System Quickly Measures CNC Machine-Bed Flatness, Pitch, and Roll Error
Used by almost every major CNC machine manufacturer in Germany, the SP ProTwist differential-measurement system distributed by Centric International can be an essential part of any quality management process by simplifying machine tool realignment.
Posted: July 6, 2020
The German company Status Pro has been developing and manufacturing machine measurement equipment for 25 years. Distributed exclusively in North America by Centric International Inc. (Chicago, IL), Status Pro’s SP ProTwist simplifies installing, moving, and realigning CNC machine tools. Offering measurements down to 1 μm (0.2 arcsec), the highly precise and easy-to-use system can be an essential part of any quality management process.
Consisting of two μLevel Spirit Levels, the system uses Bluetooth technology to communicate to an Android-based smartphone or Windows-based PC to ensure fast and efficient measurement of straightness and parallelism as well as simultaneous pitch-and-roll and differential measurements.
The system can be used as a standalone instrument or in conjunction with the company’s software, which guides users through each step and then documents the results. Use each μLevel independently or together whereby one unit serves as a continuous reference.
The smartphone includes a Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen for rugged and scratch-resistance performance. It can be used with or without a SIM card. The system comes with Proline Software for linear guide alignment, allowing for professional analysis and evaluation and producing easy-to-read graphics that can be output at the touch of a button in PDF format. Reports can also be exported in .csv format for more detailed analysis.
When used in combination with a laser distance meter (D140), the system works fully automatically. Just start the measurement and stop at a certain position. The values are captured and the 3D chart is updated with every new measurement.