Virtek Vision has announced several enhancements to its Iris 3D laser projection system.
Virtek says the enhancements will enable job shops and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to accelerate the manufacture and improve the quality of welded assemblies and components. They also address the manufacturing sector’s ever-increasing talent shortage, Virtek says, because the system requires no prior training or experience to operate.
Using a standard CAD file (no projection files required), Iris 3D identifies the part geometry (mounting brackets, studs, bushings, etc.), determines each part’s exact position in 3D space and projects high-visibility laser lines to direct workers in the placement of each part on the assembly, including drill locations, punch locations, fixture placement and precise assembly positions. Iris 3D software achieves accuracy of +/- 0.015 inches or +/- 0.38mm for most applications.
The Iris 3D software interface is intuitive and employees with little to no training can quickly get up to speed, visualizing finished assembly or weldment before work begins. It eliminates time spent on interpreting drawings, fixturing, layout, marking and component positioning because it performs alignment automatically, with no operator intervention required, enabling employees to begin work immediately after file selection.
Organizations can integrate multiple projectors for very large work areas by fix mounting units over a work cell or assembled on a Virtek mobile stand to facilitate flexible work configurations.
Projected laser lines are clearly visible with the human eye, so protective eyewear and safety training are unnecessary.
“For nearly four decades, Virtek’s engineering and product management teams have worked with customers and partners to drive product innovation and continuous product enhancements,” said Dietmar Wennemer, president and CEO of Virtek. “This is yet another example of delivering what our customers need to improve their quality, increase efficiency and profitability.”
Iris 3D offers “pick-and-project” (PnP) functionality of specific components in the CAD data for simpler assemblies and one-off projects. It also supports extensive pre-designed workflows for complex or repetitive projects to visualize the end product, easy setup of fixtures before weldment begins.
The latest Iris 3D system was demonstrated at Fabtech 2022 in Atlanta.
