Rapid Measurement of Involute Profiles for Scroll Compressors

Scroll compressors are widely used in air conditioners, vacuum pumps and so on. Rapid measurement of flank profile of a scroll compressor is important to improve the compression efficiency and decrease noises. A contact probe made of ruby was used for measurement of flank profile. The probe was moved by a linear slide along the X axis at a constant speed. The scroll workpiece was fixed on a precision rotary stage. The relationship between the stage rotational speed and the X axis moving speed complies with the Archimedean curve. The measurement data of the rapid measurement system were analyzed and measurement errors were removed by compensation of the offset between the coordinates of the rotary stage center and those of workpiece center. The measurement results were compared with those measured by a commercial coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The measurement time for the involute profile of the scroll is shortened to 153 seconds by the developed rapid measurement system from the 10 minutes measurement time by the CMM while the measurement accuracy is kept the same.