In Thailand and the ASEAN region, the requirements for quality control and safety in manufacturing have been increasing and becoming more stringent in recent years. In particular, accurate measurement is essential in the manufacture of high-quality die and mold. However, the larger the workpiece, the more time and labor are required to change setups, which often affect the delivery date. Performing high-precision dimensional measurement in a short time is a shortcut to achieving balanced QCD. The solution to this problem is "on-machine measurement technology". In this article, we will introduce a on-machine measurement solution that combines the on-machine measurement option of CGS's "CAM-TOOL" with Renishaw's 3D probe "RMP600", which was released in July 2022.
Standardization of on-machine measurement work with easy operation
The on-machine measurement option has the following features and advantages. The first point is that it standardizes the on-machine measurement process, which has relied on the experience and intuition of craftsmen.
1) Easy operation
Regardless of the user, measurement points can be set with only a click of a mouse, even for mold shapes with many complex curved surfaces.
2) Safe and efficient data creation
CAM-TOOL can recognize the shape of workpieces and tooling, so it creates NC data safely and over the shortest distance while performing interference checks. If operators are manually creating measurement data on site, replacing this with systematic judgment will ensure safety and reduce work time.
3) Systematic judgment of measurement results
Paperless operation is realized by creating forms (inspection tables) from measurement information using EXCEL macros and linking to external systems by creating CSV data. Shape data and measurement results are displayed together to express judgment in colors. Good and bad points can be grasped at a glance, and one-stop creation of additional machining data is possible.
Renishaw's high-precision 3D touch probe "RMP600"
Renishaw, who is teaming up with CGS for this solution, its high-precision 3D touch probe "RMP600" has been selected as the optimal probe for mold machining. There are three reasons for this.
■Unique 3D precision and repeatability
The probe has variations in the amount of indentation (length) that moves from the point of contact to the point where the position signal is obtained, depending on the direction of contact, which is a major error factor. By using the unique RENGAGETM technology, these variations are eliminated in both 2D and 3D, minimizing errors and enabling highly precise measurement.
■Cost reduction by shortening work time
Minimizing variation greatly simplifies probe calibration and greatly shortens work time, thereby contributing to cost reduction and productivity improvement. Generally, it is said that more than 100 measurements are required to calibrate a probe, but with "RMP600," only 5 measurements (±X, ±Y and -Z) can complete the task using a ring cage that is generally owned by the user.
■ Fusion with CAM-TOOL's automatic normal direction calculation function
It is difficult to measure a free-form surface with high precision unless the position to be measured is approached in the normal direction. The CAM-TOOL function automatically calculates the normal direction and generates a measurement cycle, shortening time scale while enabling high-precision measurement.
CAM-TOOL optional function that is easy to install even when retrofitting
As described above, on-machine measurement is a solution with many advantages that can improve not only mold quality but also production efficiency. In particular, if the site already has CAM-TOOL installed, it is easy to add it as an option that can be retrofitted, so the cost advantage will be great.
✔ Want to standardize measurement work
✔ Want to have thorough digital (numerical) quality control
✔ Want to reduce cutting defect rates and rework
If you have any of these concerns or issues, please feel free to contact us.
Renishaw plc
A global company headquartered in the United Kingdom that provides measurement solutions from 77 locations in 36 countries around the world. The British manufacturer developed the world's first touch probe for 3D measurement instruments for the development of the jet engine of the Concorde supersonic passenger aircraft in 1972. Since then, the company has continued to grow and expand its activities in a wide range of fields such as industrial products, semiconductors, composition analysis, and medical field.
