Mahr Federal Introduces the MarSurf LD 130 and LD 260 for Combined Roughness and Surface Measurements

Building on the success of its industry-leading MarSurf LD 120 system for
combined surface and contour measurements, Mahr Federal has introduced a
new generation of instruments with a number of improvements and
innovations. Together the new LD 130 and 260 feature longer travel-the
longest in the industry for the LD 260-the fastest positioning and measuring
speeds in the industry, an innovative biomimetic probe arm design with
magnetic mounting and automatic probe recognition, dynamic measuring force,
extremely low residual noise, and a plethora of other improvements.

"Simply put," said Pat Nugent, Mahr Federal's Vice President of Metrology
Systems, "our intent with the design of the LD 130 and 260 was to take the
success of the MarSurf LD 120 platform and improve on it in any way we could."
One interesting example is the new probe arm designs, which are biomimetic,
meaning their shapes mimic those found in nature. By using these new shapes
we've been able to reduce probe weight by as much as 50% while maintaining
the same rigidity, and thereby dramatically improving dynamic response."

The MarSurf LD 130 and 260 units feature travel lengths of 130 mm and 260
mm respectively. This not only allows measurement of much larger parts, but
with travel speeds up to 200 mm/sec and measuring speeds up to 10 mm/sec
(depending on the surface) measuring cycle times can be significantly reduced
as much as 50% in the case of a 260 mm steering shaft with gear tooth
measurements at each end.

Improved dynamic response of the probe also helps increase measurement
speeds and reduce measurement cycle time by allowing the probe to better
track the part surface. In addition, dynamic measurement force allows the drive
units to operate at angles of ±45° from horizontal, dramatically increasing the
flexibility of the MarSurf LD 130 and 260 systems.

Both units have been redesigned to improve both safety and accessibility. The
tip of the newly designed biomimetic probes is now below the lowest point on
the housing, allowing improved access in more measuring applications. In
addition, while the LD 130 and 260 retain the magnetic breakaway probe
feature of the early LD 120 system, the entire lower housings on the new units
are pressure sensitive so that in the event of unintended contact with another
object an emergency signal is initiated and stops all movement of the drive unit.

Automatic probe recognition has also been improved. While RFID signals used
on competing systems can cause confusion if two or more probes are in signal
range, Mahr's automatic recognition system is measuring program specific and
requires operator confirmation. Thus, the proximity of other probes is not an
issue, and should another probe be mounted while an operator is on break, for
example, he will be notified before resuming his measurement program.

Finally, the residual noise signal in the new MarSurf LD 130 and LD 260 units
has been significantly reduced. This is the roughness "error" that would still be
recorded if the probe traced a perfectly flat surface. In the MarSurf LD 120, this
was specified at between 34 and 40 nm Rz. In the new units, this has been
reduced by nearly 50% to 20 nm Rz. This is a significant improvement for those
making ultra-high precision surface and contour measurements.
The MarSurf LD 130 and 260 systems for combined surface and contour
measurement
are available in a number of different configurations and with a wide range of
probe design tips and other accessories.

Mahr Federal Inc., a member of the Mahr Group, has been providing
dimensional measurement solutions to fit customer application needs for over
150 years. The company manufactures and markets a wide variety of
dimensional metrology equipment, from simple and easy-to-use handheld
gages to technically advanced measurement systems for form, contour, surface
finish and length. Mahr Federal is also well known as a producer of custom-
designed gages and a provider of calibration and contract measurement
services. Mahr Federal's calibration laboratories are accredited to ISO/IEC
17025:2005 NVLAP Lab Code 200605-0 (see our Scope of Accreditation for
accredited calibration processes).