Adapter Plate

[[To...]]

I am setting up some angled stylus systems.  I don't not have a Zeiss tool to set these angles.  I am using my CMM to measure the angles.  Which features on the adapter plate are the best for setting up a base alignment?  I am currently using the setup shown in pic.   Is there a better feature for ,the planar, i.e. the slot at 6 o'clock?

 

On a side note, I assumed the 3 pins would be precisely 120° apart but they are not.  However, a circle created from the 3 pins shows to be concentric to od.

 

 

Edited Friday at 01:07 PM

[[Ma...]]

Isn't this to set rotation on that shaft?

For measuring that angle i would use machine and scan a shpere with probe shaft to obtain a cylinder which can tell angle.

For your question: if you plan to rotate as my picture, then you should have adapter plate almost fixed - so use it as base alignment with all 3 cylinders.
If you want it precise:

• mesure 3 circles -> contruct a plane from them
• measure 2 lines per cylinder paralel with previously created plane
• combine to obtain firm alignment

Now measure your angles on future probe shafts.

[[To...]]

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 ????

[[Ke...]]

IDK... to be honest, 95% of the time I set the angles of the probe visually, with a printed out chart. 

[[To...]]

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  Does this also apply to rotations about the center axis?

 

Edited Friday at 02:08 PM

[[Ke...]]

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Yes, indeed

[[Ma...]]

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Well you wrote you are measuring those cylindrical pins against probe to get angle.

When i was doing angle i was loosening a screw to adjust angle around Z axis.
Then i was measuring with probe shaft the ref. sphere so from measured points i got cylinder - this way i got angle in Z axis and also tilt.

What was confusing for you? Definition how to measure adapter pins?

[[Mi...]]

I've used this and a sine vise to set all of my angles for years now and it works perfectly. Everything is within about .00015" perp and parallel.  If you have the opportunity to have one made, I can send you the .stp file? It would save a lot of time setting up stylus systems in the future but doesn't immediately address the issue at hand. 

[[Je...]]

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, nice job on using the CMM to measure your stylus system angles.

You should ditch the aluminum extensions, though.  The CFX extensions are a worthy upgrade.

[[Ri...]]

Invest in one of these, I can set any angle quickly and easily.

ZX, ZY, XY or any compound angle you can imagine.

You may also need a small set of gage blocks.

 

Edited Saturday at 11:05 AM

[[To...]]

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 The confusion was that I was looking for an answer to my question about my base alignments and I didn't believe you addressed it. I mentioned I had measured the 2 other pins to see if they were 120° apart.  Since they were not, it caused me to question the validity of using 1 pin for the planar as I didn't know if it was in the right location. Obviously, the sensor uses all 3 pins to create a repeatable connection. Are the 3 mating connection points on the sensor square with the machine?  Seems like I am making a lot of assumptions when I create a base alignment from the adapter plate.  

I was trying to set and verify the angles using the cmm.  I don't want to set an angle, qualify the stylus, measure a cylinder from the shaft on a sphere, to find out what the angle is. Then, repeating it until I get the desired results. That seems like a long set of steps.

[[To...]]

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  Thanks.  This worked very well for setting the rotation angles however I had to resort to a Starrett Protractor to eyeball the angles of the knuckle joints. Was quite surprised with the results.  After qualifying stylus systems and measuring cylinders with shafts, all the angles were within ±0.5°.  🙂

[[Ri...]]

We have a fix assist. It was worth the money. The only issue that we ran into is that the angles were slightly off - especially noticeable at really long distances, so we created new references mark to account for this. 

[[To...]]

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  Our lab holds the temp at ±0.5° 24/7, so for something like this job, it's not such a big deal.  Yes, I know handling causes some expansion but that is minimal.  When we're trying to hold microns, the CFX extensions come out. Does Zeiss make CFX adapter plates?

[[To...]]

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Not selling our RDS Contura would have saved a lot of time and money, too.  lol

[[To...]]

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I had a very similar design "in my head" that incorporated 6 grooves (just extend the current 3 grooves to the opposite side of center) so plate could be rotated 180° for convenience.  My design also had the 4 sides ground so block could be turned onto its' sides, also for convenient access to the 3 screws on the back.   With ground sides, the block could be held a sin vise or plate, or the adjustable v-block that Richard posted.

Edited Saturday at 03:16 PM

[[Ri...]]

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Can you explain how this works?

Its peeked my interest.

[[Fe...]]

Hi 

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, how do you ensure the printout is perfectly straight?, like making sure 90 degrees lines up exactly with the y-axis

[[Mi...]]

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 Absolutely. The roller contacts sit in the grooves and are held in place lightly with the toeclamps. Then, I can either tip the block on it's side to balance systems like a cross, star, 2_4 or 3_5 setup or when I have angled setups like Tom showed in his original post I'd use a sine vise and some gauge blocks to set my desired angle and sweep the stylus (or in rare cases the extension) with an indicator. If I have a compound angle I use a combination of a sine vise and a sine plate.

 

[[Je...]]

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You bring up a good point.  At the moment, they do not.