Audi AG puts its trust in measuring services from ZEISS

From 0 to 100 in just 2.8 seconds with top speeds of 275 km/h and over 500 PS: the stats for the Audi RS 5 DTM are certainly impressive. And they have to be. 2017 marked the most successful year ever for Audi Motorsport in the DTM, and this year the company will defend its title. Doing so will require not just an outstanding team of drivers, but a perfectly tuned racecar. Reimund Kraus has been responsible for quality assurance since 2001. The development of the prototype race cars is an ongoing process, and the parts are one of a kind rather than mass produced. All this means Kraus' work is never done. Hence quality assurance is a top priority, especially with critical components whose failure would jeopardize the life of the driver. These are subject to 100% inspection and measured on a regular basis.

Carsten Gericke, who heads the measuring house, and his team perform 100% inspections for Audi on all types of parts, including control arms, tie rods and spindles. They primarily use the ZEISS PRISMO and CONTURA coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and a Surfcom system for roughness and contour measurements. All race car components are measured at set intervals, usually around 6000 km. If something unexpected occurs in the meantime like an accident, the ZEISS team gets to work and inspects all the parts to ensure maximum safety. The metrology experts also assist with analyzing the measuring process. "ZEISS has taught us that 'not all measurements are created equal,' which explained why our measurement results differed from those from our suppliers," explains Kraus.