z Problems

[R.Alward]

I wrote a program for a flat round disc with a center hole. I used two standoffs with threaded holes for alinement then moved the origin to the center hole of the blank. The first 6 blanks ran find then the cmm had trouble finding the first hole on the alinement. It would stop just short of surface when checking the plane or it would crash into the surface. I am using 4.0. I hit PF9 and redid the hits on the hole and ran test they worked ok. Program asked if I wanted to change the alinement with the data from the test, I hit ok. The program ran ok for two blanks then it did it again. When it crashed into the surface when doing the plane checks I raised the probe back up then it took off in another directions and hit the table. The next time this happened I grabbed the job box and tried to run the probe up as it ran along the table. If I let it go it would go down and crash. Can anyone tell me what is going on and how to stop it?

[Wingman]

I wrote a program for a flat round disc with a center hole. I used two standoffs with threaded holes for alinement then moved the origin to the center hole of the blank. The first 6 blanks ran find then the cmm had trouble finding the first hole on the alinement. It would stop just short of surface when checking the plane or it would crash into the surface. I am using 4.0. I hit PF9 and redid the hits on the hole and ran test they worked ok. Program asked if I wanted to change the alinement with the data from the test, I hit ok. The program ran ok for two blanks then it did it again. When it crashed into the surface when doing the plane checks I raised the probe back up then it took off in another directions and hit the table. The next time this happened I grabbed the job box and tried to run the probe up as it ran along the table. If I let it go it would go down and crash. Can anyone tell me what is going on and how to stop it?

Are you having the CMM Repeat the alignment each time? You state that the CMM had trouble finding the firt hole of the alignment. Are you talking about the supports / standoffs?

Just a note. Hitting OK to have PC DMIS update your alignment can have undesirable effects. Unless you have a reason for PC DMIS to update your alignment then you should consider saying NO to this. If you part has too much variation you can compensate with prehit and retract distances.

Sounds like you need to shut down and restart. Unfortunatley, PC DMIS will sometimes 'get lost' and there really is nothing you can do but shut down and restart. This includes shutting down the controller and re-homing the machine to clear everything out. This 'might' be one of those times.

Other than that it sounds like you ar having variation OR the alignment is getting whacked. PC DMIS should not have trouble finding your riser / supports / standoffs unless you move them. I would certainly suspect something there.

If it does not clear up with a shutdown you might want to post the affected code.