Hi, I would like to automate the calibration process. At the moment operators should calibrate the machines twice per week. Is there any chance that I can let this do automatically in PCDMIS like at 5 am?
That could probably be done.
But would you really want it?
Sounds like a crash waiting to happen. Maybe in a few years when cameras and sensors are a dime a dozen that might make sense.
How about an automated email alert that reminds the operators to perform the calibration?
Do you shut down for the night and want it to auto calibrate before you get there? Is your qualification sphere always up and in one spot? If not things could get screwed up or crash if things weren't set up (or taken down) before heading home.
Hi Mike, we close at 12 pm and sometimes products stay on the measuring machine, but arent measured. The height of the products we make is not significant. So it haves clear passage. The sphere is always on one spot.
What happens if your machine loses air pressure or something and your probe dives into the table? We always turn the machines off at the end of the shift because we've had a few heads replaced now :/
You would need an external software to activate the run cycle. It will require VB coding or similar to constuct an interface that would launch the software, open the prog file, run prog file. If you already have a dedicated program that has all your calibration needs in it, you are in good shape to start the process.
You can always create a auto cal program for the operators to use when the turn the CMM on. They could also run the auto cal program during the day if needed. You can also set the qual sphere to YES_DCC and eliminate operators having to manually take the first hit as long as the cal sphere is in the same position and location.
LOADPROBE/VC0022 STAR
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
C1 =COMMENT/YESNO,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
DO YOU WANT TO
CALIBRATE THE TIPS?
IF/C1.INPUT=="YES"
GOTO/CALIBRATE
END_IF/
ELSE_IF/C1.INPUT=="NO"
GOTO/END
END_ELSEIF/
CALIBRATE =LABEL/
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
GENTLY REMOVE PROBE FROM CMM
GENTLY CLEAN TIPS WITH A DRY RAG
PLLACE BACK ON CMM
MAKE SURE RED LIGHT IS ON
CLICK OK WHEN DONE
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=Star_Calibrate, QUALTOOL_MOVED=YES_DCC,
SHOW_SUMMARY=YES, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=NO
BEGIN AUTOCALIBRATE RESULTS FOR PROBE VC0022 STAR USING SET Star_Calibrate
Probe file=VC0022 STAR Date=4/10/2017 Time=9:37:06 AM
Dixie Sphere CENT X 9.2535 Y 5.0825 Z -10.3847 D 0.7500
T1A0B0 THEO X 0.0000 Y 0.0000 Z 8.2262 D 0.1969
T1A0B0 MEAS X -0.0296 Y -0.0223 Z 8.1695 D 0.1949 StdDev 0.0002
T2A0B0 THEO X -0.9252 Y 0.0000 Z 7.1927 D 0.0787
T2A0B0 MEAS X -0.9534 Y -0.0170 Z 7.1338 D 0.0773 StdDev 0.0002
T3A0B0 THEO X 0.0000 Y -0.9252 Z 7.1927 D 0.0787
T3A0B0 MEAS X -0.0269 Y -0.9323 Z 7.1270 D 0.0765 StdDev 0.0002
T4A0B0 THEO X 0.9252 Y 0.0000 Z 7.1927 D 0.0787
T4A0B0 MEAS X 0.8985 Y -0.0072 Z 7.1376 D 0.0765 StdDev 0.0003
T5A0B0 THEO X 0.0000 Y 0.9252 Z 7.1927 D 0.0787
T5A0B0 MEAS X -0.0297 Y 0.9159 Z 7.1412 D 0.0769 StdDev 0.0002
END AUTOCALIBRATE RESULTS FOR PROBE VC0022 STAR USING SET Star_Calibrate
LOADPROBE/VC0022 STAR
C2 =COMMENT/YESNO,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
REVIEW THE STD DEV ON THE REPORT
ARE THE VALUES BETWEEN
0.0000-0.0004?
NO =LABEL/
IF/C2.INPUT=="YES"
LOADPROBE/VC0022 STAR
TIP/T2A0B0, SHANKIJK=-1, 0, 0, ANGLE=0
GOTO/END
END_IF/
ELSE_IF/C2.INPUT=="NO"
GOTO/CALIBRATE
END_ELSEIF/
END =LABEL/
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<11.919,14.7847,-7.822>
If you know for a fact that the CMM will ALWAYS move to the Cal sphere and measure every single tip angle without it banging up against anything then I would say pursue this as it would be super convenient for calibration to take if itself. Now running out of air while you're not around... I've only witnessed one machine drop on Z when the lights/air went out! (Super old but reliable Typhoon) Every other CMM would automatically locked itself up after air pressure dropped (no crash).
The qualification sphere is never moved on the machine I use* (We're going to change it a bit so that the sphere can be removed and replaced in the exact same location every time)
Here's the program I use to calibrate all our probe tips. We run it last thing friday.
The program brings the probe close to the operator, so that the operator can easily remove, inspect and clean the probe. After that's done, it calibrates all the probes in the rack if the operator so chooses.
STARTUP =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:USE_PART_SETUP,LIST=YES
ALIGNMENT/END
MODE/MANUAL
MOVESPEED/ 100
MANRETRACT/0
FLY/ON
FORMAT/TEXT,OPTIONS, ,HEADINGS,SYMBOLS, ;NOM,TOL,MEAS,DEV,OUTTOL, ,
RECALL/ALIGNMENT,INTERNAL,STARTUP
MODE/DCC
$$ NO,
=== Clean ===
$$ NO,
*********
Station 1
*********
LOADPROBE/4MM X 40MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Click "OK" to continue.
MOVESPEED/ 100
$$ NO,
*********
Station 2
*********
LOADPROBE/1MM BY 20MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Click "OK" to continue.
$$ NO,
*********
Station 3
*********
LOADPROBE/1MM BY 40MM
WORKPLANE/ZPLUS
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Click "OK" to continue.
$$ NO,
*********
Station 4
*********
LOADPROBE/2MM X 20MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Click "OK" to continue.
$$ NO,
*********
Station 5
*********
LOADPROBE/0,5MM BY 40MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Click "OK" to continue.
$$ NO,
*********
Station 6
*********
LOADPROBE/2MM X 50MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<,80,-340>
C1 =COMMENT/YESNO,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
Calibrate all probes?
IF/C1.INPUT=="no"
GOTO/END
END_IF/
$$ NO,
=== Calibrate ===
MOVESPEED/ 50
$$ NO,
*********
Station 1
*********
LOADPROBE/4MM X 40MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=YES_DCC,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
MOVESPEED/ 100
$$ NO,
*********
Station 2
*********
LOADPROBE/1MM BY 20MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=NO,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
$$ NO,
*********
Station 3
*********
LOADPROBE/1MM BY 40MM
WORKPLANE/ZPLUS
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=NO,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
$$ NO,
*********
Station 4
*********
LOADPROBE/2MM X 20MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=NO,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
$$ NO,
*********
Station 5
*********
LOADPROBE/0,5MM BY 40MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=NO,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
$$ NO,
*********
Station 6
*********
LOADPROBE/2MM X 50MM
TIP/T1A0B0, SHANKIJK=0, 0, 1, ANGLE=0
AUTOCALIBRATE/PROBE, PARAMETER_SET=ALL-TIPS-WITH-DEFAULTS, QUALTOOL_MOVED=NO,
SHOW_SUMMARY=NO, OVERWRITE_RESULTSFILE=YES
MOVE/INCREMENT,<0,0,300>
END =LABEL/
