Blum laser tool setting

[dougtyler]

Does anybody here have experience with these systems?
My company has just purchased a Jig Boring machine with one of these systems. From the specifications I've been looking up on the internet, It seems that the accuacy is only limited to the accuracy of the machine it's mounted on. I'm wanting to use the system to check boring bar sizes, before the part is cut. Is anyone using a Blum system in this fashion?

[kalmah]

Originally Posted by dougtyler Does anybody here have experience with these systems? My company has just purchased a Jig Boring machine with one of these systems. From the specifications I've been looking up on the internet, It seems that the accuacy is only limited to the accuracy of the machine it's mounted on. I'm wanting to use the system to check boring bar sizes, before the part is cut. Is anyone using a Blum system in this fashion?

I've a laser control blum, but it not the same fashion as you.

What do you want to check ? Boring bar diameter, boring bar length ? The problem of Laser control blum is the micro tool with a peek (as exemple micro drill). The measured tool length is 0.02mm to 0.05mm higher than the REAL tool length. If the tool is flat (as example micromill), it works perfectly. The precision is lower than 0.003mm.

[Brakeman Bob]

I have a lot of experience with BLUM laser tool setting both with FANUC and with Heidenhain.

Checking the length & diameter of a boring bar is possible but it would probably be best to use separate cycles i.e check the length first and adjust the offset, then check the diameter making sure that the parameter for adjusting radial offset is set to zero. For both of these I would check the length by breaking the beam and using the "beam seen" signal for reading the skip (I haven't got my manuals to hand at the moment, so I cannot give chapter & verse).

The other thing is to decide how many measurements you will take and if takeing the average, then how much deviation or scatter you will allow before the cycle alarms out. For example, on my carbide slotdrills, I check length & diameter 3 times for "critical" tools with a scatter allowance of 0.020mm and for "super critical", I measure 5 times witha scatter tolerance of 0.010mm. The difference between the highest & lowest readings exceeds the tolerance, then the machine stops in feed hold.

You can do a lot more that just check length, diameter and tool breakage. For example, you can check edge condition, drill angles, form tool shapes etc. But you have to be comfortable with MACRO B (FANUC) or Q DEF's (H'hain).

Good luck

[dougtyler]

My idea is to have the tool length set seperatly, then have the blum check the diameter. I want to build in a tolerance for the diameter, and if the boring bar doesn't fall within the tolerance, the machine moves the tool over to the operator to reset. The machine will continue to loop until the tolerance is met. The machine got delivered today. I'm really looking foward to see what this BLUM system is capable of.

[Brakeman Bob]

Originally Posted by dougtyler My idea is to have the tool length set seperatly, then have the blum check the diameter. I want to build in a tolerance for the diameter, and if the boring bar doesn't fall within the tolerance, the machine moves the tool over to the operator to reset. The machine will continue to loop until the tolerance is met. The machine got delivered today. I'm really looking foward to see what this BLUM system is capable of.

Yes, this can be done. What control do you have on the machine?

The bit where the machine moves over for the operator to reset can be handled with a condition based macro triggered by the error call from the BLUM cycle. However, you will need to get familar with the macros supplied by BLUM which in my experience are commented in German, but perhaps BLUM USA can supply translations.

[dougtyler]

It is a SIP jig borer with a Fanuc 31I control.