OFF TOPIC BUT

[[Jo...]]

I have a complicated issue where I work at. We have lost so many experienced people over the last couple years and replaced them with ... well to be nice... less experienced people. One of the simplest issues we are facing is damaged probe components due to over tighten or bad results base on under tighten components.  I have looked high and low for a simple pin type torque wrench but have not been able to find one.  Does anyone know where i can find one or point me in right direction. 

[[Ma...]]

We are having torque screwdrivers to about 2.5Nm - but i am using reasonable strength to tighten it so i can not help with correct Nm to do this.

[[Jo...]]

yeah.. not looking for the screw drivers.. can find those just about anywhere including zeiss... I am talking about the "single pin spanner" that is use to tighten the extensions and stylus to each other...  I keep finding them either too loose or way overtighten to the point they are stripped. 

[[Ja...]]

Are you talking about assembling CMM stylus systems?

We are a busy high production shop and I would be very hesitant to let anyone else but those that program on the CMM's (me and one other guy) the access and ability to create stylus systems and switch out stylus probes for a lot of different reasons. How often are you finding you need to build or swap out probes and stylus systems and why are people that seem to have no grasp on the delicate nature of building CMM stylus systems allowed to create them? Who creates them in the software and qualifies them after they are built?

Not including the master probe we have two basic stylus setups that cover about 90% of what we do on our Duramax VAST XXT CMMs, a straight probe and a star probe, and a few odd ones for specific jobs as needed. It very well may not be realistic for your purposes but If you are able to minimize the amount of stylus systems used in programming you may get away with not having to build as many and have less chance of error?

I couldn't find any "single pin spanner" tools in a brief search or know how they would even work, just the torque screwdrivers and the fixed L-shaped pin wrenches but I did find some official (looks 3D printed) Zeiss plastic "XXT Stylii Assembly Pliers" that may prevent incorrect tightening and may be easier for whomever is assembling the stylii system to gauge the proper tightness:

https://shop.metrology.zeiss.com/INTERSHOP/web/WFS/IMT-US-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewProduct-Start?SKU=626109-0057-000&CategoryName=550000&CatalogID=500000&ExtendedNavigation=true

Edited yesterday at 07:49 PM

[[Jo...]]

"why are people that seem to have no grasp on the delicate nature of building CMM stylus systems allowed to create them"...... Union shop...which is great but now I am dealing with the other side of the coin.....

 

I am in a shop that is union and have over 200 styli systems.... some have been in place for over 30 years..... 17 cmm operators (not programmers) run the machines with a new turn over.  7 machines and no budget to make 1400 stand alone probe systems (one for each machine) and no RDS head (do not want one and really no use for one). I am thinking about fabricating one but with the shop, it has to through a "design team" first, then budget, then bidding, then fabricating/production.... but I can get one off the shelf... much, much easier.....

 

Was also thinking about 3d printing them with a set breaking point, but that would only keep them from over tightening them and afraid the probes would be now be too loose. 

[[Ja...]]

Understandable issues, I wish there was a tool that could help you with this but I can't think of any.

With that many operators maybe a simple solution is just having a procedure in place where someone other than the one who assembled the styli system does a quick double check of the tightness before okaying it for use. That won't get rid of all the issues but it may mitigate them enough to be in at an acceptable level.