What the F@#$ happen.

[AuRules]

Been working on the program for a couple of days that use 3 different tools.
2-tools that straight down with the 3rd a starprobe... On my 50 callouts I had 1 dimension out . It was a dimension that was a 3d distance, with the point created by the star and a plane created with the other tip. Since all of my dimension with the other tip was in tolerance and the one created between the both tools was out I recalibrated the starprobe. My sphere has not moved. Sounds good so far. Now I reran the part and I have at least 30 dims out. Which these dimensions has nothing to do with the starprobe. SO WHAT HAPPEN, or has this happen to anyone else. Respond

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Well, did you re-align after re-calibrating?

[AuRules]

NO, part has not moved nor has the qual spheres, but why would the other dimensions go out of tolerance if it has nothing to do with the star probe.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Well, when you re-cal, telling the machine that the ball has not moved, if it HAS moved, even a little bit (OR, if you have homed the machine), then your pick-up will no longer be even close to the same relationship as what you had. I have ALWAYS re-aligned after doing a re-cal. Belt and suspenders, if ya know what I mean. I have never trusted Pcdmis 100%, in anything, so I always do what I need to do to CMA.

[#2#]

Are you calibrating A0B0 for all probes? That angle is used to relate one probe to another probe.

I say try recalibrating all your probes (include A0B0) and make sure the sphere doesn't move in between probes. Then run your part and see what you get.

As a CMA I always calibrate all probes (including A0B0 even if it isn't used) before running a part program. It doesn't matter to me if they were just done an hour ago, I'd rather wait 5 minutes and eliminate that possiblity of error.

T only time I don't do it is if I have three of the same part to run. I do it before the first part and then don't for the other two.

[AuRules]

I have figured out the problem, actually 2 of them and If I tell you guys, I could no longer belong to the cmm group. But I will tell you anyway. re-calibrated thought that was the problem, No. The reason that so many dims were out was the the primary plane, one hit was in a chamfer. ( I RECEIVE ONE CHOP TO THE THROAT) and the other problem I was having way back in the front of my program and the end of my program I had 2 features named the same ( I RECEIVE TWO CHOP TO THE THROAT). But I do appreciate the help and knowledge you guy's give. Thanks

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Well, having the same name for 2 different features IS a no-no, however, I have seen Pcdmis able to 'handle' this as the internal ID for the feature (one YOU can't see) is absolutely unique for each feature. Even if you COPY and PASTE a feature, the copy is given it's own unique internal ID. I have done this by copying a feature AND it's location dimension. Then, I re-name the dimension (duplicate dim ID's is also a NO-NO) and change the nominals of one of the features. Pcdmis was able to keep them seperate without a problem (the correct dim updated to the new nominals, the other didn't). I did this to see what it would do IF that exact thing happened. Of course, dupe feature ID's or dupe dimension ID's are bad programming, really, but it really gets bad depending on WHICH ID you use for Datapage. Even if Pcdmis can keep them seperate, Datapage can not, the 'newer' data for that ID in the transfer file will be the only data that shows for that ID.

Was the point previously NOT hitting the chamfer but did when you re-ran it? Could this be something that can happen again, depending on the part? If so, you may want to do an extra alignment OR use REFERENCE point to keep it out of the chamfer.

[AuRules]

I do not have dedicated fixtures for my part yet. I will be using a 12" X 16" Steel Rayco Plate and when I tell the operators what holes and what clamps to use should this elimanate that problem. And for the other problem of copying and re-naming I heard was a no no because of behind the seens STUFF that we do not see..

[John Kingston]

Don't you have a manual then DCC alignment for your part? That would help to make sure the hits are in the same place everytime.

[AuRules]

Yes,
I'm not going to change the hits until my plate gets here.