Combined roughness sensor for faster results

This means all features of a technical drawing can be fully captured with one CMM and displayed in one record. It is no longer necessary to transfer to a surface-measuring instrument. Various measuring positions can be reached without re-chucking and a fully automatic run is possible without the operator influencing the surface measurement. The roughness sensor enables a new, simpler workflow in quality assurance and is particularly suitable for the quality inspection of powertrain components.

Dr Dietrich Imkamp, from Zeiss' Industrial Metrology business group, comments: "Zeiss Rotos creates true added value for customers. The simplified workflow provides more measuring certainty and significant time savings.”

The new system is intended for users that inspect size, position or form on a coordinate measuring machine and also need to measure roughness and waviness on the same workpiece. Instead of clamping the workpiece on a contact stylus instrument, Zeiss Rotos is used via the stylus changer interface on the probe of the CMM – under full CNC control. This process can be completed in just a few seconds. "Because it is no longer necessary to transport and clamp the part, the susceptibility to errors throughout the process and operator influence are eliminated," Dr Imkamp states.

The Zeiss Rotos can be positioned flexibly to reach all surfaces on a part without re-chucking. Furthermore, the sensor features a rotating/tilting axis which can turn a full 360°. The sensor can be tilted perpendicularly downward via the tilt axis to provide a tilt range of 160°. The Rotos is connected to the measuring machine via the Zeiss Vast line of active probes, which dampen interferences from the machine and environment, and also determine the measuring position. Measurement data from the Rotos is transmitted via Bluetooth to the analysis computer. The data is then imported into Zeiss Calypso software via a machine driver and can be exported with other measurement data in a common record.

The three key benefits of a workflow with the Rotos system are: improved measuring productivity, reliable and fully automatic measuring runs; and the common record. This is based on the seamless interaction between the sensor, measuring machine and software.

Zeiss
www.zeiss.co.uk