Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Re: Digitizers, Renishaw (for bill phillips)

Smoke replied

>Taken directly from my manual, Rolands specs are:
>Sensor: Active Piezo Sensor for detection;
>Scanning method: Contacting, mesh-point height-sensing;
>Scanning pitch: X/Y axis .05 mm - 5 mm (.002 -.20")...operator selectable in
>.05mm increments;
> Z axis .025mm (.000984")

Thats not too ambitious but probably OK for many jobs.

>Scanning speed: 4-15mm (1/8 - 9/16") /sec.
>Probe length: 60mm (2-5/16"), tip bulb dia. .08mm (.00315").
>
>The probe extends down from a housing that's about 1" square...plentty of
>room in there for a 10mm dia. "buzzer".
>
>>Any idea where small piezo's might be unearthed from? I would guess the
>>smallest buzzer I have would be around 10mm diam. Too big for a probe tip.
>
>I'm not sure about the pizeo's but you can get proximity switches with
>operating distances as small as .03 mm (.0011") these could easily be
>mounten in the top of a probe housing to detect movement of a small diameter
>probe.

May be a problem with proximity switches as they normally have built in
hysterisis to stop oscillation on slow moving parts.

>
>Also, there are some extremely tiny fiber optics components available that
>would allow building a probe in such a way that any interruption of the
>light beam (caused by any movement of the mechanical probe, would provide a
>useable electrical signal.

That seems more promising for use at the probe body end.

Regards
Bill Phillips