Renishaw Probe

**samco** · 02-05-2023, 01:14 AM

I have similar probe - works great..

**samco** · 02-05-2023, 01:15 AM

also hooked up the light!

**Zetopan** · 02-11-2023, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Advil

Zetopan, do you happen to still have any measurments[sic] or cad files of what you did for your TTS shank that you'd be willing to share? I won't have anything to go off of for recreating the dimensions, screw sizes, hole placement, etc.

None of my Renishaw probes use TTS, and that applies to all of my tooling as well (I don't like the additional overhang and I don't have the ATC). I also have numerous accessories that are not in any way compatible with TTS, including a Bridgeport right angle adapter, Bridgeport Spindle Master (any angle attachment), and a very high speed [50KRPM] variable radius air powered turbine spindle). All 3 of my TP1S probes (includes the one that I gave away along with one of my calibration sphere posts) have a 3/8" mounting shaft. If you have a touch probe of any type I recommend that you perform the following calibration check (my given away probe underwent this procedure for proper function verification).
1. Cut out a stiff paper circular disk with a central hole in it and mark graduations every 15 degrees around the periphery.
2. Place it over the mounting shank of the probe and tape it so that it can't rotate on the probe,
3. Test the probe trip point at each of the 15 degree orientations on a single axis by unclamping and rotating the probe before reclamping.
You should not see any more that 0.1 mil variation at any rotation setting on the TP1s with the P17 interface box. If you do, then either the stylus is bent or the probe has been damaged in a crash. The actual high resolution (better than 0.5 um) worst case directional sensitivity test will show no more than 0.5 micron repeatability error at any angle setting, and a 2 micron three lobed directional sensitivity variation (internally the probe has 3 support arms and contacts at 120 degrees apart). Hence even the worst case directional sensitivity error is less than the Tormach positioning resolution. You may want to verify the Tormach table movement with a test indicator beforehand to insure that you can achieve 0.1 mil positioning steps over the require range to test a Renishaw probe.

PS: I almost forgot to mention that you should test your spindle collet alignment beforehand as well, since that could cause your probe stylus to wobble with spindle rotation. If you find that is a source of error you can mark the spindle nose and always align the probe the same way in the Tormach spindle.

**arsenix** · 05-06-2023, 12:26 PM

I wanted to contribute my experience replacing the seals on an MP11 probe to this thread.

I bought a lovely old MP11 a few years ago. Seals had turned to dust. Oil and seal bits everywhere. I cleaned it all up internally. Carefully reassembled and made a new inner seal from a sheet of rubber. I lubricated it with CRC 3-36 Ultra Lite (which is a good dielectric). It has not leaked a drop and I've used it regularly now for over a year with no issues. I made the seal out of 1/32" thick neoprene, 10A durometer from mcmaster (https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/129/4009/9109K86). Just cut it into a circle with scissors and nipped a small hole in the middle to fit tightly over the probe stem. A 6" square of that rubber was $6 so it didn't break the bank. Has lasted several years now. Thought I'd contribute that solution as it hasn't been mentioned. I only replace the inner seal and left the outer seal missing, which has worked fine. This is a manual probe so it isn't in the machine when flood coolant or chips are flying (although I did squirt it by accident once!) If you wanted to go nuts you could make two of them for a double seal. The mechanics on these probes are excellent it is just the soft bits that go bad!