## Aligning a Bevel Gear

Use the Align Gear dialog box to:

- Generate a PC-DMIS program to align a bevel gear

- Execute an existing PC-DMIS program to align a bevel gear

To align a bevel gear, select the Operation | Align Gear… menu option or the Align toolbar icon…

…to open the Align Gear dialog box:

Align Gear dialog box for bevel gear

Generate: If you select this check box, PC-DMIS Gear will generate a new part program to align the gear.

Measure: If you select this check box, PC-DMIS Gear will execute the alignment program that you select in the Alignment Program area.

Generate and Measure: If you select the Generate and Measure check boxes, PC-DMIS will first generate the part program and then execute it to align the gear.

Alignment Program Area

Program Name: Type the name of the PC-DMIS alignment program file, along with its full path. You can click the browse button and select the alignment program file. The name of the PC-DMIS alignment program file will appear in the box.

Saved Alignment File Area

Alignment File: The PC-DMIS Gear alignment program will save the gear alignment in this file. This alignment will be used by the PC-DMIS program that measures the gear.

This file will have .aln as the filename extension. You can click the browse button and select the external alignment file. The name of the file will appear in the box.

For more information on alignment files, see the documentation on saving and recalling external alignments in the main PC-DMIS documentation.

Probe Area

Probe File: Type the name of the probe file, along with its full path, that you want to use for aligning the gear. You can click the browse button and select the probe file name. The probe file name will appear in the box.

Note: You must select an existing probe file. Otherwise, when you click the OK button, an error message will appear and indicate that the file you specified does not exist and you must select an existing file:

Motion Options Area

In this area, specify the parameters that control the motion of the machine while executing the DCC alignment.

Prehit Distance: Type the distance from the theoretical point at which the motion speed changes from Move Speed to the slower Touch Speed. The distance is specified in current part units (inches or millimeters).

Retract Distance: Type the distance the probe retracts from the surface after taking a hit. The distance is specified in current part units (inches or millimeters).

Check Distance: Type the distance past the theoretical hit location that the machine will continue to search for the surface of the part until it determines the surface is not there.

Touch Speed: Type the speed at which the CMM takes hits. The value you enter is the percentage of the machine's defined top speed.

Move Speed: Type the point-to-point positioning speed of the CMM. The value you enter is the percentage of the machine's defined top speed.

Use Clearance Height: Select this check box to use the clearance height during alignment measurement.

Clearance Height: (Available when you select the Use Clearance Height check box.) Type the clearance height used to measure the gear alignment and the clearance height used at the beginning and end of the gear measurement.

Z Axis Area

Type: Select the type (Cylinder, Plane, or Cone) for the Z axis.

Feature ID: The ID of this feature. If necessary, change the ID.

X Origin Area

Type: Select the type (Cylinder, Circle, or Cone) for the X origin.

Feature ID: The ID of this feature. If necessary, change the ID.

Y Origin Area

Y Origin: Select the type (Cylinder, Circle, or Cone) for the Y origin.

Feature ID: The ID of this feature. If necessary, change the ID.

Z Origin Area

Z Origin: Select the type (Plane, Circle, Point, or Cone) for the Z origin.

Feature ID: The ID of this feature. If necessary, change the ID.

Offset: If necessary, type the offset of the origin in the Z direction. Usually, the offset is the value of the mounting distance.

Measure face/root cone: Select this check box if you want to create the alignment accurately by face/root cone.

Parameter setup: (Available when you select the Measure face/root cone check box.) When you select this button, the Parameters of the face/root cone measurement dialog box appears. See the "Face or Root Cone Measurement Parameters" topic for more information on setting up parameters.

| This button launches PC-DMIS and generates the alignment program, measures the selected alignment program, or generates and measures the alignment program according to your selection.