Are there CMM macros available for VMC's?

MDunk@Renishaw said:

You need to be careful about using on-machine probing for final part inspection. If your axes are not aligned orthogonally, for example, you could machine your parts out-of-square and wouldn't know by probing. If you've had your your machine calibrated (e.g. with this stuff) and are comfortable with the scale of the error relative to your tolerances then it may work.
But if you don't want to go to a full CMM system then a flexible gauging system may fit the bill.

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snowshooze said:

You are telling me several things of note here, and thank you.
Now, hang on, and let's look at this from a practical perspective:

Obviously, the machine is reasonably close. I machine parts on it daily, and it hits dimension as good as I tell it to, up to the limits of my ability to inspect. Very nice. On all three machines, actually.

Now, I realize a CMM is a high-precision instrument, however, if we only want to measure to .0002" or .0005" ... well, that would be more than just good.
In fact, I would believe that nearly everyone would want that capability.
So far as the part being true on axis... I would consider that completely unimportant.
What the objective is is to gather the data points, export them, transform them into a CAD model...
And then play with them in the software to modify and generate tool-pathing.

Everyone with a Renishaw Equipped machine would love to have this capability.
You'd be buried in orders.

Imagine... toss a part on the table. Tell the machine to probe it within an envelope with the rough dimensions, with defined data point steps..

Push the go button and tell the machine good-night.

The technology is already there.
Notice of course I do use my probe this way manually now. Dummy CMM.

It doesn't matter how I throw the part on the table. And no need to clamp it so long as the probe won't move it.
I take my contact points and throw them into my CAD and connect the dots.
Walla. CAD model.

But, beyond simple forms.. this becomes very time consuming.
However, once I have things like bore centers and bolt patterns... rough pocket points..I can fake it from there.
You do understand where I am going, correct?
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to address this, and I would love to hear any more you may have to add to this.
Mark

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MDunk@Renishaw said:

If your axes are not aligned orthogonally, for example, you could machine your parts out-of-square and wouldn't know by probing. [/QUOTE
This is quite amazing. It is OK to produce the scrap if "your axes are not aligned", but it is not OK to measure the parts ? Align your machine before you start to do anything on it.

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snowshooze said:

You are telling me several things of note here, and thank you.
Now, hang on, and let's look at this from a practical perspective:

Obviously, the machine is reasonably close. I machine parts on it daily, and it hits dimension as good as I tell it to, up to the limits of my ability to inspect. Very nice. On all three machines, actually.

Now, I realize a CMM is a high-precision instrument, however, if we only want to measure to .0002" or .0005" ... well, that would be more than just good.
In fact, I would believe that nearly everyone would want that capability.
So far as the part being true on axis... I would consider that completely unimportant.
What the objective is is to gather the data points, export them, transform them into a CAD model...
And then play with them in the software to modify and generate tool-pathing.

Everyone with a Renishaw Equipped machine would love to have this capability.
You'd be buried in orders.

Imagine... toss a part on the table. Tell the machine to probe it within an envelope with the rough dimensions, with defined data point steps..

Push the go button and tell the machine good-night.

The technology is already there.
Notice of course I do use my probe this way manually now. Dummy CMM.

It doesn't matter how I throw the part on the table. And no need to clamp it so long as the probe won't move it.
I take my contact points and throw them into my CAD and connect the dots.
Walla. CAD model.

But, beyond simple forms.. this becomes very time consuming.
However, once I have things like bore centers and bolt patterns... rough pocket points..I can fake it from there.
You do understand where I am going, correct?
Again, thank you very much for taking the time to address this, and I would love to hear any more you may have to add to this.
Mark

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metalmadness said:

Yea.....no.

STEPNC tried doing this and they failed. There are simply too many variables involved.

What machine are you running? I ask because the answer to the original question is usually dependant upon the machine tool builder and the control. Haas machines equipped with a probe will have the stuff needed to get going right away. Here is a great breakdown In-Process Part Measurement; Probing in 5 Simple Steps - Haas Automation Tip of the Day - YouTube

My Hurcos also have probing macros and that is considered an add-on that you have to pay for. We paid for it and run it. From what I gather, the macros are extremely similar to Fanuc macros. Renishaw also offers a software package that allows you to write macros (NOT Productivity +)

For using macros in CAM, use Productivity+...but it is expensive.

Contact MTB, contact Renishaw. You'll get sorted.

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empwoer said:

fusion does exactly this.

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mhajicek said:

If what you want is a point cloud scanner for reverse engineering, that's very different from typical CMM use, where one carefully establishes datums and measures features to tolerance. My MaxNC-10 (extruded aluminum hobby mill) had that capability in the mid 90's. All you need to do is write a macro.

Define a grid, X, Y, step, and Z range. Use the same size stylus as the ball endmill you intend to use for cutting the replica.

Go to the first point on the grid, probe own until contact. DPRINT the X, Y, and Z.
Retract, move over to the next point, and probe again.
Repeat until your grid is done.

Take the output and run it as a cutting program.

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mhajicek said:

If what you want is a point cloud scanner for reverse engineering, that's very different from typical CMM use, where one carefully establishes datums and measures features to tolerance. My MaxNC-10 (extruded aluminum hobby mill) had that capability in the mid 90's. All you need to do is write a macro.

Define a grid, X, Y, step, and Z range. Use the same size stylus as the ball endmill you intend to use for cutting the replica.

Go to the first point on the grid, probe own until contact. DPRINT the X, Y, and Z.
Retract, move over to the next point, and probe again.
Repeat until your grid is done.

Take the output and run it as a cutting program.

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CarbideBob said:

Is there no stuff that makes a cnc mill act like cmm?
Puck the fact that a VMC is not a CMM and all that and all that stuff.
Kind of know that as a CMM builder.
So we have a machine/probe and want to use it as a CMM with the so many functions.

No help or easy software to do this?
CMM type measuring on a normal machine tool. All the fancy things

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CarbideBob said:

Puck the fact that a VMC is not a CMM and all that and all that stuff.

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CarbideBob said:

It is not a link and a 3 axis mill is not a CMM.
But it is sort of.
So why not software with all the bells and whistles of a CMM.
Axes and plane alignments off the part sitting in free space. Fit Iines or curves, 100 point circles.
You have a 3D machine and a probe.
Certainly this must exist. If not maybe I should write it. Many machine tools now at the level of my early CMMS.
Full CMM inspection type software on a milling machine and not just simple probing of a dimension or hole.
The whole ball of wax a CMM does and a easy to use interface.
Scanning or analog probe a problem in a normal cnc but touch probe not so much.

I do not know but this has to out there somewhere as some type of usable system.
Full CMM 3D stuff, not find a center or line.
Bob

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