Problem

Where the placement of raw material or a semi-machined component is partly reliant on

operator skill and judgement there is always the potential for manual errors. These errors can
lead to poor positioning or misalignment of the material, or incorrect orientation of existing
features, resulting in part deviations requiring rework or even scrapping of the component.

AP200

Part identification

In some cases, incorrect alignment or positioning could result in a machine crash, leading to
extensive downtime and production losses. This may be the case when the machining program
does not match the material which is loaded onto the machine. Non-conforming material
may also cause similar problems and the methods described to check part identification and
alignment can equally well be applied to detecting non-conformances before machining.
Complex, expensive fixturing can reduce the variability of part or material loading, however
certain causes of variation could still result in loading errors: operator mis-loading, swarf, debris,
burrs and non-conforming material can all affect whether the part is positioned correctly for the
scheduled machining process.

Solution
Use a spindle probe to take measurements on the raw material (or previously machined
features) to determine the identity of the component, the component alignment on the
machine tool, and/or to check for non-conforming material. Use the results to compare actual
measurements with defined, acceptable limits. Halt the process if necessary to avoid scrap
components or machine collisions; continue processing only if measurements are within the
acceptable limits.

Correct,
conforming part
and alignment?
No, halt
process

Yes, continue
machining

Part identification

Identify component,
alignment and position

Benefits
Reduction in scrap rates and machine crashes due to operator error when loading parts to the
machine
Allows the use of simple, lower cost fixturing. This is particularly relevant to low volume/high variety
manufacturing
Captures special cause, infrequent errors such as swarf underneath a component, material nonconformance, or burrs on a billet/component

Renishaw encoder readhead body prior

to second machining operation

Multiple readhead bodies mounted in fixture

Case study
Manufacture of a small, high production volume optical encoder body requires two machining
operations. Placement of the pre-machined part into fixturing for the second operation is dependent
upon face-to-face contact between the previously machined features and the fixture faces.
Multiple parts are loaded into each fixture and machined in sequence. The physical size, ambiguity of
orientation, and low mass of the part introduce opportunities for variation in loading.
The accuracy of placement is affected by the following causes of variation:
Operator skill and dexterity
Cleanliness of part and fixture
Burrs on the previously machined part
The probe is used to determine the position and alignment of the part in the fixture.
Poor positioning can be corrected through work offset adjustment
Misalignment cannot be corrected and the process is stopped to allow the operator to realign the
part and re-try

Example 1: alignment check

Component checking in a fixture along the X-axis using two Y points measured at X = -30 and X = +30.
Compare against the misalignment tolerance of 0.1 mm and stop process if the component is poorly
aligned.

0.1 mm max.

X-axis
X = -30

X=0

X = 30

Sample Productivity+ probe software program

Probe a 2 point line to determine Y1 and Y2.

Logic compares Y1 and Y2 data.

If alignment is out of tolerance (difference between Y1 and
Y2 is less than -0.1 or greater than +0.1) program jumps to
Part_OutOfTolerance label, a machine alarm is raised and
the part is not machined.
If alignment is within tolerance, program jumps to Part_
InTolerance label and machining takes place.
Labels marking jump to positions followed by G-Code for
subsequent action: machine alarm or component machining
(based on the outcome of the logic statement).

Sample Inspection Plus software program

N10 G65 P9810 X-30.0 Y-10.0

Protected positioning move to point Y1

N20 G65 P9811 Y0

Single surface measure point Y1

N30 G65 P9834

Store Feature to Feature data

N40 G65 P9810 X30.0

Protected positioning move to Y2

N50 G65 P9811 Y0

Single surface measure point Y2

N60 G65 P9834 Y0 H0.1

Calculate Y-axis difference. Expected deviation 0 (zero)

Apply tolerance of 0.1
Alarm if out of tolerance

N70

Continue machining process

RENISHAW ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PROBLEMS OR DAMAGE ARISING FROM THE USE OF ANY SAMPLE CODE AND ADVISES THOROUGH
CHECKING OF OUTPUT VARIABLES FOR THE SELECTED INSPECTION PACKAGE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF SPARE AND UNUSED VARIABLES FOR
INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS.
SAMPLE PRODUCTIVITY+ PROGRAMS ASSUME THE USE OF ACTIVE EDITOR PRO 1.70.20
SAMPLE INSPECTION PLUS PROGRAMS ASSUME USE WITH FANUC TYPE CONTROLS

Example 2: machine update

Update G54 Y work offset by the average of Y1 and Y2.
Sample Productivity+ probe software program
Probe a 2 point line on the component.

WCS update applied based on line 1 midpoint (Y1/Y2 average).

Machining takes place using updated WCS data.

Sample Inspection Plus software program

N10 G65 P9810 X0 Y-10.0

Protected move to mid point Y1/Y2

N20 G65 P9811 Y0 S1.

Single surface point Y1

N30

Continue machining process

Example 3: positioning check

It is also possible to check the absolute position of the points. In this example, the maximum position
error from either point is 0.2 mm.
Sample Productivity+ probe software program
Probe a line on the X surface to determine Y1 and Y2

Logic determines whether the positioning is within tolerance.

If positioning is out of tolerance (Y1 or Y2 is greater than 0.2
or less than -0.2), program jumps to Part_OutOfTolerance
label. The part is skipped and the sequence jumps to the end
of the program.
If positioning is within tolerance, program jumps to Part_
InTolerance label and machining takes place.

Labels marking jump to positions followed by G-Code

for subsequent actions: skip part and move to end of the
program, or component machining (based on the outcome of
the logic statement).

Sample Inspection Plus software program

N10 G65 P9810 X-30.0 Y-10.0

Protected move to point Y1

N20 G65 P9811 Y0 M0.4

Single surface point Y1

Apply true position tolerance of 0.4

N40 G65 P9810 X30.0

Protected move to Y2

N50 G65 P9811 Y0 M0.4

Single surface point Y2

Apply true position tolerance of 0.4

N60

Continue machining process

Example 4: machine rotation update

Measure component feature, apply co-ordinate system rotation around Z.
Sample Productivity+ probe software program
Probe a line on the component.

Rotation update applied around Z.

Machining takes place using updated WCS data.

Sample Inspection Plus software program

N10 G65 P9810 X0 Y-10.0

Protected move to midpoint Y1/Y2

G65 P9843 Y0 A0 D60.

Angle measurement, span of 60 mm

G68 X0 Y0 R#139

Rotate co-ordinate system about X0 Y0 by angle found by O9843 cycle

N20

Continue machining process

G69

Cancel rotation

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Gloucestershire GL12 8JR
United Kingdom

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RENISHAW HAS MADE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS CORRECT AT THE DATE OF
PUBLICATION BUT MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE CONTENT. RENISHAW EXCLUDES LIABILITY,
HOWSOEVER ARISING, FOR ANY INACCURACIES IN THIS DOCUMENT.
2010-2011 Renishaw plc. All rights reserved.
Renishaw reserves the right to change specifications without notice
RENISHAW and the probe emblem used in the RENISHAW logo are registered trademarks of Renishaw plc in the UK and other countries.
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*H-5650-4004-02*
Issued 0712 Part no. H-5650-4004-02-A