This paper presents optimisation of a measuring probe path in inspecting the prismatic parts on a CMM. The optimisation model is based on: (i) the mathematical model that establishes an initial collision-free path presented by a set of points, and (ii) the solution of Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) obtained with Ant Colony Optimisation (ACO). In order to solve TSP, an ACO algorithm that aims to find the shortest path of ant colony movement (i.e. the optimised path) is applied. Then, the optimised path is compared with the measuring path obtained with online programming on CMM ZEISS UMM500 and with the measuring path obtained in the CMM inspection module of Pro/ENGINEER^®software. The results of comparing the optimised path with the other two generated paths show that the optimised path is at least 20% shorter than the path obtained by on-line programming on CMM ZEISS UMM500, and at least 10% shorter than the path obtained by using the CMM module in Pro/ENGINEER^®.

Industry 4.0 represents a new paradigm which creates new requirements in the area of manufacturing and manufacturing metrology such as to reduce the cost of product, flexibility, mass customization, quality of product, high level of digitalization, optimization, etc., all of which contribute to smart manufacturing and smart metrology systems. This paper presents a developed inspection planning system based on CMM as support of the smart metrology within Industry 4.0 or manufacturing metrology 4.0 (MM4.0). The system is based on the application of three AI techniques such as engineering ontology (EO), GA and ants colony optimization (ACO). The developed system consists of: the ontological knowledge base; the mathematical model for generating strategy of initial MP; the model of analysis and optimization of workpiece setups and probe configuration; the path simulation model in MatLab, PTC Creo and STEP-NC Machine software, and the model of optimization MP by applying ACO. The advantage of the model is its suitability for monitoring of the measurement process and digitalization of the measurement process planning, simulation carried out and measurement verification based on CMM, reduction of the preparatory measurement time as early as in the inspection planning phase and minimizing human involvement or human errors through intelligent planning, which directly influences increased production efficiency, competitiveness, and productivity of enterprises. The measuring experiment was performed using a machined prismatic workpiece (PW).

Already developed and applied engineering information, it is often stored and forgotten. Current approaches for information retrieval are not effective enough in understanding of engineering contents, because they are not developed to share, reuse and represent information of an engineering domain. This paper presents the current state of development engineering ontology (EO) and suggests the method of its development at conceptual level, in order to reuse and share knowledge in domain of coordinate metrology (CM). Furthermore, the method defines development of ontology for the construction of knowledge base, as one of the basic components of an intelligent system for the inspection of prismatic parts on coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The proposed method is implemented in the software Protégé on the example of one measuring part.

The paper presents digital measurement twin (DMT) for CMM based on STEP-NC. DMT is acting as a mirror between the physical and virtual measuring world. In this paper, the measurement system with a 3-axis CMM ZEISS UMM 500 was used as a physical twin, and a virtual machine, generated after modelling and configuring in PTC Creo software of both the machine itself and the prismatic workpiece (PW) and fixture clamps, was employed as a digital twin. STEP-NC file was generated in format P21 by programming the measuring path and simulation of the virtual measurement system operation for two types of tolerances (concentricity and perpendicularity) and three inspection features (IF) (plane, cylinder and truncated cone) in STEP-NC Machine software. Towards double digital twin, using the developed translator for two strategies, STEP-NC and a novel strategy, for obtaining measuring paths, this file is converted to a control data list (CDL), with instructions for the UMM500 axes movement according to a new indirect programming method based on the standard ISO 10303–238. Consequently, the result of this paper is off-line DMT based on STEP-NC by virtue of CDL. Web interface of the DMT based on STEP-NC uses NC.js which deploys Javascript.