Because V6 engine connecting rods must meet very strict tolerances, holes that are drilled in them by CNC milling machines must be cleaned off, inspected for accuracy, and then either set aside for manual inspection or sent down the line to the next machine. The Automated Inline Gauge Machines tackle this task. Designed in a joint effort between Miro and Zoltan Kovacs of AGF Machining Solutions Inc., these two machines work in a similar fashion but each check different measurements.

The main design challenge that Miro resolved in this 3D design engineering project was figuring out how to get the connecting rods from the vertical position in which the conveyor brings them to the machine into the horizontal position needed for the gauges. His solution was to use gravity to lay the connecting rods down. Because this step is not done electrically or pneumatically, it’s a simple, maintenance-free approach that will never fail.