PC-DMIS Shank Probe Calibration | CMM Tech Tips - CMMXYZ

This Tech Tip Video from Canadian Measurement - Metrology shows the procedure used to calibrate a shank probe in PC-DMIS. Shank probes are useful when measuring the thin edge of sheet metal parts.
Hi there. So today I'm gonna show you how to build and calibrate what's called the shank probe. These probes are often useful for measuring the thin edge of a sheet metal part so we can get a good head along that length of that cylinder, so we're not trying to precisely center one of the ruby ball type of probes.
Okay, so let's first go over the build. I built it right up to the point where we need to enter our shank probe. So I'm using a two-millimeter probe. So let's look for the description here. So scroll down. So mine is two millimeters in diameter and 20 millimeters in length. So I can see it right there. So it's called TIP2BY20MM and then the word, "Shank" at the end of it. So we need to select that and there we go. There's our build.
Okay, so let's review some of the calibration settings we need to use because there's a very special one we need to apply here. Okay, let's click Measure. So what I'll do is set the number of hits to nine, pre retract to three millimeters. Lowest speed I'll set to somewhere around 80%. Touch speed I'll leave at two. So I'll go with DCC Mode only. It's easier to find. So I'll split those nine heads up into three levels starting at the Equator zero and the end angle 90, the North Pole.
So what we're gonna be doing with this tip is calibrating first as if it was just a regular ruby ball tip, going through this calibration setting that I've just applied. But the special thing we do with the shank probe is we need to check the shank qualification box, specify the number of shank heads. I'll use 12. Important, we need to specify a shank offset. So that is the distance up from the tip end of the shank. So three millimeters is the spot where it will be calibrated on the qualification sphere at that tangent point.
So I run the calibration and I'll show you how that looks. So we'll see two calibrations. One is just the normal calibration and then it will do a second calibration because they have the checkbox shank qual checked with 12 hits at a three millimeter offset from the tip end. Okay, so let's run the calibration and I'll just talk you through it.
Okay, so we're all set up to calibrate here. So here's just our regular calibration routine. So these are the nine heads. Start angle zero. So there's the second level of our three levels, and it will finish on the top at the North Pole. Okay, so that's done. So here's our shank qualification at that three-millimeter offset. We can see there's a good view of it there, just slightly below the Equator, so it's calibrating at that tangent point of that three-millimeter distance up from the bottom of the tip. Here we are. So we're done.
Okay, so let's have a look at the results of our shank probe qualification. So you can see down at the bottom here is the results of my latest one. You can see two sets of results and this is important. The first one is the one you normally see when you calibrate a ruby ball. So you have an XYZ offset, a measured diameter, and a standard deviation, in this case, two microns reported. The important thing with the shank probe is that it's also calculating the vector angle of that cylinder. That's important because no matter where we measure now, on that side of that shank, it knows the angle of it or the vector of it. It knows the diameter, and it knows the tip center. So it uses all of that information to correctly compensate for your shank probe hits.
Okay. So that's it. That's how you build a shank probe and how you calibrate it. Well, thanks for joining me. I hope you found it useful, and we'll see you next time.
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