Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung

Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik Gmbh

Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, Heidenheim/brenz

Martin Wimmer

Otto Ruck

Ralf Bernhardt

Karl-Hermann Breyer

Karl Schepperle

Ulrich Staaden

Bernd Georgi

A position of a turntable axis is repeatedly determined in the device coordinate system of a coordinate measuring device. A test body on the turntable is probed in a plurality of turntable positions in order to determine the X and Y coordinates of the turntable axis in the device coordinate system from the contact points. In addition, a first contact body reference point that is stationary relative to the X-axis and disposed next to the turntable is probed to determine its X coordinate. Similarly, a second contact body reference point that is stationary relative to the Y-axis is probed to determine its Y coordinate. These steps are repeated at one or more later points in time to repeatedly determine the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the turntable axis from the X coordinate of the first contact-body reference point and the Y coordinate of the second contact-body reference point.

Method for determining the axis of the rotary table in a coordinate measuring machine

The invention is directed to a method for controlling a coordinate measuring apparatus wherein the probe head (2) and the probe pin (19) of the apparatus are control driven in accordance with desired data Pi. The probe pin (19) is movably attached to the probe head (2). In the method, the probe pin for measuring the workpiece (15) can touch down on the surface of the workpiece to be measured or can be lifted off of this surface. The speed of measurement is increased by selecting the angle (.alpha.down, .alpha.up) between the direction of movement vres of the probe head (2) when touching down or when lifting off and the projection of the direction of movement toward the plane tangential to the workpiece surface in the touchdown/liftoff point (Pdown, Pup) to be less than 30.degree..

Coordinate measuring apparatus and method for controlling the same

In the automated performance of multiple measurements on each of a succession of workpieces, the invention contemplates establishing a plurality of safety-reference positions (S.sub.1 to S.sub.7) along the programmed displacement path intended for the probe head (10) and its work-contacting probe pin. Any one of a variety of error signals developed in the course of conducting the measurement program on a given workpiece is operative to temporarily stop further conduct of the program and to instigate a repeated attempt to successfully traverse the part of the program in which the error signal occurred. The repeated attempt involves retracting displacement of the probe head back to the most-recently traversed safety-reference position, and if the repeated attempt produces the same error signal the probe head is returned to the most-recently traversed safety-reference position and is then caused to by-pass the error-signal part of the program by displacement to a succeeding safety-reference position, for completion of the remaining fraction of the measurement program on the given workpiece.

Method and means for controlling a coordinate-measuring instrument

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Steinheim, Germany

Martin Wimmer