Star Probe Question

[B. Jacobs]

I have a Star Probe that I need to use. I have searched the forum and read all the post about it.The problem I am running into is this:
I can calibrate all 5 of the tips without getting the standard "Deveation" message. When I go to the tip on the right and take a hit and measure my X, it is good. I know X is 0. When I take the same tip and take a hit in Y, my devieation is about .032". I can not figure out why this is. It does it only in the Y on all tips.
Any suggestions?

3.5MR2

[Don Ruggieri]

Manual or DCC

Are you taking these measurements in manual or DCC? On at least some systems, manual hits don't fully compensate along the appropriate vector, unless they are used in a feature.

Slow mode or fast? Some systems jogboxes don't properly record hits/vectors in fast mode.

Did you look at the results after calibrating? Did they show any significant errors?

Is it only Y+ or also Y-. Is X+ the same as X-? If you measure a circle, is the diameter correct?

[than_357]

Same magnitude and direction on all tips?

[B. Jacobs]

I have done the checkes Don mentioned. They are all correct. The circle caqme out correct. The only problem is in Y.
I still can't figure it out. If I take a 2mm tip and do the same checks it checks fine. But when I check the star, it is out.

[Wes Cisco]

If you rotate the start probe to A0B90 and run a check is there still a problem in the Y-axis or does it shift to the X-axis? (Trying to figure out if it is the Star or the Axis that is the problem)

[cmmguy]

I have done the checkes Don mentioned. They are all correct. The circle caqme out correct. The only problem is in Y.
I still can't figure it out. If I take a 2mm tip and do the same checks it checks fine. But when I check the star, it is out.

You arent answering Don's questions. You dont describe your "tests" well enough to determine what you are really doing. You're gonna have to help us out with a more detailed description of what you are doing and what is wrong, otherwise the 20 question exercise will end in frustration.
Details, man, details...

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

STEP 1: Remove the star probe, put on a regular probe
STEP 2: Calibrate the regular probe, telling the machine that the TOLL HAS MOVED
STEP 3: Put star probe BACK in, calibrate all the tips, telling it the tool HAS NOT MOVED
STEP 4: Try your measurements again.

[B. Jacobs]

You arent answering Don's questions. You dont describe your "tests" well enough to determine what you are really doing. You're gonna have to help us out with a more detailed description of what you are doing and what is wrong, otherwise the 20 question exercise will end in frustration.
Details, man, details...

I am working on doing these test and I will explain what I did.

STEP 1: Remove the star probe, put on a regular probe
STEP 2: Calibrate the regular probe, telling the machine that the TOLL HAS MOVED
STEP 3: Put star probe BACK in, calibrate all the tips, telling it the tool HAS NOT MOVED
STEP 4: Try your measurements again.

Matt, When I do this the star probe moves back away from from the ball and starts the calibration. I am working on this.

Could my build up be the problem. Here is what I have,
I have a picture of what I have

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

I am working on doing these test and I will explain what I did.



Matt, When I do this the star probe moves back away from from the ball and starts the calibration. I am working on this.

IF the (star) probe is not moving in the way that you think it should, then there is something wrong, either in your probe build-up description or is it possible that you are not calling for the same calibration tool?

[B. Jacobs]

Here is where I am at as of now. I have taken a 1-2-3 block and clamped it to the table.
I have taken the 4mmby70mm tip and did an alignment of the block. I have the block sitting with the 2" side in my Z, 1" in my Y, and 3" in my X.
I then loaded the star and hit points on all the surfaces and did the locations dimensions of the points. They are all out the sam in the + and -.
I then did an alignment with the star and measure the same way. The worst deveation I got was .0004".
I am begining to think that my original alignment is not working with the star. I
I am going to recalibrate all my tips without moving the sphere and then see what happens.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

OK, you've given us a little more information:

Do you un-screw anything and screw in anything when changing from probe to probe? IF SO, the calibrations are no good, once you un-screw an item from the head.

Try this:
1) Calibrate the regual tip
2) Align the block
3) Put the star probe in, and calibrate it
4) INSERT the LOADPROBE for the star probe in the program, after the alignment
5) Measure something on the block with the star probe.

At this point, the numbers should work out correctly.

IF, AT ANY TIME, you un-screw an item or screw in an item to any part of the probe build-up, YOU MUST calibrate the probes before you do anything else.

[B. Jacobs]

OK, you've given us a little more information:

Do you un-screw anything and screw in anything when changing from probe to probe? IF SO, the calibrations are no good, once you un-screw an item from the head.

Try this:
1) Calibrate the regual tip
2) Align the block
3) Put the star probe in, and calibrate it
4) INSERT the LOADPROBE for the star probe in the program, after the alignment
5) Measure something on the block with the star probe.

At this point, the numbers should work out correctly.

IF, AT ANY TIME, you un-screw an item or screw in an item to any part of the probe build-up, YOU MUST calibrate the probes before you do anything else.

I'm sorry, I do have a probe changer. I tell it what probe I want and then it goes and gets it. I do not manually change or unscrew the tips to change them.
I am thinking that my calibrations are off from tip to tip. I figure that is why I keep getting different readings.
I will let ya'll know as soon as I get this done.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Check the connectors of your changer stuff. Clean the contacts off REAL GOOD, just a little piece of garbage will screw everything up.

[B. Jacobs]

I have checked the connectors and cleaned them good.
One question I have is how can you tell which probe is the master probe that the calibration comes from?
The reason I ask is that when I load the 4mmby70mm tip and tell it the sphere has moved the do a dcc calibration it calibrates fine. I then load the star and say it has not moved, it tries to go where I calibrated all the tips at one time.
I have to move the shpere so I am able to run my parts. When I put it back on the table I just say it moved and do the one hit thing.

[B. Jacobs]

Update Where I AM

Here is where I am at as of now.
I have done the calibration of the tips. I have set my 1-2-3 block on the table as decribed before and made an alignment manually then did it in DCC with the 4mmby70mm tip. The reason I keep coming back to this tip is because my program uses this tip for its alignment. I haven't had any problems before this.
The following is the results I get from both tips. My Y+ is to the back of the block and my X+ is from left to right of the block. Both tips are done in A0,B0. A0,B0 on the satr is the probe going down.

(These are from the 4mmBY70mm)
DIM LOC42= LOCATION OF POINT PNT7
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
X -0.0001 -0.0001 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC42
DIM LOC43= LOCATION OF POINT PNT9
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
X 3.0004 3.0003 0.0000 0.0000 0.0001 0.0001
END OF DIMENSION LOC43
DIM LOC44= LOCATION OF POINT PNT8
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Y 0.0001 0.0001 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC44
DIM LOC45= LOCATION OF POINT PNT10
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Y 1.0002 1.0001 0.0000 0.0000 0.0001 0.0001
END OF DIMENSION LOC45
DIM LOC46= LOCATION OF PLANE PLN3
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Z 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC46
(These are the STAR results)
DIM LOC47= LOCATION OF PLANE PLN4
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Z 0.0039 0.0040 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC47
DIM LOC48= LOCATION OF POINT PNT11
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
X -0.0003 -0.0003 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC48
DIM LOC49= LOCATION OF POINT PNT13
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
X 3.0000 3.0001 0.0000 0.0000 -0.0001 0.0001
END OF DIMENSION LOC49
(This should be 0.000")
DIM LOC50= LOCATION OF POINT PNT12
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Y -0.0131 -0.0132 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000
END OF DIMENSION LOC50
(This should be 1.000")
DIM LOC51= LOCATION OF POINT PNT14
AX MEAS NOMINAL +TOL -TOL DEV OUTTOL
Y 0.9869 0.9870 0.0000 0.0000 -0.0001 0.0001
END OF DIMENSION LOC51

As you can see, the X deveation is fine. The Z is a little off. The problem is in the Y.

I am totally stumped here.

Thanks for all the help. We may get it sooner or later.