Yup, they work just fine if used correctly! Be careful, need to have the right hardware. If you have tp20s or TESASTAR_MP mods, those can only trigger X+, X-, Y+, Y-, Z+ but
NOT Z-. If you want to trigger in the Z- with this hardware, you have to buy a 6way tp20 module. All of my stars use a "6way".
If you have TP200 or the cone shaped modules, stars will work even better for you.
I have many stars just like this:
Please note... PC DMIS had a bug for years...if you have a Hexagon brand rack and a RENISHAW 6way tp20, the software would yell at you and not let the 6 way tp20 into the rack unless you lie to it and tell the software that you're actually using a TESASTAR product. All of my stars use the 6 way tp20 even though this picture and even my real probefile shows Tesastar, I am sorry if this throws you off. (hexagon has fixed this bug but I never gone back in and changed my probe definitions because everything still works)
Yup, they work just fine if used correctly! Be careful, need to have the right hardware. If you have tp20s or TESASTAR_MP mods, those can only trigger X+, X-, Y+, Y-, Z+ but NOT Z-. If you want to trigger in the Z- with this hardware, you have to buy a 6way tp20 module. All of my stars use a "6way".
If you have TP200 or the cone shaped modules, stars will work even better for you.
I have many stars just like this:
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This is the same for the SP25-M as well. There is a specific module for taking Z- hits similar to the TP20 6way.
More to the point of the OP, I use them religiously because I am the only one here that knows how to use them. The others don't want to learn how so all the jobs that require them come to me.
i use the same setup as DAN_M showed and i love them! i can get to places that i can't normally get with standard setups
I even had my CNC Dept grind off the bottom of the star (part that sticks out in the pic) . Now there is only a very small lip I can grab with some needle nose plyers if I want to tighten it, but it allows me to pretty much almost bottom out that probe and get really deep into an ID
I even had my CNC Dept grind off the bottom of the star (part that sticks out in the pic) . Now there is only a very small lip I can grab with some needle nose plyers if I want to tighten it, but it allows me to pretty much almost bottom out that probe and get really deep into an ID
the previous programmer here did that also! i was so confused when i first saw it haha. he trained me so when i tried creating a new L shape probe to learn i thought i was doing it wrong until he explained that he modified them. i have 5 machines and at least one of these on all of them
the previous programmer here did that also! i was so confused when i first saw it haha. he trained me so when i tried creating a new L shape probe to learn i thought i was doing it wrong until he explained that he modified them. i have 5 machines and at least one of these on all of them
works well, have recommended doing this to a few colleagues and they like it
I've never been a fan of star probes. Not to say that I haven't used them. It's more that I haven't figured out the trick to consistently and easily orient the 'star' on a TP 20 setup. Worked with a Zeiss with a Vast head for a few years. That was somewhat manageable. Seems to me that you would need some kind of hardware solution for this. Some kind of rotatable element to go in between the TP20 and your probe head. Wouldn't have to rotate 360 degrees. 90 degrees of rotation would probably be enough.
I use them pretty frequently. I have a knuckle probe that I really like as well. It allows my to get a lot closer to my plate when I am checking holes in the side of a short wall.
My biggest problem is my hardware. Since I use the TesaStarMP stuff, my star builds all begin to lose the accuracy that I need when they get to 40mm-50mm length. I do good work with what I am limited to using. However, if I had the correct probing system, I would be able to do a lot more.
