Lightweight Gauging System is Simple to Use
Renishaw has introduced Equator, a fast and highly repeatable gauging system with a low-cost design that is capable of high-speed comparative gauging for inspection of high-volume manufactured parts. Equator has been developed by working closely with automotive, aerospace and medical gauging users, alongside their manufacturing machines. The result is a lightweight, fast and highly repeatable gauge that operators can use with push-button simplicity.
Equator can switch between parts in seconds, meaning it is suitable for flexible manufacturing processes or accepting parts from multiple machines. Based on an easily scalable and adaptable parallel kinematic structure, Equator's patented principle allows high-speed scanning and rapid moves between features, while retaining stiffness that delivers impressive point-to-point repeatability, which is critical for accurate gauging. Installation of an Equator is possible in minutes and an operator can switch between gauging of different parts in seconds.
Re-configuration of the gauging system to cater for part-design changes, or to measure new parts, is also made much faster by using the comprehensive industry standard DMIS programming. Equator systems are available with two levels of software, a programmable version for production engineers to create DMIS programs and, at a lower price, a shop-floor system that allows those programs to be executed but prevents operators from making modifications. Both software levels include the intuitive Modus Organiser operator front-end software, requiring little or no training, while on the programmable system the comprehensive Modus Equator programming software allows engineers to rapidly create gauging routines for any part, whether simple or complex, prismatic or free-form.
Modus Equator features the ability to easily program scanning measurements and touch points, using the industry-standard Renishaw SP25 compact scanning probe. By scanning, thousands of data points can be taken to define a feature, allowing true-form analysis of any feature. By taking the dongle provided with the programmable system and plugging it into a shop-floor system, full programming functionality is activated on that shop-floor system, which allows engineers to adjust programs but also retain control. Equator's highly repeatable gauging technology is based on the traditional comparison of production parts to a reference master part.
Re-mastering is as swift as measuring a production part and immediately compensates for any change in the thermal conditions of a shop-floor environment. To use Equator in factories with wide temperature variation, the user need simply re-master it and the system is 're-zeroed', ready for repeatable comparison to the master. The Equator controller, included in the purchase price of every Equator system, is a powerful dedicated control system that provides a secure and robust environment for running the Equator gauging-system software.
It is similar to machine-tool control systems, with the added ability to run Equator-specific Windows applications. Designed for Equator, it incorporates all the necessary electronic boards and software in one package. The user can create and execute DMIS measurement programs, change measurement settings and transfer data or programmes. An additional PC is not required when operating the Equator, reducing cost to the customer and eliminating the chance of incompatibility or unpredictable performance arising from the wide variation of PC architectures. Compared to dedicated gauging, Equator cuts fixture costs.
By using fixturing that positions parts to within 1mm of where the master was measured, which has no significant effect on system repeatability, and by establishing the part orientation and datums on the part itself, the need for expensive precision fixtures is removed. Further versatility is offered by the Equator-specific stylus-changing rack, included in the purchase price of an Equator system, allowing automated in-cycle changing of SM25 stylus modules.
The SM25 modules couple to the industry-standard SP25 CMM probe, allowing Equator users to swap the stylus configurations without re-qualifying each time. Up to six stylus combinations can be loaded into the rack at any time and these can be used on a single complex part or with multiple parts of varying geometries. Equator can be integrated into automated cells, using the optional I/O interface to connect it to a robot, or by outputting the gauging results to an SPC package.
Equator can switch between parts in seconds, meaning it is suitable for flexible manufacturing processes or accepting parts from multiple machines. Based on an easily scalable and adaptable parallel kinematic structure, Equator's patented principle allows high-speed scanning and rapid moves between features, while retaining stiffness that delivers impressive point-to-point repeatability, which is critical for accurate gauging. Installation of an Equator is possible in minutes and an operator can switch between gauging of different parts in seconds.
Re-configuration of the gauging system to cater for part-design changes, or to measure new parts, is also made much faster by using the comprehensive industry standard DMIS programming. Equator systems are available with two levels of software, a programmable version for production engineers to create DMIS programs and, at a lower price, a shop-floor system that allows those programs to be executed but prevents operators from making modifications. Both software levels include the intuitive Modus Organiser operator front-end software, requiring little or no training, while on the programmable system the comprehensive Modus Equator programming software allows engineers to rapidly create gauging routines for any part, whether simple or complex, prismatic or free-form.
Modus Equator features the ability to easily program scanning measurements and touch points, using the industry-standard Renishaw SP25 compact scanning probe. By scanning, thousands of data points can be taken to define a feature, allowing true-form analysis of any feature. By taking the dongle provided with the programmable system and plugging it into a shop-floor system, full programming functionality is activated on that shop-floor system, which allows engineers to adjust programs but also retain control. Equator's highly repeatable gauging technology is based on the traditional comparison of production parts to a reference master part.
Re-mastering is as swift as measuring a production part and immediately compensates for any change in the thermal conditions of a shop-floor environment. To use Equator in factories with wide temperature variation, the user need simply re-master it and the system is 're-zeroed', ready for repeatable comparison to the master. The Equator controller, included in the purchase price of every Equator system, is a powerful dedicated control system that provides a secure and robust environment for running the Equator gauging-system software.
It is similar to machine-tool control systems, with the added ability to run Equator-specific Windows applications. Designed for Equator, it incorporates all the necessary electronic boards and software in one package. The user can create and execute DMIS measurement programs, change measurement settings and transfer data or programmes. An additional PC is not required when operating the Equator, reducing cost to the customer and eliminating the chance of incompatibility or unpredictable performance arising from the wide variation of PC architectures. Compared to dedicated gauging, Equator cuts fixture costs.
By using fixturing that positions parts to within 1mm of where the master was measured, which has no significant effect on system repeatability, and by establishing the part orientation and datums on the part itself, the need for expensive precision fixtures is removed. Further versatility is offered by the Equator-specific stylus-changing rack, included in the purchase price of an Equator system, allowing automated in-cycle changing of SM25 stylus modules.
The SM25 modules couple to the industry-standard SP25 CMM probe, allowing Equator users to swap the stylus configurations without re-qualifying each time. Up to six stylus combinations can be loaded into the rack at any time and these can be used on a single complex part or with multiple parts of varying geometries. Equator can be integrated into automated cells, using the optional I/O interface to connect it to a robot, or by outputting the gauging results to an SPC package.
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