Do away with manual alignments - use Readpoint

Hi Everyone
I am fairly new to PCDMIS being a Mitutoyo programmer for the last 10 years (Booo). The training I had on PCDMIS was reliant on a MANUAL setup before going into DCC mode. By going straight into DCC mode position your probe over its start point. Then you can insert a READ POINT. Then put the XYZ origin on the READ POINT and hey presto your probe has a X0, Y0 and Z0 starting point. You can now do a rough setup by getting the CMM mode to search for your part elements.
This can still then be skipped if not required for further parts. Why go to the lengths of manual probing when the CMM will do it for you?

I am enjoying the new challenge of PCDMIS and can see that it is deep and dark. By using code instead of set routines like the Mitutoyo I realise it can be a lot more flexible. Now if I only knew all the codeing tricks?
Please look out for my questions appearing.

Butch

Parents

D-Train over 9 years ago

3mm sounds like it may be tip radius compensation.

Whenever possible I try to use Auto Circles to seed a readpoint. I create the hole first then insert a ReadPoint just before it. Copy/paste the hole values to the readpoint, datum to it then offset by the coordinate values if needed. The below is for the demo block hole pattern (4x). A prior document comment outlines the approximate orientation of the demo block in the Cmm volume to help with a DCC move from the 1st readpoint to the 2nd. First hole has a sample point to initially establish Z origin which happens to be the surface the holes lie in (no translation needed). Both holes have AutoMove values. Sometimes I'll do a quick DCC 3-2-1 alignment after the readpoint alignment prior to measuring the datum features. It just depends on how repeatable I want the datum features to be. I always used to take 4 hits in the holes. A limitation with setting MANRETRACT on our FDC controller prompted me to try using the readpoint. Now that I've been using it I can't see a reason to go back to the old way. I've also used it on some small machined features that are eyeballed by the machinist to the casting per customer's instructions. A limited production that didn't warrant the time to do a DCC exploration of the area. I've found it to be a quick way to corner the part so that automated measurement can begin sooner.
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
            
            Position stylus at top center of front left hole (level with surface)
            
PNT1       =FEAT/POINT,CARTESIAN
            THEO/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
            ACTL/<26.6234,19.2428,-78.9025>,<0,0,1>
            READPOINT/
ALIGN1       =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:USE_PART_SETUP,LIST=YES
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-3.6811
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,-0.7677
              ALIGNMENT/END
              MODE/DCC
CIR1         =FEAT/CONTACT/CIRCLE/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN,IN,LEAST_SQR
              THEO/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5906
              ACTL/<3.6745,0.7667,0.0301>,<0,0,1>,0.5955
              TARG/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
              START ANG=0,END ANG=360
              ANGLE VEC=<0.7071068,-0.7071068,0>
              DIRECTION=CCW
              USE_PIN=NO
              REPORT VEC=<0.6532815,0.2705981,0.7071068>
              SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
              SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=NO
              MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<6.0827,0.7677,0.5000>
              MODE/MANUAL
              COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
              
              Position stylus at top center of front right hole (level with surface)
              
PNT2         =FEAT/POINT,CARTESIAN
              THEO/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
              ACTL/<6.0827,0.7581,0.0513>,<0,0,1>
              READPOINT/
ALIGN2         =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:ALIGN1,LIST=YES
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,PNT2
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,PNT2
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-6.0827
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,-0.7677
                ALIGNMENT/END
                MODE/DCC
CIR2           =FEAT/CONTACT/CIRCLE/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN,IN,LEAST_SQR
                THEO/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5906
                ACTL/<6.0705,0.7569,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5953
                TARG/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
                START ANG=0,END ANG=360
                ANGLE VEC=<1,0,0>
                DIRECTION=CCW
                USE_PIN=NO
                REPORT VEC=<0.6532815,0.2705981,0.7071068>
                SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
                SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=NO
ALIGN3         =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:ALIGN2,LIST=YES
                  ALIGNMENT/BF2D,ZPLUS,LEAST_SQR,CREATE WEIGHTS=NO,ROTANDTRANS,USE SCALING=NO,0,0,0,359.9784
                  ITERATEANDREPIERCECAD=NO
                  Deviation Threshold=0.0003937
                  SHOWALLINPUTS=NO,SHOWALLPARAMS=NO
                ALIGNMENT/END
Lots of ways to go about it depending on what you have to work with.

So with this, did you put it in DCC Mode right away, insert an auto circle (CIR1), then put in the readpoint PNT1 above the circle, to the location of that circle?? Then PNT2 and CIR2, but what is the ALIGN3 at the end, is that an iterative alignment??

Reply

D-Train over 9 years ago

3mm sounds like it may be tip radius compensation.

Whenever possible I try to use Auto Circles to seed a readpoint. I create the hole first then insert a ReadPoint just before it. Copy/paste the hole values to the readpoint, datum to it then offset by the coordinate values if needed. The below is for the demo block hole pattern (4x). A prior document comment outlines the approximate orientation of the demo block in the Cmm volume to help with a DCC move from the 1st readpoint to the 2nd. First hole has a sample point to initially establish Z origin which happens to be the surface the holes lie in (no translation needed). Both holes have AutoMove values. Sometimes I'll do a quick DCC 3-2-1 alignment after the readpoint alignment prior to measuring the datum features. It just depends on how repeatable I want the datum features to be. I always used to take 4 hits in the holes. A limitation with setting MANRETRACT on our FDC controller prompted me to try using the readpoint. Now that I've been using it I can't see a reason to go back to the old way. I've also used it on some small machined features that are eyeballed by the machinist to the casting per customer's instructions. A limited production that didn't warrant the time to do a DCC exploration of the area. I've found it to be a quick way to corner the part so that automated measurement can begin sooner.
COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
            
            Position stylus at top center of front left hole (level with surface)
            
PNT1       =FEAT/POINT,CARTESIAN
            THEO/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
            ACTL/<26.6234,19.2428,-78.9025>,<0,0,1>
            READPOINT/
ALIGN1       =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:USE_PART_SETUP,LIST=YES
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS,ZAXIS,PNT1
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-3.6811
                ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,-0.7677
              ALIGNMENT/END
              MODE/DCC
CIR1         =FEAT/CONTACT/CIRCLE/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN,IN,LEAST_SQR
              THEO/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5906
              ACTL/<3.6745,0.7667,0.0301>,<0,0,1>,0.5955
              TARG/<3.6811,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
              START ANG=0,END ANG=360
              ANGLE VEC=<0.7071068,-0.7071068,0>
              DIRECTION=CCW
              USE_PIN=NO
              REPORT VEC=<0.6532815,0.2705981,0.7071068>
              SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
              SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=NO
              MOVE/POINT,NORMAL,<6.0827,0.7677,0.5000>
              MODE/MANUAL
              COMMENT/OPER,NO,FULL SCREEN=NO,AUTO-CONTINUE=NO,
              
              Position stylus at top center of front right hole (level with surface)
              
PNT2         =FEAT/POINT,CARTESIAN
              THEO/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
              ACTL/<6.0827,0.7581,0.0513>,<0,0,1>
              READPOINT/
ALIGN2         =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:ALIGN1,LIST=YES
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS,XAXIS,PNT2
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS,YAXIS,PNT2
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,XAXIS,-6.0827
                  ALIGNMENT/TRANS_OFFSET,YAXIS,-0.7677
                ALIGNMENT/END
                MODE/DCC
CIR2           =FEAT/CONTACT/CIRCLE/DEFAULT,CARTESIAN,IN,LEAST_SQR
                THEO/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5906
                ACTL/<6.0705,0.7569,0>,<0,0,1>,0.5953
                TARG/<6.0827,0.7677,0>,<0,0,1>
                START ANG=0,END ANG=360
                ANGLE VEC=<1,0,0>
                DIRECTION=CCW
                USE_PIN=NO
                REPORT VEC=<0.6532815,0.2705981,0.7071068>
                SHOW FEATURE PARAMETERS=NO
                SHOW CONTACT PARAMETERS=NO
ALIGN3         =ALIGNMENT/START,RECALL:ALIGN2,LIST=YES
                  ALIGNMENT/BF2D,ZPLUS,LEAST_SQR,CREATE WEIGHTS=NO,ROTANDTRANS,USE SCALING=NO,0,0,0,359.9784
                  ITERATEANDREPIERCECAD=NO
                  Deviation Threshold=0.0003937
                  SHOWALLINPUTS=NO,SHOWALLPARAMS=NO
                ALIGNMENT/END
Lots of ways to go about it depending on what you have to work with.

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