Testing criteria for multi-seat measure machine

Concerning methods for testing and acceptance of automatic measure machines, the international standards and the technical specifications introduce, except light differences, a certain convergence in stating the fundamental tests and the relevant capability indexes calculations. However a problem rises concerning the multi-seat machines. This problem is related to the fact that these machines introduce in particular way a measure variation (systematical and randomic) due to seats. In practical terms, in this type of applications, each measure station checks a certain number of characteristics of pieces each one seated on a different rig that is conveyed step by step from one station to the following one. The measure stations are so in sequence and check parts located in different seats. Cyclically checking the same characteristics on a certain number of part rigs is a circumstance affecting the performances of every gauges in terms of repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy. In the present paper the simulation of the effect of different part load criteria is presented. At the same time we try to define a method granting customers the correct machine functionality, not forcing manufactures to implement expensive automatic cycles for finding out the most critical operative conditions.