Measurement system
July 25, 2011
By
Mary Del
Mitutoyo Canada Inc.’s Roundtest RA-H5200 Series roundness/cylindricity measurement systems are designed to combine extreme accuracy with functional flexibility, the company says. FEM (Finite Element Modelling) was used in designing the unit’s base to assure geometric accuracy by minimizing deformations caused by normal machine operation. The turntable of the Roundtest RA-H5200 is also manufactured for extreme rigidity and rides on high-precision air bearings. As a result, rotational accuracy is at 0.02+3.5H/10000 µm.
The turntable is equipped with Automatic Adjustment Table (AAT) for high-speed, fully automatic workpiece centring/levelling, which the company says reduces positioning errors, while also freeing the operator. The RA-H5200 also features ultra-high Z-Axis column straightness (0.05µm/100mm in the narrow range), as well as standard vibration isolation.
While supporting the full range of roundness measurement routines, the RA-H5200 can also be equipped with an optional roughness unit using a multi-sensor probe, which is able to operate in both roundness measuring and surface roughness modes. Incorporating the roughness detector enables measurement in the circumferential direction around the θ-axis, as well as in direct-drive directions along the X- and Z-Axes with a stationary table. As a result, surface roughness, as well as roundness and cylindricity, can be validated.
The RA-H5200 uses Mitutoyo Roundpak Measurement and Analysis Software. Running under Windows, the software is designed to simplify setup and control. Roundpak supports a wide variety of parameters, including those for roundness/cylindricity, as well as flatness and parallelism. In addition, the program includes an offline teaching function that enables virtual execution of measurement operations in a 3D simulation window. By storing and indexing measurement and evaluation setups, libraries of sequences can be compiled. Custom reports, including depiction of data in 3D graphics, can be generated.
