Extol CMM Case Study
St Helens College's Centre for Precision Engineering, based at its STEM Centre for Technology campus in Merseyside, has introduced a full Manual
and CNC Aberlink Educate Package. The aim is simple: to build quality control into every module, so that students use measurement systems and processes exactly as they would in industry.
Rather than treating metrology as a standalone subject, the college now teaches it hands on as its own module, and then carries advanced quality control techniques through the rest of its engineering curriculum.
Engineering colleges are increasingly expected to produce students who are ready for industry from day one. In industry, inspection is not a separate step tacked on at the end. It sits alongside machining and gives operators the feedback they need to make decisions as parts are made.
St Helens College wanted its students to experience that same way of working, which meant finding a partner able to supply both manual and CNC measurement and support it across the whole department.
The timing was right.
St Helens College was looking to invest more in modern, industry relevant technology, and a partner with a focus on providing a complete package for education was exactly what it needed.
The college chose Aberlink and the Aberlink Educate Package.
Aberlink's focus on complete education packages was an important factor, as was its highly regarded support.
A venture of this scale was always going to need a company willing to assist with whatever integration was required.
The package places two systems at the heart of the department:
• A Fulcrum Manual CMM (now the Measur3D), out on the shopfloor in the manual machine shop, giving students instant feedback on the parts they have just made.
• An Extol CNC CMM, housed in the automation section, where students move on to automated measurement and programming.
The difference is easiest to see on the shopfloor.
Beside the manual lathes, students can be seen clocking in 4 jaw chucks by hand, with the Fulcrum on hand to feed measurement results straight back to the machine shop.
Traditional skills and modern quality control sit side by side, and each reinforces the other.
"Having the Fulcrum out on the shopfloor changes how students approach a job. They finish a part, check it straight away and learn from the result, just as they would in industry.
[Mark Thornett | Lecturer]
Having quality control built into every module means our students work the way they will in industry from the start. It is not something they meet once and forget, it is part of how they make every part.
[Dave Percy | Head of School - Engineering and Motor Vehicle]
Students can see straight away whether the part they have just turned is in tolerance. That immediate feedback builds their confidence, and their understanding of why measurement matters.
[Andrew Moran | Lecturer]"
The partnership goes beyond the equipment.
Lecturers Andrew Moran and Mark Thornett use the systems day to day, working alongside the wider Engineering and Motor Vehicle team led by Dave Percy, Head of School.
Aberlink has supported the college with integrating the systems into its teaching.
The lecturers were trained by Aberlink so that they can deliver the courses to students themselves, and the Educate Package also includes a full set of lesson based videos, which the college uses alongside its own teaching.
The Educate Package has brought several benefits to St Helens College:
• METROLOGY AS ITS OWN MODULE: students learn hands on measurement directly, using the same systems found on industry shopfloors.
• QUALITY CONTROL ACROSS THE CURRICULUM: advanced inspection techniques are used throughout the other modules, not only in one.
• INSTANT FEEDBACK: the Fulcrum on the shopfloor lets manual machining students check their work as they go.
• PROGRESSION FROM MANUAL TO CNC: the Extol in the automation section introduces automated measurement and programming.
• READY MADE TEACHING RESOURCES: trained lecturers and a full set of lesson based videos mean the college can deliver the courses with confidence from the start.
• INDUSTRY READINESS: students use quality control systems and processes exactly as they would in their first job.
A visit to the campus makes the approach easy to appreciate.
From the manual lathes to the automation section, there is real energy in the workshops, and inspection is treated as part of making rather than something that happens afterwards.
By equipping students with the skills and confidence to measure, St Helens College and Aberlink are helping to prepare the next generation of engineers for the realities of modern manufacturing.
The best way to show you how quick and easy the Extol is to use is to arrange a demonstration at your factory, measuring your parts. Please get in contact via the info request button if you would like a demonstration of the Extol CMM.