Brilex Improves Quality Program with

FAROs Game Changing Technology

The ability to measure complex geometry in a quick and accurate
fashion, anywhere on the shop floor, makes this technology far
superior to having a CMM. With FAROs user-friendly technology
we are able to validate results during the manufacturing process,
make adjustments and know that dimensional part requirements
are met on the machine tool or at the fitting table. Having this
ability is a total game changer.
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Brilex Industries has established itself as a worldwide source for fabricating, machining, and complete machine
assembly. Founded in 1996 by two brothers, Brian and Alex Benyo, Brilex has become known as one of
Youngstown, Ohios most aggressive and fastest growing companies. The company has grown to a position
of leadership in its industry through proven performance, dedication, and continual investment in its people,
facilities, and advanced equipment providing both themselves and their customers with the advantages
needed to compete in todays global market.
With an aggressive and knowledgeable management staff focused on quality, efficiency, and on-time reliability,
Brilex Industries (www.brilex.com) has become a preferred full service supplier to many leading OEMs and
end users in the metals, rubber, plastics and glass, energy and power generation, and other capital equipment
industries.
Problem
As expected for a manufacturer that supplies such a large
range of industries and customers, the parts that Brilex
works with everyday have an equally large range of size.
Parts can range anywhere from as small as 30 pounds up
to 70 tons. These parts tend to be medium to large fabricated
and machined and/or assembled products such as various
housings, gearboxes, platens, bearing races, scissor lifts,
shredders, transfer cars, pressure vessels, chocks, bushings,
work roll shafts, turbine components, and more.
Traditionally, Brilex used an assortment of tools in order to
measure these various parts as it would be difficult for one
tool to be the answer for all of their needs. They used OD
(outside diameter) and ID (inside diameter) micrometers,
height gauges, bore gauges, calipers, and other similar hand
tools.
For Brilex, like many manufacturers, time and capability are always an issue. Over the past few years, the
products the company builds and works with have become increasingly large and complex. In addition,
many customers now require extensive documentation packages with complete traceability of material and
dimensional results.
The measurements obtained from traditional tools were sufficient, but were time consuming considering the
increasing complexity of the parts and required multiple setups to measure all of the critical dimensions if
not impossible.
Solution
Brilex needed a better solution, a solution that could answer both their expanding need for quality and their
ever-present need for time. Their answer came from FARO. The portable CMMs provided by FARO enable Brilex
to perform many of the inspections they require with much greater accuracy and repeatability in a fraction of
the time. Where it was not always possible to get all of the measurements they needed using past methods,
they can now be achieved using FARO.
Brilex chose FARO not only for the time savings and the improved accuracy their devices provide, but for
FAROs industry reputation. The FARO equipment has even generated a great deal of excitement in Brilexs
customers when they visit and see them in action.
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There was a learning curve in implementation
of the new technology, especially in changing
the mindset of those accustomed to using
conventional measurement tools, but the
combined training and support provided by
FARO made this fairly seamless. That support
was provided by local Account Managers Trevor
Murcko and Eric Boyer as well as Applications
Engineers and online support. Their assistance
helped to show the benefits of reducing inspection
time and proving the results that enabled Brilex
to change their processes and improve their
overall quality.
Brilex uses both the FaroArm and the FARO
Laser Tracker ION on a daily basis to verify
setup, in fabrication inspection, and during final
inspection. A portable measurement arm, the
FaroArm is used mostly on parts where GD&T
is called out or in situations that may require
additional setups. The FaroArm can be placed
directly on the part or set on an inspection table
and measuring can be started without having
to setup or level the part being inspected. The
scanning feature is used, for example, to check
the profile of a casting and then compare it
to the CAD file to assist manufacturing. The
flexibility and portability provided by FARO are
key and many of the software features in CAM2
are huge time savers for Brilex.
The parts checked by Brilex with the FARO Laser Tracker are generally those that are in excess of 20-ft long.
Such parts typically require specific flatness tolerances. In other cases, such parts will have faces to be
machined and the Tracker is used to verify that proper stock allowances exist. In some cases, subject parts
have specific angles that are required to be held or machined. Another advantage of the Tracker is that it is
very accurate in verifying specific locations over a long distance that must be held. Regardless of the length
of the part, the Laser Tracker can be used to verify all features either in a single setup, or in multiple setups.
If multiple setups are required, reference points can be established during the first setup, then the Tracker is
then moved to a new location and the reference points are picked up from the first setup and used for another
set of measurements.
The FARO ION allows Brilex to check dimensions over greater distance and to inspect geometric fit, form, and
function items that would otherwise be extremely difficult and cumbersome to evaluate.
Bud Geddes, Manager of Manufacturing at Brilex, said, The most significant advantage of a laser tracker
versus a conventional laser measurement system is the ability to establish datum points on the work piece
being evaluated and leapfrog the tracker around the work piece. Doing this allows the user to measure
relationships between features that would otherwise not be possible.
Some of the products we manufacture are fairly large and expensive, said Dan Hall, the Quality Control
Manager at Brilex. When mistakes cannot afford to be made, we have used FARO, specifically the Laser
Tracker ION, to ensure machine tool and part alignment prior to machining critical features.
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FARO, THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS and the FARO Logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of FARO Technologies, Inc. 2012 FARO Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. SFDC_04MKT_0288.pdf Created: 3/7/12
www.faro.com 800.736.0234
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Return on Investment
For Brilex, their FARO solutions
have improved their capability and
confidence as well as the quality
they deliver to their customers.
FARO provides Brilex consistency
in their results from inspection and
this, in turn, allows the company
to continually improve their quality
program.
Alex Benyo, VP of Brilex, added,
The addition of FARO equipment is
just another example of how Brilex
continually makes investments in
technology and resources to be best
in class.
As an example of real return, a part that had previously taken an average of 5 hours to inspect, can now be
inspected in less than 2 hours using FARO due to the time saved not having to retrieve and calibrate or to do
additional setups with all of the other measuring equipment they used previously. Most of the products Brilex
manufactures are not repeat production, but when they do work with more than one part, the time saved
using FARO is also reduced.
Having FARO instills a sense of confidence in our customer, said Mr. Hall. Having the ability to assure
dimensional conformance of large products with stringent quality requirement has definitely played a role
in the placement of several new orders. But, the greatest benefits we
have realized are the time savings and the improvement in our ability to
measure large fabrications and the added confidence of our customers.
Brian Benyo, Brilexs president, said, The ability to measure complex
geometry in a quick and accurate fashion, anywhere on the shop floor,
makes this technology far superior to having a CMM. With FAROs
user-friendly technology we are able to validate results during the
manufacturing process, make adjustments and know that dimensional
part requirements are met on the machine tool or at the fitting table.
Having this ability is a total game changer.