Calibrate Indexable Rotary Table

Using the Calibrate Indexable Rotary Table dialog box you can select the options PC-DMIS uses to calibrate the selected table. Once the options within the dialog box are satisfactory, click the Calibrate button to start the rotary table calibration process.

WARNING: When you do this, the machine moves. To avoid injury, stay clear of the machine. To avoid hardware damage, run the machine at a slower speed.

Usage Requirements: The indexable rotary table calibration must include the 0 position. Additionally, all the angles used in a measurement routine must also be calibrated. This calibration procedure calculates and stores a transformation for all other angles relative to the 0 position.

Calibration Requirements: The indexable rotary table calibration procedure requires a valid XYZ, IJK for the table in order to run properly. This can be accomplished in two ways:

1) If the values are known, they can be manually typed into the Rotary Table Setup dialog box. This is usually not the case.

2) Initially select the Table is Infinite Type option and complete an infinite rotary table calibration, which calculates and saves the XYZ, IJK. Then select the Table is Indexable Type and perform the indexable rotary table calibration. This is normally only an issue during the initial software installation/setup or if the rotary table has been moved or if something has happened to significantly alter the origin of the machine coordinate system. Once the XYZ, IJK is determined closely enough that the indexable rotary table calibration procedure can run successfully it is not necessary to go back and re-run the infinite rotary table calibration in order to re-run the indexable rotary table calibration.

The Add Rotab Angles area allows you to define the list of table angles that are included in the calibration. You can define one angle at a time, or you can define an incremented range of angles. Defined angles are then placed in the Angles to Calibrate list. When you click Calibrate, PC-DMIS then calibrate the rotary table using the defined angles.

If you want to calibrate all the angles between 5 and 95 degrees with a 10 degree increment between each angle, you would fill in the Start Angle, End Angle, and Increment boxes with 5, 95, and 10 respectively, and then click the Equally Space button.

This list contains all the table angles for the calibration. You can add angles to this list from the Add Rotab Angles area. The Angles to Calibrate list must use the zero angle.

This dialog box also contains many of the same options described in the "Defining Hardware" chapter.