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Motorized probe magazine

Bill Kulpa 6 years ago in Hardware / Coordinate Measuring Machines • updated by ALBERT706 5 years ago • 4

Develop a motorized probe magazine much like every machining center has.

That way it could be mounted in the dead space at the end of the Y axis of most machines.

When a probe change is needed PC-DMIS would move the machine to a predetermined point for that port, the port would extend to the Z rail and unload or load a new probe. This would allow better use of the measuring envelop and enable use of that dead space at the end of the machine.


Kingsld1 6 years ago

I've seen a picture somewhere of a CMM where the stylii were stored on one of the bridge legs.  Think it may been for scanning probes.  "Shouldn't" be too difficult to adapt the idea for TP20's.    Maybe add an adapter that would hold a TP20 and a hole/ pin arrangement to orient and store the modules? Adapter would go between your indexing head and the TP20.    

Bill Kulpa 6 years ago

I use the X3 C scanning probe on 575 Global machines mostly, and I often consume so much space on a production machine that I don't have room left for a changer. As I say, if I could use that additional wasted space in the back it would help. Just put the garage on a pneumatic cylinder with a bearing slide to bring it into the machine envelope just long enough for the change that would help me. And I think it would be a great marketing item for Hexagon!

Al Metzel 6 years ago

I do not know if this concept would work for all varieties of probe changers, but I have thought that it would make sense to orient the probe rack so the probes are horizontal, and mount the rack to one end of the machine. In that position, very little, if any, of the machines working volume would be compromised.

ALBERT706 5 years ago

THIS WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION FOR US THAT RUN MULTIPLE PARTS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND ARE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT OF PROBES WE CAN HAVE ON THE CMM BEFORE IT TAKES UP SO MUCH MEASURING VOLUME. ITS SUCH A BURDEN TO BUILD EVERY STYLI LONG AND LOSE ACCURACY BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TWO PROBES OF THE SAME SIZE AT DIFFERENT LENGTHS BUT ITS A NECESSITY AT TIMES.

IT WILL PROBABLY COST AN ARM AND A LEG BUT I DO AGREE WE NEED OPTIONS NOT JUST AN EXTRUSION WITH A HEXAGON LOGO STICKER.

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