On the right lines

A portable laser-projection system that can be used to help in the accurate alignment and assembly of products has been developed by Canadian engineers.

The new system, introduced by laser specialist Virtek, incorporates indoor GPS technology, which enables it to be far more flexible than existing laser projection systems.

Laser projection, a technology more readily associated with the cinema experience, is increasingly being employed in manufacturing environments to give engineers precise instructions on how to assemble systems.

Such systems use CAD data to project design or build instructions on to an assembly showing workers how to perform a task.

The projected image could also be a map of where to install parts, complete with instructions on how to carry out an assembly or an outline of plant locations.

One of the drawbacks of laser projection has been that to project an image on to a 3D object the projector must know its location and the location of the target to a high degree of accuracy. However, without a global, factory-wide positioning system, the projector cannot be easily relocated or moved around the plant. This limitation has slowed the adoption of such devices.