Machine Tool Scanning System

Designed to provide process control opportunities for high-value CNC machine tools, this system incorporates a new generation of on-machine analog scanning technology to allow fast and accurate form and profile data capture from both prismatic and complex 3D components.

With scanning speeds as high as 49 fpm (15 m/min) and the ability to measure 1,000 true 3D data points per second, the analytical capabilities of Renishaw’s Sprint system provide opportunities for workpiece measurement, inspection, adaptive machining, and on-machine process control while optimizing machine utilization and cycle time. Sprint applications are enabled and supported by software packages dedicated to specific industrial tasks, such as the Blade Toolkit. The toolkits include on-machine data analysis that runs automatically in-cycle and provides measurement feedback to CNC machining processes.

At the core of the system is the OSP60 scanning probe, which has an analog sensor with 0.1-μm resolution in three dimensions. The analog sensor technology provides a continuous deflection output that combines with machine position to derive the true location of the part surface. In addition to fast, accurate 3D measurement, the scanning system is designed to facilitate automated process control with no operator intervention.

For multitasking machining applications, the machine tool scanning system offers users new process control capabilities, including highly repeatable diameter measurement cycles. By employing master part comparison, the system becomes an “active” control, enabling measure-cut processes to be automated for accurate diameters on large parts. This capability can enable the size of diameters to be automatically controlled within a few microns of tolerance. Measurement functions such as part runout, machine centerline and circularity also serve to enhance the manufacturing capability of multitasking machine tools.

Other functions include a rapid health check of a CNC machine tool's linear and rotary axes in seconds, making it possible to implement a daily machine-monitoring routine with little or no operator involvement. The system’s high speed and accuracy make it applicable to a range of applications and process control methods, as it reduces scrap and rework and increases machine capacity through reduced measurement cycle times.