Measurement system inspects form, roughness and twist

Slight deviations in the form and surface roughness of a machined part from its design parameters can significantly affect performance. The sub-micron measurements that can be undertaken with the Roundscan provide information on the quality of the part and the production process, enabling improvements to be made.

Metrology Direct says the Roundscan is designed for fast and accurate measurement of a diverse range of parts, from small and intricate components through to large components up to 100kg. Highly precise measurement of form and roughness requires a measuring system with a high resolution and accuracy in all axes. The Roundscan's rotary measuring table is mounted on an air bearing, providing a high roundness accuracy of 20nm. The rigidity of the table is also claimed to be some ten times greater than tables with conventional air bearings.

Stylus tips

Key to the versatility of the Roundscan is its FT3 probing system that can measure form, roughness and twist - which is of growing importance for parts such as gear shafts - without changing the measurement stylus. There are two different stylus tips: a ruby ball for form and a diamond tip for roughness measurement. The probing system can be switched from form to roughness under CNC control without changing the stylus tips. Since the form and roughness measurement runs are combined, no operator intervention is necessary. The CNC controlled rotation and tilt module for the probe can position the stylus tips anywhere on the workpiece, including inside and outside, so that all measurement positions can be probed automatically in one measurement run.

With three fully CNC controlled measuring axes, the Roundscan can undertake the measurement of all common form and roughness parameters automatically. Its fully automatic centring and levelling system is claimed to reduce alignment times by as much as 60 per cent compared with conventional measurement systems. The probe also features a collision protection feature.

A further advantage of the Roundscan is its standard Turbo Form software interface. This provides operators with a simple means of carrying out complex measuring tasks using user-friendly interface icons and simple CNC programming through pictograms. Turbo Form gives simple definitions of measurement positions, axis references and fully automatic alignment of parts to prevent angular errors. Users can incorporate their own drawings or photographs for reference. The user interface can be customised for any specific test measurement plan and the system can offer an unlimited choice of measuring programs and reports are presented on screen or can be printed. Many additional software options are also available for special measurement tasks.

Three Roundscan models are available in the new range with vertical X-axes of 350, 550 or 900mm and maximum test diameters of 450 and 550mm, depending on the model. Measuring and traverse speeds range from 0.2mm/s to 50mm/s and are controlled in the CNC program.

Follow the link for more information about the Hommel Etamic Roundscan or contact Metrology Direct.