Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Third Dimension launches GapGun countersink measurement solution

Aerospace

Third Dimension launches GapGun countersink measurement solution

Third Dimension haslaunched an all new countersink measurement solution for its GapGun range.

The first of its kind on the market, it can calculate the dimensions of a countersink hole to accurately predict the flushness of fasteners once fitted. What’s more, it can operate in real time on the production lines of aircraft, cars and vans, and also in the energy and marine markets.

Last year in the commercial aviation industry alone, 1481 planes were manufactured with a total estimated 296 million countersinks. The average requirement is to measure 5% of each aircraft’s 200,000 countersink holes, meaning 10,000 countersink holes would have to be measured for every commercial aircraft produced. Done manually, these checks rely heavily on the competencies of the operator and are extremely time consuming.

Advertisement
Security & Policing Rectangle

Dennis de Roos, Third Dimension’s Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, said: “If the hole for a rivet isn’t the right size, it will create severe quality problems, either at the time of production or more worryingly further down the line. Our new, patented system will help prevent these issues in just a couple of seconds, per measurement. For the first time, fastener flushness and countersink characteristics can be measured quickly and accurately, time and time again, with no possibility of operator error.”

The patent-protected GapGun Countersink Inspection System enables the prediction of fastener flushness much faster and more accurately than mechanical gauge, with the addition of a fully auditable data trail. Tolerance bands can be pre-set, the measurement is recorded against these and then the result can be read onscreen or automatically sent to a PC to enable comparison and analysis.

Countersinks are notoriously difficult to measure in the industry; one of the main challenges for manufacturers is finding a way that factors in how to calculate the centre of the hole. The Third Dimension solution addresses this with a specially designed standoff integrated into the sensor.

This enables the system to calculate this crucial point to quality check the dimensions of hole, before the fastener is fixed in place. The system is based on a single laser line to give the best possible signal quality and therefore accuracy. As opposed to other solutions on the market, multiple laser lines or bars of light produce reflections which degrade accuracy and reliability when measuring the curved inner surfaces of a countersink.

Advertisement
ODU RT

Tolerances for flushness of fasteners vary, but sometimes allow a small amount of protrusion, and always allow under-flush – for example one manufacturer specifies a tolerance of +0.05/-0.18mm on the final fastener flushness. The GapGun countersink can predict the flushness within these tolerance bands on the most common fastener types.

The countersink solution is available to order now from Third Dimension or through its global network of distributors.

 

Advertisement
Babcock LB
Horizon Solutions unveiled at MRO Europe

Aerospace

Horizon Solutions unveiled at MRO Europe

17 October 2025

BAE Systems introduced Horizon Solutions Aftermarket Services and Support at the MRO Europe conference this week, the new name for its expanded product offerings in commercial avionics repair and support.

ASG King & Fowler gains Airbus approval for TSA Line

Aerospace

ASG King & Fowler gains Airbus approval for TSA Line

16 October 2025

Liverpool-based aerospace surface treatment specialist ASG King & Fowler has now received formal Airbus approval for its newly installed, fully automated tartaric sulphuric anodising (TSA) line, which is a landmark achievement following the successful completion of this major £2 million investment programme.

B&H Worldwide secures warehousing contract with Ontic

Aerospace

B&H Worldwide secures warehousing contract with Ontic

16 October 2025

B&H Worldwide has been awarded a global warehousing and logistics contract by Ontic Aerospace.

Viasat aligns with MIT report on in-flight connectivity performance

Aerospace Space

Viasat aligns with MIT report on in-flight connectivity performance

15 October 2025

Viasat has announced an industry-first concept for business aviation that radically changes how in-flight connectivity performance is measured, aligned with a major new report by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School.

Advertisement
Security & Policing Rectangle
Birmingham Airport completes sustainable fuel trial

Aerospace Security

Birmingham Airport completes sustainable fuel trial

15 October 2025

Birmingham Airport (BHX) has completed a successful sustainable fuel trial in a significant milestone towards the airport’s ambition of becoming net zero by 2033.

Exolum invests in UK’s first independent SAF blending facility

Aerospace

Exolum invests in UK’s first independent SAF blending facility

15 October 2025

Energy logistics company, Exolum, today announced its decision to invest £4.5 million in creating the UK’s first independent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending facility at Redcliffe Bay in south-west England, as part of new plans for a UK-wide network of SAF blending hubs.

Advertisement
ODU RT