Axiom CNC CMM.
"Every measurement in the manufacturing of our products matters. It is a testament to Aberlink's excellence that we are now investing in our fourth Axiom CMM, which meets our exacting standards for quality"
The new Axiom CMM is a testament to Aberlink’s commitment to in-house design and manufacturing, a philosophy that has driven the company’s success from its base in the picturesque Cotswold hills of Gloucestershire. This latest iteration features:
• Enhanced Stiffness: A brand-new right-hand-side bridge assembly with increased Y-axis air-bearing separation delivers greater accuracy.
• Faster Measurements: Improved drive assemblies enable the new Axiom to measure parts up to 25% faster than its predecessor.
• Shop-Floor Durability: The latest linear encoders significantly improve dirt immunity, ensuring reliable performance in demanding environments
• Modern Aesthetic: The new Axiom now matches the sleek, contemporary look of Aberlink’s Halo and Horizon CNC CMMs, bringing it in line with the rest of the range.
Aberlink's products and services provide customers with remarkable value for money. This has been achieved by producing a fully self-contained business model from day one. Because they machine all the components for the CMMs themselves, they understand the manufacturing process fully, and clever design-for-manufacture ensures reliable products are produced with no redundant costs. All CMMs are assembled on-site in Gloucestershire, where the software is also written in-house. Aberlink is a fully integrated company with minimal external costs and that is why they can offer the amazing value for money.
In summarising how Aberlink has helped Sonardyne on their journey of CMM discovery, Martin has this to say: “I first became aware of Aberlink whilst working in Chicago in 2008. The Aberlink distributor for the US (Masters Precision) helped us move an Axiom too CMM to Boston. The move went without a hitch, and this typified the service and support I would get in the UK, when I started at Sonardyne. Since 2017, we have purchased another three Axiom CNC CMMs and I just love them; the software is so easy to learn, and I can share my knowledge quickly and easily to new members of staff in our quality department. We have a Baty SM350 shadowgraph that uses a badged version of the Aberlink software, so we’ve only one software package to learn across various hardware platforms – Again, just brilliant! The reliability of the Aberlink CMMs has been faultless, we get Aberlink in every year to do our service and recalibration; they update our software to the latest version free-of-cost during the service visit. We’re able to load multiple parts on the bed of the CMM and it’ll measure the lot in one go.
New Aberlink hardware has enabled us to fit a Camera system with CNC collimated light on our latest Axiom CNC CMM. Aberlink’s Programming from CAD software enables us to create inspection programs before we’ve made new parts, minimising any bottleneck when they arrive for CMM inspection. Visiting customers are always very impressed with the CMM setup in our quality department. I cannot fault our Aberlink CMMs, or the technical support I have received from Aberlink. It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to pick up the phone and talk to their technical support whenever I need any help or advice – thank you Aberlink.”
The best way to show you how quick and easy the Axiom is to use is to arrange a demonstration at your factory, measuring your parts. Please get in contact via the info request button if you would like a demonstration of the Axiom CMM.