We do not take the part off the machine to measure it.
Measurement in the machine
Monitoring and alerts
Finishing cycle that measures and corrects itself
Probe and tool setting macros
We develop bespoke CAD/CAM and ERP integration software.
Infrared · radio · hard-wired
Non-contact measurement
Length and diameter
Taking a part off the machine to measure it and waiting in line at the inspection room is one of the most expensive habits in manufacturing. Once the part comes off, the set-up reference is lost; even when an error is found, the part has to be re-clamped and re-datumed to correct it. Measuring on the machine removes this loop.
Measurement types sit as icons in the left panel and the part appears in the centre of the screen in 3D. Tolerance, retract distance, the number of points for a diameter and the collision check precision are gathered in one place on the same screen. A measurement point is picked on the part itself and the chosen point is marked on screen straight away. The user works while seeing what is being done.
The software keeps its own machine library. Every machine tool in the shop is defined as a separate record, edited, and set as the active machine when needed. A separate macro is produced for each machine, so records do not get mixed up in a shop running several machines.
Macros are already stored in the machine control. If a macro added from outside uses the same number, a conflict arises. CNC Probing does not leave this to the user: it analyses the macros found on the machine and produces a macro specific to that machine which does not clash with the existing ones. The process is automatic. There is no macro number to choose, no macro to write, and no technical staff to call in for it.
Probes are kept in a library as well. You can select a stored probe or define your own: stylus diameter, stem diameter, body diameter, lengths and holder dimensions are entered. As the values are entered, the probe and the holder are built on screen in 3D at the same time, with a dimensioned diagram beside them.
Case study
What happens when measurement moves into the machine
A mid-sized manufacturer producing spare parts and moulds for a sector where a measurement record must be kept and traceable for every part runs twenty CNC machining centres. Their problem was not technical: the machines ran and the parts were in tolerance. The problem was how long the machines were not running.
At every new setup the operator found the datum by hand. Tool lengths were also set by hand, by the operator, at the machine. For inspection the part was unclamped and sent to the measuring room, and the machine waited for the result.
A broken tool was usually noticed at the end of the program; every part machined in that program then became suspect. When and why the machines stopped was not recorded at all.
CNC Probing software, a measuring probe and a tool setter were installed on all twenty machines. CNC Control monitoring software was connected to the same machines. Installation took one macro per machine; the control units were not modified.
Finding the datum went from about twenty minutes per setup to two. Tool length and diameter are now measured automatically on the machine instead of by hand.
Because the part is measured on the machine, the unclamp-reclamp cycle and the wait for the measuring room are gone. Broken tools are caught within the cycle; no bad part moves to the next operation.
Measurement results are reported in Q-DAS format as they are taken, so traceability is unbroken at part level. The investment paid for itself in less than a year, and the largest item was not scrap but machine downtime.
| Item | Calculation | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Datum and tool setting time | 20 machines × 35 min/day × 250 days = 2,917 h | 175,000 € |
| Downtime for inspection and re-clamping | 20 machines × 15 min/day × 250 days = 1,250 h | 75,000 € |
| Reduction in scrap and rework | about one third of the annual scrap cost | 90,000 € |
| Damage and suspect parts from broken tools | one incident a month instead of one a shift | 60,000 € |
| Total | 400,000 € |
A machine hour rate of 60 euro has been used. The figures come from the company’s own records and vary from shop to shop. Recalculate with your own machine hour rate.
| Datum | By hand, ~20 min per setup | With the probe, ~2 min |
|---|---|---|
| Tool length and diameter | Set by hand at the machine | Automatic, straight into the offset table |
| Part inspection | Unclamp, wait for the measuring room | On the machine while clamped |
| Broken tool | Noticed at the end of the program | Caught within the cycle |
| Measurement record | Compiled by hand | Automatic, in Q-DAS format |
| Reason for downtime | Verbally, at the end of the shift | Live, recorded, with alerts |
