Noob Question

[Ken379128]

At my shop we have 2 cmm B&S global image 3.7 mr2, the other is B&S but is down. My question is can the global be used to measure without writing a program to do so. When we first got the Global the techie who came in had us measure stuff with out programing. Not having used the global for several years I have know clue how this is done, our tool inspector may need to measure on the global but has no programing knowledge and needs to use the cmm very seldom. I guess in a very long and confusing way I am asking is there a way for him to use it to check just and ID or OD without having to program

[#2#]

He can just open a new program, calibrate a tip and do manual hits around the feature then dimension the diameter of the feature. I would not recomend relying on this number though. It would be much better to write a very short dcc program.

[Schrocknroll]

You will need to open a program even if it is a blank one. Just create one called misc or something, then you can do manual measurements in it.

[dfiola66]

Also, keep in mind that manual measurments are ok for locations but in manual mode, the machine doesn't compensate for probe diameter.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Also, keep in mind that manual measurments are ok for locations but in manual mode, the machine doesn't compensate for probe diameter.

Dave, is that just on the machine he has or are you talking in general? My machine DOES comp in manual mode, the question is, does it comp properly? It will not for single points, but for planes and spheres it does, and it will comp correctly for lines and circles providing you have the detail set up correctly OR you have measured the plane they are in and change the WORKPLANE in the feature to the plane feature you measured.

[dfiola66]

Dave, is that just on the machine he has or are you talking in general? My machine DOES comp in manual mode, the question is, does it comp properly? It will not for single points, but for planes and spheres it does, and it will comp correctly for lines and circles providing you have the detail set up correctly OR you have measured the plane they are in and change the WORKPLANE in the feature to the plane feature you measured.

If I operate the joystick and probe a diameter, it doesn't comp for the diameter of the probe tip. Now, thats taking 4 points within the circle and using feature recognition (not telling it prior that its a circle...not sure if it'd make a difference) and location is usually pretty good.

Also, my experience with this is without math data...usually just a die section etc. that we have no info on and we need a scan for our records or to remake. Am I missing something?

**for this concern: manual for me means that there is no math data and I'm using feature recognition (probe the points, let the software figure out what I just scanned). Hope I'm not making this more confusing then it has to be.

[DuaneSiders]

Why would you want to sacrifice the accuracy???

With all the discussions about touch speeds and vectors causing problems with hole diameters, I don't ever measure anything on my CMM manually. I ask anyone that wants me to to show me how to control the joystick so that I am at the correct speed and vector for each hit.

Just my $.o2

[craiger_ny]

With all the discussions about touch speeds and vectors causing problems with hole diameters, I don't ever measure anything on my CMM manually. I ask anyone that wants me to to show me how to control the joystick so that I am at the correct speed and vector for each hit.

Just my $.o2

Do it all of the time and I am pretty dam n accurate. Gotta know what you are doing. I was brought up on manual with microprossor and manual with PCDMIS then into DCC. It can be done, and it can be done accurately. And yes I even vector well. It takes practice but you can be good at it and for one piece just a few dimensions here and there checking it can be ideal. I teach all of our inspectors how to do it and they have gotten good at it as well. I know I throw the term monkey around a lot but I have guys here that I am proud of and I wouldn't hessitate to have some of them show you for me.

Craig

[djayne]

I do manual measurements for the engineers quite often with little or no problems. I do set up some sort of alignment when possible and use the part axis button on the jog box for added assurance. We have our own job shop and I am asked to help reverse engineer different parts from machines and gages and robots all the time. I do all of these measurements manually. I have seen other quality techs and engineers try to measure manually and they are very sloppy and try to blame the CMM when their measurements come out bad. I just cringe every time I hear "There's something wrong with the CMM - It's giving me bad results when I know the parts are good." Just got that this morning and I asked them to pull the tool and check it out - There were several broken inserts and broken pockets - But, it was the CMM that caused the feature to check out of spec by 2mm.

[JIM HARRIS]

I agree with craig.I do it all the time and I have never had a problem with probe comp.

[bw_bob]

I love that saying " Theres something wrong with the CMM "
It's only does what you tell it and it's only as accurate as the user.
Now if ya'll excuse me theres something wrong with the cmm

[MJBolster]

No problems manually inspecting w/ Global Image 7107 using careful slow approach with jog box to keep approach vectors as accurate as possible.
We don't do it often because we have a Gage 2000 w/Pc-Dmis (manual).

[Andrew Gardner]

I never have a problem doing manual measurments. On a critical diameter/location, I'll switch to DCC, but the numbers don't vary more than a couple of tenths usually.