As metrology specialists, what types of gear testing solutions do you offer your customers?
We offer traditional stand-alone CNC gear testing equipment, along with CMM-based gear inspection solutions. Our systems can handle a variety of sizes, from typical industrial and automotive applications, up to large power gen and transportation type gears.
You’ve recently launched a new metrology software. What makes this product a must-have?
What this new software does is bridge the gap that our customers face in gear manufacturing. WM | Gear provides an evolution of our standard metrology package, offering a common platform for both gear metrology and traditional inspection. Rather than create a specialized package just to check gears, we expanded the capabilities of our world-renowned WM | Quartis. This gives customers a single solution that can handle all of their metrology needs.
Will you be able to continue to build on this software in the future?
Absolutely, WM | Quartis is built on a very modular platform. We will release new modules as needs change in the market — whether there are new standards that come out or customer specific requirements. We’ll always add new functionality to stay on top of those. What’s important, though, is that it’s not just gear software, it’s for inspection of all workpieces, which means that it will grow as the market needs change, even beyond gears.
How does focusing on manufacturing metrology equipment put Wenzel at an industry advantage?
The Wenzel Advantage is that we are completely focused on manufacturing the most reliable metrology equipment on the market. From raw materials, such as granite, all the way to final assembly, we control the entire process. Being vertically integrated in this way ensures that we can deliver consistent quality products, but also allows us the flexibility to pivot and adapt as the market demands. For example, during 2020, we designed, manufactured, and delivered a brand-new system for a customer in less than six months, helping them meet their production needs and giving us a new standard product to offer.
What else is new about the Wenzel systems?
This new generation of machines will be the first to share a common machine-controller with our line of CMMs. This streamlines the entire process offering better delivery, simplified support, and a path for modernization. New sensors, software, and machine configurations will all be designed and built around this common platform ensuring that as a customer’s needs change, our technology can scale with them.
In what other ways is Wenzel looking to the future of metrology?
What we’re looking at always is: How do we stay ahead of the needs of the manufacturing environment? The two main areas that we are focusing on right now are non-contact inspection and Industry 4.0. Non-contact inspection, even with gears, can offer speed and flexibility for the right applications, helping people measure more parts faster. Industry 4.0 isn’t just a big buzzword, it is affecting the shop-floor by changing how we use data. The question for Wenzel is: How do we connect our metrology platforms with the greater plant environment and give more transparency to what’s going on? That is where our focus is right now.
