A probe or CMM on the machine tools of a medical-part manufacturer lets the shop work with one-fourth the labor previously needed while turning out more work. Only three operators are needed to run 13 machines. “The probing system, based on machine-tool probes from Renishaw Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill. (www.renishaw.com), makes setups faster and more accurate than previously possible,” says Tech Machine president David Wiggans in Colorado Springs. “Machines don't start until the probing system verifies that batched parts are properly fixtured and necessary offsets are calculated. As a result, the scrap rate has gone from 50% on some parts to almost zero on everything.”

Renishaw combines probing, toolsetting, calibration, and pallet fixturing in an automated, quick part-setup and machining system that ensures complex-geometry parts are spot-on every time. “The probes also let machines run every night for at least one cycle,” said Wiggans.

He had been concerned that probing routines might take too long. “But a probing routine that takes 30 seconds and saves ruining one part in a family fixture is well worth it,” he notes.

The machines are nearly impossible to crash, he claims, and deliveries are always on time. “The probes free time and machinery, so capacity went up. And we can machine more varied and complex parts,” he states.

High-cost stainless and titanium parts have intricate contours and geometries, requiring tolerances to 0.0001 in. and super-smooth finishes. “Flowing contours made them a nightmare to accurately fixture. But probing ensures the machine knows exactly where the part is located on the fixture with ‘to-the-tenths’ positioning accuracy.” The technology also eliminates expensive, accurate fixtures that cost from $10,000 to $150,000, he said.