Gaging Software Eases Inspection with Minimal Training

Renishaw will display its Equator flexible gage with the company’s Intuo gaging software, combined with a range of probes. Intuo’s repeatable and automated operation is intended to simplify and automate the gaging of a variety of parts, reducing dependence on multiple manual gaging devices and the skills required to operate them. Reducing gaging inconsistency limits scrap while ensuring that parts that are out of tolerance are always identified.

Intuo uses intelligent functions to help the engineer set up gaging routines in minutes with minimal training, the company says. The software enables creating gaging routines using just a part with an engineering drawing. With the “feature predict” function activated, the programmer uses the joystick to take points on each feature while Intuo predicts the type of feature, the nominal value and possible tolerance bands. Shopfloor operators select and run these programs using the Equator’s Organiser front-end software. Users can adjust the program to change the number of points taken or to space them evenly, and match nominals and tolerances to the drawing.

The process for inputting actual values for features on the master part has been simplified. This master part, according to the company, need not be a “perfect,” but rather a production part. First, the features required are measured on a calibrated manual gage or a coordinate measuring machine. The values from this master part inspection report can be manually added to a table using Organiser or to the corresponding field in Intuo; changing one will update the other.

The Equator Button Interface (EBI) is designed specifically for the Organiser software, and uses large push buttons. Intended for shopfloor use, the keypad can be mounted on Equator or on the framework of a table or machine enclosure. The EBI is used to start and stop gaging programs, select other programs and navigate the Organiser software environment.