Current Help System: PC-DMIS CMM (View Core Help)

## Calibrating Probe Tips

Calibrating your probe tips tells PC-DMIS the location and diameter of your probe tips. You cannot execute your part program and measure your part until the probe tips are calibrated. The terms "calibrate" and "qualify" are used interchangeably.

To begin the calibration process:

1. From the Probe Utilities dialog box, make sure the Active Tip List has the desired tip angles.

2. Select the probe tip(s) you want to calibrate from the list.

3. Click the Measure button. The Measure Probe dialog will appear.

Note: If you have a probe changer and the currently active probe file is not the probe configuration in the probe head, then PC-DMIS will automatically drop off the currently loaded probe configuration and pickup the needed one.

Measure Probe dialog box

The Measure Probe dialog box displays a variety of settings applicable to measurement for the purpose of probe qualification. Once the desired selections are made, click the Measure button to begin.

Requirements Prior to Calibration

- In order to begin the calibrating process, a qualification tool must be defined. The type of measurement(s) to be made on the tool depends on the type of tool (typically a SPHERE), and the type of tip (BALL, DISK, TAPER, SHANK, OPTICAL). You can use the Add Tool... button to define a qualification tool.

Once Calibration Starts

PC-DMIS will display one of two styles of messages, asking if the qualifying tool has been moved, depending on your machine's ability to use DCC hits to locate the qualification tool:

YES/NO Message Box
This message box appears for machines that do not support the ability to locate the qualification tool using DCC hits (such as manual only machines):
Qualification Tool Moved Dialog Box
This dialog box appears if your measuring machine and probe configuration support the ability to locate the qualification tool using DCC hits:

- If you select Yes or Yes (manual hit to locate tool), PC-DMIS will display the Execution Mode Option dialog box and will require you to take 1 or more hits in Manual mode (depending on the tool type) before continuing the calibration process.

- If you select Yes (DCC hits to locate tool), PC-DMIS will display the Execution Mode Option dialog box and automatically attempt to use DCC hits to locate the qualification tool. You may use this option when you have repositioned the qualification tool to nearly the same previous location.

- If you select No, PC-DMIS will also display the Execution Mode Options dialog box, but it will not require any manual hits unless they are appropriate for the selected measurement method (such as Manual).

Once the measurement is complete, PC-DMIS will calculate the qualification results as appropriate for the type of probe, the tool used, and the operation requested. The difference between the two Yes options only affects whether or not a manual hit will be needed during measurement. For purposes of the post-measurement calculations, both Yes options are equivalent. A brief summary for each tip will be visible in the Active Tip List in the Probe Utilities dialog box. You can also see detailed results of the calibration by clicking the Results button on that dialog box.

Recalibrating

In general PC-DMIS cannot tell if a probe tip needs to be recalibrated. Be sure to perform a recalibration if anything changes with your probe.

More:

Number of Hits

Pre-Hit / Retract

Move Speed

Touch Speed

System Mode

Type of Operation area

Calibration Mode area

Wrist Calibration area

Shank Qualification

Num Shank Hits

Shank Offset

Parameter Sets area

Tool Mounted on Rotary Table

Reset Tips to Theo at Start of Calibration

Tips to Use if None Explicitly Selected

Measure