Quick down and dirty Iterative alignment.
1) MANUAL MODE Select and measure quick and easy manual features.
2) Do a Iterative alignment “measure all feat = NO”
3) DCC MODE Select and measure sound, repeatable features.
4) Do a Iterative alignment “measure all feat = ALWAYS”
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1) Manual Mode Select easy and quick to find and measure features on your CAD.
Don’t try to hit your DATUM’s at this time you want this to be quick and simple.
3 points, 2 points, 1 point or three circles with sample points. Keep It Simple.
This manual Iterative alignment does nothing more than tell the CMM where your part is and how it’s sitting on the CMM. Use it as a ROUGH ALIGNMENT.
MEASURE ALL FEAT = NO
2) DCC Mode Select features that are going to give you sound, repeatable measurements.
_ 3 for level
_ 2 for rotate
_ 1 for origin
If you’re using circles use sample hits.
If you’re using a slot use sample hits and DO NOT ORIGIN on it.
MEASURE ALL FEAT = ALWAYS
If you really need to zero in on this alignment set your RAD low, but always adjust you MAX ITRERATIONS to a real number NOT 99
“I leave my RAD at 5 for the most part this runs the alignment twice” bringing me very close.
If this is going to be THE alignment I set the RAD to .02 but iterations to no more than 5 times. If it has not found a good setup after 5 trys I need to look at my part or my fixturing or I need to change something else.
Most of my DATUM’s need special attention “a different TIP, a different TIP rotation, a different working plane” things that I can address during the run of the part program as long as I make sure I measure them and align to them before I do any output.
Seldom do I use the Iterative alignment to OUTPUT dimensions.
I need many different FCF alignments and a single iterative just doesn’t cut it. I use iterative to measure points and my 3,2,1s to create FCF alignments to dimension with.
3) My normal alignment comes after every thing that I need to measure has been measured and I’m ready to start outputting my data. I go thru and build a 3,2,1 alignment for each and every different FCF on the print. Leaving my Iterative alignment to be nothing more than a method of zeroing in on the part.
ADJUST AS NEEDED FOR YOUR APPLICATION
So here it is…..
1) MANUAL MODE Select and measure quick and easy manual features.
2) Do a Iterative alignment “measure all feat = NO”
3) DCC MODE Select and measure sound, repeatable features.
4) Do a Iterative alignment “measure all feat = ALWAYS”
