The Insert | Move | Move Sweep menu item inserts the following sweep block into the Edit window.
SWEEPSTART/
MOVE/SWEEP
SWEEPEND/
Movement commands that inside of SWEEPSTART
and SWEEPEND command block cause the
probe to move in all five axes simultaneously. This occurs if you are
using a PHS wrist for a Sharpe32Z controller. Three of these axes are
the X, Y, and Z axes. These are used when moving the machine itself. The
other two axes refer to the probe's AB angle movement.
This command only functions with a continuous type wrist (CW43, CW43Light, or PHS) and only with a Renishaw SP600 or Wolf & Beck OTM3 laser probe. Probe devices such as those from Perceptron may also function. However, since SP600s aren't usually sold with infinitely indexing wrist devices, this functionality is very much limited to the OTM3 laser probe.
Movement in these five axes takes place simultaneously. This differs from a PH9 wrist, which must first move the machine in the X, Y, and Z axes. Then, when the machine stops, the probe orientation (AB angles) moves.
Suppose your current CMM 's position is 10, 10, 10 (in X, Y, and Z), and your wrist's orientation (AB position) is 0, 0. Next, suppose you wanted to move the CMM to 20, 20, 20 and the probe's orientation to 0, 180. A PHS wrist using Move Sweep commands, could accomplish both movements simultaneously. A PH9 wrist, however, would first move the CMM and then the wrist orientation.
For comparison:
A PH9 wrist is able to move between 0º to 110º in the A axis and +180º to -180º in the B axis.
A PHS wrist is able to move between -180º and +180º in both the A and B axes at .1 degree increments.
Advantages of using MOVE/SWEEP commands include:
A much more fluid movement. This makes it easier to measure hard to reach features.
Saved time. You don't need to wait for the CMM's ram and arm to move to the X, Y, and Z location before changing the Probe's orientation.
A slight improvement in accuracy from reduced vibration.
PC-DMIS requires at least three MOVE/SWEEP commands between the SWEEPSTART/ and SWEEPEND/ command block. These move commands are essential to generate the elliptical movement path.