Monitoring Software for Comparative Gaging System

Renishaw’s Equator comparative gaging system includes its new Organizer process monitoring software. The system instantly displays the measurement results of inspected features as well as the measurement history of each feature via a monitoring window added to the user interface.

The intuitive software works with the company’s Modus program, enabling operators to manage the re-mastering process based on temperature limits, number of workpieces or time since the last master. A status bar graph shows inspection results for the last workpiece measured as a proportion of tolerance either side of nominal. Operators can configure the system to set extra warning limits on features beyond the pass/fail tolerance limits already set by the inspection system, enabling them to take action before a process reaches 100 percent of tolerance. The bar graph turns orange at the warning limit or red if the pass/fail tolerance is exceeded, and re-mastering is enforced with an on-screen message to the operator. Users can select inspected features to view a graph showing the values measured for that feature on previous workpieces, enabling the identification of trends in the process. The operator can apply a tool offset, change the cutting tool or make other adjustments if necessary. Historical measured data can be exported in .csv or .jpg formats and can be saved on the Equator controller or a network location.

Because the Equator system can operate in factories with wide temperature variation, the software is said to be able to quickly re-master and re-zero the system with an inspection routine on a master workpiece. The program immediately compensates for any change in the thermal conditions of the shopfloor environment, and a built-in sensor can detect changes in ambient temperature and warn the operator that re-mastering is needed. Users can set upper and lower drift limits or specify that re-mastering is required after a certain elapsed time or number of measurement cycles.