Probes sticking during changes

[[Jo...]]

Is there a parameter that can be edited that would change how far the machine retracts in Z+ after a probe is placed back in the holder during probe changes? I am having an issue where the sensor will drop the probe off, but will "stick" back to the magnet in the sensor when it moves to the next probe. At that point one of three things happens; the probe gets sucked back out and knocked onto the granite plate, the probe sticks to the side of the XXT housing (my personal favorite) or the sensor grabs the probe again and, thinking it's still empty, slams it into the next one. It almost always ends up with a broken ruby. No matter how you slice it it's costing time, money and my patience.

It's one of those things where I hate to say that I simply can't explain why it's doing what it's doing. I've squared up the rack, requalified all the holder locations, switched out adapter plates on probes (just in case it was that instead of the holder) and nothing makes a difference.

[[Je...]]

Jon,

I feel your frustration. I've experienced the same thing. The good news is that I am fairly sure your problem can be fixed.

Before you continue, hand-tighten the black ring on the xxt, which is located near where the xxt attaches to the RDS adapter plate. This is probably not the main issue, but this ring is prone to loosening over time, so tighten it approximately once per month. You have to requalify your stylus systems after doing so. Hand-tightening is sufficient; do not overtighten.

Also, make sure the contact surfaces of the stylus adapter plates and the xxt are clean.

Next, you can adjust the approach parameters for stylus changes using the menu below. The numbers in this menu are always in millimeters. I have found success in the past by using negative 1-2 millimeters of offset, which moves the probe further z- (towards the granite) and provides slightly more contact between the stylus plate and the xxt. Be careful when making this type of adjustment, so that you do not adjust too drastically and crash the probe. Have your hand on the speed knob and move slowly until the process is proven.

If you are still having problems, call Zeiss and have a hardware tech. direct you over the phone or by remote support (Teamviewer).

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[[Er...]]

Has the Master Probe length been updated? That may fix this. After the holder is located again.

Other wise I would have Calypso do a change. Manually slow it down. See if it is centered. Hold back the hood and see if the tab is going into the holder correctly. Calypso may time out running it slow. If something looks off make a small adjustment and repeat.

[[Jo...]]

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Thanks for the info Jeff. To be clear, when you talk about using the negative 1-2mm offset which field are you editing? Some of the options shown in your screen grab are greyed out for me. The specific movement I want to change is the distance the XXT "lifts" up after it drops the probe off in the holder, right before it exits and moves on to grab the next one.
I've taken to changing the "Top" Z value to 999 for clearance to avoid the RDS rotating into the rack during probe changes when it's not in the Down position, but that's not where my problem lies.

[[Ri...]]

It is possible that you might need a new probe sockets. The lifting is for it to pull away from the plate.

If you've covered all the bases, then I would look into new plates or probe sockets.

[[Jo...]]

I hadn't considered the sockets themselves, I did visually look at everything to see if there was anything obvious going on and everything looked normal (though a bit dusty) but I'm sure if it got smacked at some point something could have gotten knocked out of whack enough to cause problems.
In any event, a coworker had suggested filling that problematic holder with heavier probes (the two stations I was having issues with had small, light styli parked in them) and that seems to be working as a temporary fix for now. I'm sure a "Carl Zeiss Probe Socket™" replacement is a four-figure purchase. 🤣

[[Ri...]]

https://shop.metrology.zeiss.com/INTERS ... gID=400000

Depending on how old yours is you might be able to get it swapped out.

[[Je...]]

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Jon, thanks for clarifying. I am thinking now that the problem is a squareness issue of the probe rack to the machine. I'm not very impressed with Zeiss's stylus racks. I'm actually just finishing a custom build on a rack for our Vast probes that is much sturdier.

I see you've found a workaround with the stylus weights. If that doesn't suffice, you could probably offset positive 1-2 millimeters (opposite direction of what I described in my earlier post).