Renishaw Feature To Feature Measurment

Probing difficult to measure features and controlling their size with the Renishaw probe.

[@CQEflash]

Nice to find on of the few machinists on UT who knows what they are talking about. This video was informative for those wishing to in cycle probe, nice work. Subscribed.

[@daantreurniet9747]

Very interesting videos for a beginner CNC operator this week. Thank you very much for making these videos, they keep me motivated to keep learning about machining.

[@billdlv]

Nice job Peter, I had no idea that controls had trig functions too.

[@tansit2344]

Nice program, I like the GOTO for recutting after comp. That's something I never fully had time to put in as a production peon at one job. I was able to get adjustments and alarms automatically so that was good enough.

[@olivierc1310]

I have this feature too on my last years integrex machine with smooth-x software. It's very good to measure stuff. But we still do all the most measurements by hand. I use it for measuring things i can't reach by hand or to position my piece into the machine.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Can't argue over 3 10ths. very nice.

[@jonathanhornell-kennedy4521]

First! Awesome as always. My mazak has the GUI for renishaw cycles. This makes me want to learn codes by heart.

[@motorbreath22]

That fade to the dimension is pretty much like you dropping the mic .. pun intended

[@slavikmarinovski2249]

Hi Peter! Great video. I'm a fan of yours for a few years and would liketo get your opinion - we are probing a technological hole that is machined in same setup as features ABC for the reason that these datums can not be machined together with other ~40 accurate features with 0.001" profile and position requirements. the hole is measured by CMM for its actual position (relative to datums ABC), then probed on the 5X machine and the diff value from nominal is added to the home position and actually shifts it. from your experience - would you trust a probe to accurately and repeatedly find the tech hole location or prefer to use a dial gauge / haimer centro type center finder? many thanks in advance for your input. Thanks again for the video - very informative and educational!

[@EdgePrecision]

A properly calibrated spindle probe is absolutely trustworthy. That is of course if you trust your machines location. I find on the horizontal mill shown in this video if I can probe it I don't use the dial indicator.

[@nash0427]

Thanks for the tutorial!! Very well done! Congrats!

[@GRTLRS]

Nice video and explanations. What's cool is even if the final pass cuts too much leaving the part undersize, the math should still work and increase the tool radius instead of decreasing. Although in that case you'd have to move the if-statement to after the calculations.

[@normanj844]

Another great video Peter! The production quality has noticeably improved, audio much better and the effects showing the GCode in the last video are really nice. I have two questions. First, the math you do to adjust the cutter diameter has no minimum adjustment value. Do you ever run into circumstances where it enters an infinite loop? Second, can you do this sort of thing on a lathe?

[@EdgePrecision]

+Norman J I have never had that problem. I think because of tool push off it always seems to slightly over shoot slightly. But that is something to think about. I don't see why you couldn't do this on a lathe. You would have to be able to probe the features. I'm not sure how you would measure large diameters. You would have to trust the centerline location.

[@ArmandeepSingh-mg8qb]

Thank you sir for this wonderful vedio

[@micahhunter2706]

4 videos in one week! 😱😱😱🤑🤑🤑

[@nithinas9140]

Nice...Pls do some macro programming examples for machining also...

[@scottlundy257]

Impressive. But I hope there won't be a test on this lesson

[@909busa]

Awesome video just subscribed!!! Thank you! Can you please post another probe video explaining the program variables a little more?

[@EdgePrecision]

Thanks, I will keep that in mind for future videos.

[@909busa]

You did a good job walking us through your program. I just wish you would do a beginners course maybe writing a full program why you chose those probing cycles where did you get info on probing cycles. How can I find out what offset variables my machine recognizes etc... I've been machining for 14 years but never touched a probe or messed with macros so I would like to get up to speed. Any books or info you can recommend is greatly appreciated! send me your PayPal email I would like to donate. Thank You!

[@EdgePrecision]

First thing you can do is if your probe is a Renishaw. Get their manual on the probing cycles/macros. You don't write the probing macros you will just call their's in your program. You may write a small macro to call and set or call variables used in their macros. To find out what system variables you need to get the manual on your control. In it it should tell you what each variable does. Than just experiment. First in MDI enter a variable statement like, #5221=1.0; That should change the X on G54 offset to 1.0. (At least on the Meldas control). It may be different on your's. Look in the manual under macro programming or user macros.

[@CapeCodCNC]

Wow great info, I learn something every time i watch one of your videos! I can't wait to get my first CNC mill. Tired of spinning hand wheels. Do you have time to look at a pdf for a controller? I would like your opinion on it.

[@douro20]

I wouldn't get rid of the manual mill. It's always good to have one for the times when you need to fix something quickly.

[@CapeCodCNC]

Actually it's an Emco Super 11 and a V10-P. Nope never getting rid of them. I just want to add a small cnc VMC with a GSK 25i.

[@adamguzik9350]

Love it, Great video, Thank you.

[@ray-charc3131]

vertical workpiece mounting still os inferior to normal horizontal one in view of manual measurement

[@vezyrvezyr8165]

6:31 would #100=[ABS#142] work instead ?

[@davidg4188]

Wondering why you start at B10. then index to B0?

[@EdgePrecision]

I just do that at every B rotation to eliminate any backlash. It probably isn't really necessary but on a horizontal mill you are farther away from the center of rotation and even a little error can make a significant difference.

[@ray-charc3131]

vertical workpiece mounting machine still is inferior to normal horizontal one in view of doing some measurement works。

[@EdgePrecision]

???---Are you referring to a Horizontal mill orientation as compared to a vertical mill orientation? As long as the probe is qualified in the horizontal position it makes no difference. Just look at CMM's they can have probes in any orientation as long as they are calibrated or qualified in that orientation.

[@hugohugo6445]

This macro syntax has not been seen for a long time Easy to use CAD / CAM

[@EdgePrecision]

Yes but it still works.

[@YCM30cnc]

That’s great info / content / delivery ...... please keep up the good work. Are you on InstaGram???

[@EdgePrecision]

Thanks! My Instagram is Peter L Stanton.

[@eddie5556]

Do you write your probe code each time you need it , or do you have a file of templates that you can copy,and paste from?

[@EdgePrecision]

I have until now manually write the the cod using the Renishaw macros. It isn't difficult. Renishaw has a whole manual on their probing macros and how they work.

[@eddie5556]

@@EdgePrecision I only recently finished up installing my probe hardware and tinkered a little withe the Easyset macro. Reading the renishaw manual is pretty dry, so I started manually copying the format examples and typing them into a template file in Predator. This greatly helped learn the layout, something about repeatedly typing the layout really burns it into the brain, rote learning seems to be my best method of memorization.

[@MachinedComponents]

I've only ever seen the 'big boys' doing probing (on KZbin doing turbine blades etc) but never on the shop floor, I've always been the probe :-). My head has been spinning learning how you use it and then how I could apply it here. Could I ask you some questions please. You use the Renishaw system, in your experience are these the 'goto' people only or are there other probing system that you would consider now? How does the Reishaw system interface with the controller. Is it a standard interface that all controllers have or is it a option that you need to specify when you order your machine. Renishaw has both an Inferred and radio probe communication option but the inferred needs direct line of sight to work. How much of a problem does keeping this line of sight become. Would you consider using the Inferred style or should I just go for the radio option. In regard to turning on a 2 axis CNC lathe can you probe the OD of a turned shaft. Eg: holding the probe in the turret like an external turning tool and touching on the end of the probe as you do when setting up the Z axis offset on a machining centre. You showed us how to alter a system variable using probing and calculations, is it possible to call an axis to a value stored in a variable: eg .....X#10005 Z-200 where #10005 equals say 80. I am asking this in regard to probing out taper in a turned shaft. Both your HMC and Intergex have tool carousels that protect the probe well while it's not in use. How would a probe survive as a 'tool' in a standard V12 style turret. I could build some guarding to help protect the body of the probe from direct fits from swarf and coolant but still, it's a pretty harsh environment in there. How much do you probe and how much do you trust it. Do you probe to a point where you would take a finished part out and set another going without manually measuring it first (my hands are shaking just writing that :-) ). Can the effective diameter of a thread be probed for size, so you could get the same measurement that we would get by measuring the thread with thread parallels or thread wires. Is it possible to use a probe to measure surface finish and if it is can size and finish be determined with one probe.Sorry Peter my few questions have turned into a bit of an epic but what you have been teaching us is very eye opening and exciting for me. Thanks so much for taking the time out to make your videos and share your experience with us, please keep them coming.

[@EdgePrecision]

CodeAdze, Thanks. There are different brands of probes. I think Renishaw are more common than others. My CNC grinder has a brand called Marposs. In order to interface a Renishaw probe or probes to your machine you do need some hardware installed and their Macro programs in the control. (This is probably true of any brand). On the horizontal mill I have never had a problem with the light communication to the probe. If I were starting new I would go with the radio version especially on a large bridgemill or Inergrex type of machine(my Integrex has two light transceivers in different locations) . In my grinder there are two probes mounted in the machining area at all times they have no trouble with that environment. the only problem I could see in a lathe is something striking the probe or large amounts of shavings getting tangled on it, or getting slung by the chuck and damaging the probes seals and breaking the stylus. I have never personally used a turret mounted probe on a lathe (except on a Integrex ) so I cant really comment on how this would holdup. I would want some form of protection for it. Ideally if the cover could be interfaced with the control to move out of the way with a M code. As to measuring thread diameter in theory with the proper stylus this might be possible. I would feel more comfortable measuring threads in the more conventional ways. GageMaker, Wires, Gages exc. But you could use the probe to control the location and size of features on the part. That might be worthwhile especially on long parts and features (your tapers)that are hard to reach with conventional measuring tools. As far as trusting the probe. If it is properly setup, calibrated and the machine is accurate I trust it completely. To check surface finish you need something different. This is usually done with a profilameter.

[@MachinedComponents]

Peter, thanks for replying all very clear and understood. Using a M code to open and close the probe cover is a cool idea, maybe using the rotation of the turret to open and close the cover might also work - all food for thought, thank you. My excitement with you teaching us about probing is I can now imagine the possibility of being able to run the machine for periods unattended. Doing unattended first operations on bar feed jobs and parting off into a parts catcher for instance would be a great step. I will need to get on machine thread measuring sorted to make this step really useful. Any of your thoughts/experience on doing this measuring would be gratefully received. Thanks again for all your videos and advice.

[@Swarfman64]

Gold!

[@Mcfryguy5555]

Do you think probing parts on the machine will be as good as cmm inspection?

[@EdgePrecision]

+Tom Clements generally I don't like to inspect on the machine. For two reasons 1 it takes machine time away from machining. 2 if there is a inaccuracy in the machine you could be making a error and not know it. It always good to inspect with different equipment than you machine and measure the part with and get a second pair of eyes on the job.

[@PeteBrubaker]

I've also learned to only ask "can you check this for me?" When I was telling people what I wanted them to check, other things went unchecked and resulted in scrap. For anyone learning here, don't be like me, get the whole part looked at by someone else!

[@LumaLabs]

While that seems very straightforward and sound reasoning, in the real world, how much difference is there between measurements taken with the CNC probe and what the CMM finds (of course, taking into consideration that a CMM spits out measurements with an extra zero or two compared to a machine control)?

[@Rasmus661]

There is a pretty big difference imo. The Renishaw probe is fairly accurate if it's been set up right and used correctly but you can't beat a high quality CMM in a climate controlled environment.

[@EdgePrecision]

You are correct 99.9% of machine work it wouldn't make any difference. The difference is a machine can have inaccuracies like back lash error out of square axis lead screw pitch error. Most machines are not compensated for a volumetric accuracy and calibrated like CMM's are. So for small distances it wouldn't matter but for longer distances it might. So for your final inspection it better to check it in inspection.