[Murfman]

Hello All,
Just found this forum and I am hoping to take this time to get the word out that we can do lasering. From what I understand this is a part of the yearly preventive mantainance and hopefully people can utilize this service.

Thanks for the time,
Shane Murphy
United Supply & Machine
970-874-3999

[CJL5585]

Hello All,
Just found this forum and I am hoping to take this time to get the word out that we can do lasering. From what I understand this is a part of the yearly preventive mantainance and hopefully people can utilize this service.

Thanks for the time,
Shane Murphy
United Supply & Machine
970-874-3999

What is lasering?

Sorry for my ignorance. I am familiar with laser cutting of metal, ceramics, and wood, but am unfamiliar with the term lasering.

Is this related to the PM on the machine?

[Murfman]

Hello All,
Lasering is where you set up the laser and run the machine in any axis. The laser has a prism that is placed on the machine and the laser uses it to get feedback and this allows the user to set pitch comps to ensure the machines accuracy. Backlash can also be set with this. This is one of many tools that are generally used to keep track of wear on moving parts and like I said "typically this is done on an annual PM.

Reguards
Shane

[diggityds]

Hello, I have a makino mcb1210 with glass scales on x and y axis. Cutting a 4 sided pocket the y axis cuts undersize about .004 smaller then our x. We did a ballbar and it showed .0015 backlash on y, however I thought with scales there shouldnt be any lash at all. I checked with an indicater at different levels and towards the center of the screw were we do most of our cutting the motor overshoots or comps for that baclash at .0015. In other spots on the screw it comps only .0002. My question is can a laser alignment comp for that lash. I torqued the gibs to factory settings and checked the bearings for any play, everything looks good mechanically. I also think that our scale might be bad, we had a chip build up near the scale, because a chip gaurd broke off and it was causing mismatch alarms. We cleaned up the chips and replaced the gaurd and we haven't seen those alarms since. My second question is wouldnt the machine alarm out if there was some kind of abnormallity in movement.
Thanks

[StealthDumpKits]

I'm certified on the API 5D laser and have laser calibrated machine tools since 1981. It may be that your machine has never been calibrated since new at the factory. Look for a calibration tag on or inside the control, or search your maintenance records. Backlash is usually a separate issue to deal with than pitch comp. However, your first clue to a potential problem is increased backlash. I'm not familiar with your machine, but you should also check the counterweight function in concert with the Y-axis servo and mechanical connections to the motor.

If nothing is wrong mechanically, then schedule a reputable laser calibration firm who will spend the time and effort to modify the pitch comp. They can also enter the correct backlash value. In order to get a clean pitch comp, depending on the machine and laser system, the backlash comp should either be set to zero, or preset before lasering.

Several controls and machine manufacturers have step values between pitch comp. If the steps are large, your pitch comp table is very short, and your machine is not as accurate as it could be with a little extra attention. Given the shorter the step, the more effort is required to properly calibrate, and longer time on site.

Normally the machine won't fault out because it's where it thinks it is, in other words, it see's the correct position. If you've had scale problems, you should also check the scale and reader head attachment bolts and alignment.

[StealthDumpKits]

I forgot to add that laser calibration and "prism" have nothing in common. Simple linear measurement uses a retroreflector and interferometer. The API 5D uses autocollimeters to simultaneously measure linear position & straightness as well as pitch, yaw and roll. There are sensors at both ends of the beam rather than one end.

The advantages of the API laser allowed me to calibrate a large articulating head bridge mill equipped with the Siemens 840D control. The 840D has the most comprehensive compensation features available in a machine control. The machine tool factory didn't have an API laser, so their tolerance specs were wide open. By the time I finished with the machine, it was the most accurate and precise in the world. My work was doublechecked by outside laser calibrators to certify the machine for Boeing. They were especially impressed with the volumetric accuracy, noting it was the least they've ever recorded.

[diggityds]

Thanks for all the info. I looked at the scale a little closer for the second time and noticed the reader head came loose, I thought I tried moving it around the first time but geuss not. Tightned the reader and ran a program to finish a 4 sided pocket and everything was within tolerance. We will be looking at getting a laser done on that machine anyways, hopefully that takes care of our problem. Thanks again Stealth.