Productivity +... a simplified approach to writing machine tool probing routines

Citation

(2005), "Productivity +... a simplified approach to writing machine tool probing routines", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777fab.003

Productivity +... a simplified approach to writing machine tool probing routines

Productivity+... a simplified approach to writing machine tool probing routines

Keywords: Machine tools, Computer software

Renishaw has introduced Productivity+ – a suite of products claiming a new simplified approach to producing probing routines for machine tools. The software, available as a CAM plug-in and a stand-alone package, allows process control and inspection to be programmed and integrated at the same time as toolpath generation.

Gibbs and Associates, a developer of CAM/CNC programming software, and Renishaw, have combined their expertise to produce the powerful Productivity+ä plug-in for GibbsCAM 2004 software. With this package, the generation of probing routines is seamlessly merged into the GibbsCAM environment. The entire manufacturing process, including the probing, can be simulated prior to program prove-out, increasing on- machine confidence and efficiency.

The Productivity+Active Editor provides similar levels of probing functionality in a CAM-independent stand-alone package.

Using Productivity+GibbsCAM plug-in or Active Editor, the many benefits of probing can be maximised by engineers who are responsible for developing manufacturing processes and who understand the design intent. Machine tool probing for process control and inspection therefore becomes a natural part of the engineering process, using the probe just like any other tool in the magazine.

The new products support probing routines to set tool length and diameter, perform work-piece identification, work- piece set-up, in-process tool offset control, and part inspection (pass off).

For further ease-of-use, the intuitive menus provided within the Productivity+software allow effective use of machine tool probes on a range of controllers, for users without a detailed knowledge of macro code. The instructions required to control the probe are included in the same post- processed file as the toolpath.

Importantly, the benefits of the Productivity+GibbsCAM plug-in and Active Editor are not restricted to new process generation, since existing programs and toolpaths may be imported and re-processed to include probing.

Details available from: Renishaw plc, Tel: +44 (0) 1453 524478, Fax: +44 (0) 1453 524102, E-mail: ben.spokes@renishaw.com Website: www.renishaw.com