Inspection & Testing Equipment¶
Critical for NQA-1 compliance. Traceable calibration records are required. See also: equipment/machine-inventory
Dimensional Inspection¶
| Equipment | Year | Value | Capability | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZEISS Duramax CMM | 2024 | $80,000 | Fixed coordinate measuring | Brand new. Shop floor CMM. Automated measurement programs. |
| FARO Arm CMM | 2021 | $45,000 | Portable coordinate measuring | Paired with HP ZBook + FARO software ($3K). For large parts or in-situ measurement. |
| Micro-VU Comparator (14") | 2002 | $4,500 | Optical comparison | 0.0001" resolution, edge detection. |
| Granite Surface Plate 7×36×48 | — | $2,800 | Collins Grade H reference surface | |
| Granite Surface Plate 18×24×4.5 | — | $1,500 | Grade A reference surface |
Leak Detection (NDT)¶
| Equipment | Year | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| He Mass Spectrometer (Alcatel) | 1988 | $7,000 | ASM-10. ⚠️ 38 years old. |
| He Mass Spectrometer | — | $8,000 | ASM-110. |
Helium leak detection is essential for vacuum chamber and glovebox work — core LANL products.
NDT Personnel Certifications¶
- Sean — NDT technician, potential future weld inspector
- Certifications held: AWS CWI, PT (Penetrant Testing), MSLT (Mass Spectrometer Leak Testing) per ASNT SNT-TC-1A
(Source: Website, FAQ, people/org-chart)
Calibration¶
NQA-1 requires traceable calibration for all measuring equipment. This includes: - ZEISS CMM — needs annual calibration service - FARO Arm — needs annual calibration service - Helium leak detectors — need periodic calibration - Optical comparator — needs periodic calibration - Granite surface plates — need periodic re-certification
❌ Unknown: Who performs calibration (in-house vs. service contract)? Annual cost? (Question #62)
DD Question: ZEISS Duramax Motivation¶
The ZEISS CMM was purchased in 2024 for ~$80K. Was this: - (a) Required by a specific LANL contract? → Validates ongoing need - (b) General QA upgrade? → Still good, but different justification
(Question #93)