Laser measures classic cars

 

The smallest car parts can be measured to the exact micron.

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Warwick University WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) can make custom parts for classic cars after talking highly accurate measurements with a laser.
 
WMG’s Craftsmanship team has just installed a laser measurement machine worth £350,000 supplied by Metris UK, based in Derbyshire.
 
The laser can measure all aspects of the car including the smallest component to the exact micron.
 
Next week, the team will demonstrate the technology using a classic Lea Francis Hyper and make an exact computer model of it. The Lea Francis Hyper won the Ulster TT race in 1928.
 
Dr Mark Williams, leader researcher, described the technology to The Engineer Online: “No other university in the country has one and the cost usually means that only the biggest manufacturing companies are able to use them.

Reverse engineering

“But the computer model we will produce will mean all the components of the car can be reverse engineered so that new ones can be made to fit exactly. So cars like this can virtually last forever – the ultimate in environmentally friendly racing.
 
“The story with the Lea Francis, as with many other classic cars, is that they are often ‘one-of-a-kind’ examples with engineering drawings hard to find, making it difficult to manufacture new components or replace broken ones.”
 
Advantage West Midlands funded the research. The researchers hope that the laser will help car part suppliers learn new skills and produce better car.

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