CMM Stylus Material Guide

[[Iv...]]

Hey guys,

I put this quick guide together on stylus materials — figured it might be useful to have around the shop. Nothing too fancy, but it gives a simple breakdown of which styli work best for different situations, and a couple of reminders on wear and care.

Figured this might be old news for most of you, but maybe it could help some of the entry-level users and peers around the shop. It's a single page, so it would be easy to have it near your CMM. 

Give it a look when you get a chance — and hopefully it saves us some time (and a few styli) down the road. Let me know if you feel like anything needs to be edited. 

CMM Styli Guide ZF.pdf

[[Ch...]]

Ivan,  

 

 Thank you - well done , sir. Stylus material is very important.

 

 Tip : there is also sapphire stylus however these are more rare, they are nearly identical to ruby, however might have a blue/purple color if you prefer over red  😁  

 

Cheers, and happy measuring !!

[[Ow...]]

Nice work!

I'll add in that the extensions used on the styli are critical as well, especially on long extensions.

You usually get what you pay for and while expensive, the silver high-end Carbon fiber Zeiss Reach CFX extensions are worth their weight in gold.

I've used the cheaper, long carbon fiber extensions sold by other styli providers and their rigidness is not the same.

 

[[Iv...]]

@Chris Rotolo

Thank you, kind sir. 

Interesting, I was unaware of a sapphire stylus being an option. I considered including the tungsten carbide material, but I felt that it's really its own niche field, as it's most commonly used for gear measurement. I figured if you're already in that club, you probably don't need this info 😅

[[Iv...]]

@Owen Long

Thank you, I appreciate it. I would eventually like to add extensions to the guide; they go hand in hand. But I was one trying to keep this condensed to a single page, you can't rely on people flipping over the page these days 😂

Also, more importantly, this guide was driven by an RCCA. We measure a surprisingly high amount of silicon carbide, a very unforgiving material for those unfamiliar. Luckily or unluckily, it doesn't take too long to become familiar with the stylus (hopefully). However, with new programmers/operators, I'm not as diligent in expressing this knowledge and concern. Further story below for those interested. 

Also, I agree with you completely about your thoughts on extensions. ZEISS is completely in its own league. Cost will always be a factor, so like you, I've tried the other brands. But in this area, I would agree that it's really one of the areas where you need to spend up. More often than not, I find myself breaking down other stylus systems so I can use the ZEISS extensions rather than using off-brand ones that are just sitting there. 

Recently, in our lab, we had a job involving silicon carbide — a highly abrasive material. A programmer, unfamiliar with its properties, began scanning the surface with a silicon nitride stylus. By the time I caught on, multiple scans had already been completed. To the naked eye, the stylus looked fine. But when we pulled it under a microscope, a flat spot was immediately visible. The lesson? Styli wear is real, and it can happen faster than you think — even when you can’t see it.

I didn't intend to toot my own horn with this post. But I made a LinkedIn article with the full story. Ultimately, the goal is to use this article and RCCA to push for the purchase of more diamond styli 😁

[[Wo...]]

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Had the same situation. Had to re-measure ~50 pcs again. The top of the sphere was worn 0.002". Curiously, the Tensor calibration was not picking it up as it doesn't hit the sphere with the top of the probe (geometry re-qualification does). At the time it was decided that we're going to stick to ruby probes as silicon carbide was giving us too many issues.

 

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Thanks to the above situation I've convinced the boss to get a diamond 3mm probe with carbide shank - it's an indestructible beast 😄