Shaping the Future of Tube Inspection

There’s a new method for pipe and tube metroIogy on the market and it made its debut at FABTECH 2015 in early November.

TubeShaper is an all-new software release designed to turn coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) into specialized tube inspection and measurement tools. The catch is that it only works with one type of CMM.

The software is designed specifically for use with the ROMER Absolute Arm by Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence (Hexagon MI, formerly Hexagon Metrology). When used with this portable arm, TubeShaper professes to provide graphical representation of just how close a manufactured pipe is to its intended design.

Graphical representations of a tube system, drawn in TubeShaper software. (Image courtesy of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.)

An Inspection Tool for Engineers on the Shop Floor

TubeShaper’s primary uses encompass assorted tube-related applications, including tube production, tube and pipe inspection, tube gauging and an ability to reverse-engineer tubes and their assemblies.

To make things easy for the engineers and quality inspectors using TubeShaper, it has a range of features listed by its developer, Hexagon MI.

So what is Hexagon MI saying that the TubeShaper software can do?

It has the capacity to generate automatic measurement plans in first-part inspection or, if preferred, it can set up plans offline before inspection starts.
It can inspect full tube assemblies, including welded brackets, hangers and flanges.
It can interface with CNC tube benders to calculate necessary correctional bend data and apply this data within a production cycle in real time.
It has a CAD engine to import and export in an array of model formats, including IGES, STEP, VDA, PAR, PRT, CAT, DXF, X-T, ASM and IAM.

TubeShaper is designed exclusively for use with Hexagon MI's line of ROMER Absolute Arm portable CMMs. (Image courtesy of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.)

Using Software to Adapt Metrology

The ROMER Absolute Arm is a standalone inspection technology. It’s an articulated, mechanical arm made with tubes and joints and enough sensors to know where the measuring tip is at all times—without having to “home” or calibrate it. The arm can come with a built-in scanner or can be outfitted with one. This enables it to inspect and measure just about anything it can get on or near.

Hexagon MI’s hope for the TubeShaper software is that it will bring the ROMER Absolute Arm back to its roots.

“The ROMER Absolute Arm has become a metrology fixture in a huge range of industries, so it’s easy to forget that the first portable measuring arms were developed for tube measure,” said Stephan Amann, business development manager at Hexagon MI.

“TubeShaper will bring this use of the arm to the fore once again,” Amann continued. “The user experience is completely different [from] previous tube measurement software options and we’re really excited to bring a package like this to market.”

For more information on the TubeShaper system, check out its website.