What is the difference between programming a HMC with a probe and a vertical one?

Data source explanation

Data source explanation

The technical parameters of this article are referenced from the official product manuals of Renishaw, Marposs, and BLUM Novotett. Refer to the publicly available technical information and industry experience of various brands for differences in the programming of Wo Jia.

1、 The essential difference between horizontal and vertical

Although both horizontal machining centers (HMC) and vertical machining centers (VMC) are machining centers, there are significant differences in coordinate systems, programming logic, and probe installation methods. If you don’t understand these differences, it won’t work well to install the probe.

Comparison item Lijia (VMC) Wojia (HMC)
:—— :———- :———–
Main axis direction Vertical (Z-axis up and down) Horizontal (Z-axis front and back)
coordinate system Fixed XYZ, simple and intuitive XYZ+B rotation requires management of the rotation center
Workpiece clamping Top face up (mainly single-sided processing) Flip (four/five sided processing)
Split method Directly align the center of the top surface Need to consider the offset of the rotation center
Chip discharge Chips accumulate on the surface of the workbench The chips fall off due to their own weight, resulting in better chip removal
Probe signal Short distance, unobstructed Possible to cross the rotation path
Installation of tool setter On the workbench or on the side Suggest placing it on the side of the workbench

2、 Differences in the selection of probes and receivers

2.1 Probe selection

The B-axis of the horizontal sensor has a large stroke and may be obstructed during the rotation process, so the selection of the transmission method for the probe is crucial.

Sleeping type Recommended transmission method Recommended Model Core reasons
:——– :———- :——– :——–
Small and medium-sized sleeper (400-500mm tray) Infrared or radio Renishaw OMP400 (0.30 μ m optical)/RMP400 (0.30 μ m wireless) Infrared is available when the B-axis rotation range is not large; Large angle recommendation for wireless communication
Large sleeper (630mm+tray) radio Renishaw RMP400 (0.30 μ m)/RMP600 (0.25 μ m FHSS frequency hopping) The B-axis rotation stroke is large, and the infrared signal is easily blocked by the spindle/workpiece
Dual station/multi tray horizontal addition radio Renishaw RMP600 (0.25 μ m)/Marposs WRSP60 (0.4 μ m) After tray exchange, the distance is far and wireless wall penetration capability is required
Automatic line/flexible line Wireless+Multiple Receiver Renishaw RMP600+RMI-QE Multiple lines shared, FHSS frequency hopping anti-interference

2.2 Key points for receiver installation

The installation position of the horizontal receiver requires more careful planning than that of the vertical receiver:

“`1. The receiver antenna should be installed at a high position on the top of the machine tool or on the side of the column2. The antenna direction is towards the center of the workbench3. Ensure that the straight path from the antenna to the probe is not obstructed by the main axis component at any angle along the B-axis4. Keep the antenna cable away from the power cable (spacing ≥ 200mm) to prevent electromagnetic interference5. It is recommended to install 2 receivers on a large horizontal bed, separated on both sides, and use relay mode“`

3、 Programming Core Differences

3.1 Relationship between workpiece coordinates and B-axis

This is the biggest programming difference between Lijia and Wojia.

Lijia:Workpiece Coordinate System(G54-G59)It is a fixed spatial position,Once set to permanently take effect。

Horizontal addition: The workpiece coordinate system is bound to the B-axis angle.

“`The G54 coordinate set at B0 ° has already rotated 90 ° to the physical position corresponding to the same G54 at B90 °Therefore, when programming the bedroom:-G54 is usually defined at the center of the workbench (center of rotation)-Every time the B angle is changed, it is necessary to remeasure or calculate the workpiece origin offset-Different workpiece coordinate systems are used for processing different surfaces (e.g. G54 for B0 °, G55 for B90 °, G56 for B180 °)“`

3.2 Precautions for programming probes

When using a probe to measure workpieces while lying down, attention should be paid to:

“`tcl
% Wrong practice(The probe data calibrated at B0 ° is used for B90 ° measurement)
G90 G54 B0.
G65 P9810 Z50. F3000 (B0°Safe movement below)
G65 P9811 X0. Y0. Z-10. T1 (Measure the center of the workpiece)
G90 G54 B90.
(!!! B90°Directly measuring with G54 original coordinates afterwards may lead to a collision accident!Rotation center compensation must be done first)
G65 P9810 Z50. F3000
G65 P9811 X0. Y0. Z-10. T1

% The correct approach(Rotation center compensation must be introduced)
G90 G54 B0.
G65 P9810 Z50. F3000
G65 P9811 X0. Y0. Z-10. T1 (B0°Measure the center of the workpiece)
#100 = #180 (Save Deviation)

M98 P9843 (calling the horizontal rotation center compensation macro program)(P9843 automatically calculates the new coordinate system offset after B-axis rotation and updates G54 offset)

G90 G54 B90. (BAfter rotating in place,G54Revised by P9843)
G65 P9810 Z50. F3000 (Safely locate to the rotated new coordinate system)
G65 P9811 X0. Y0. Z-10. T1 (Measure the center of B90 ° workpiece)
#101 = #180

% If using FANUC G54.2 P1 / Siemens CYCLE800Tilt surface function
% P9843 manual compensation can be omitted,The system automatically processes coordinate system transformations
“`

3.3 Processing of tool coordinates

The installation position of the horizontal tool setter requires special attention to the coordinate system:

“`Coordinate of the tool setter=fixed coordinate relative to the zero point of the machine tool (not changing with the B-axis)Workpiece coordinates=coordinates relative to the center of the worktable (varying with the B-axis)

The two cannot be mixed.

The correct approach:After installing the tool setter, record its X/Y/Z position in the “machine coordinates”2. Use machine coordinates directly in the tool macro program without G54 conversion3. The calibration data of the tool gauge is saved as system parameters, independent of the workpiece coordinate system“`

4、 Typical configuration scheme

Option A: 400mm sleeper (standard)

Component model Reference price
:—- :—- :——
Workpiece probe Renishaw OMP400 (0.30 μ m optical) ¥15,000-22,000
tool setter Renishaw OTS (Optical) ¥12,000-18,000
receiver OMI-2 (Optical Universal) ¥6,000-10,000
total Approximately ¥ 33000-50000

Scheme B: 630mm horizontal addition (wireless scheme)

Component model Reference price
:—- :—- :——
Workpiece probe Renishaw RMP600 (0.25 μ m Radio FHSS) ¥25,000-32,000
tool setter Renishaw NC4+Blue laser (0.2 μ m) ¥30,000-45,000
receiver RMI-QE ¥8,000-12,000
total Approximately ¥ 63000-89000

Plan C: Multi tray automatic line (flagship plan)

Component model Reference price
:—- :—- :——
Workpiece probe Renishaw RMP600 (0.25 μ m FHSS) × 2 ¥50,000-64,000
tool setter Blum LaserControl LC50 DIGILOG (0.2 μ m) ¥35,000-55,000
receiver RMI-QE × 2 (multi station coverage) ¥16,000-24,000
total Approximately ¥ 101000-143000

5、 Special precautions for installation and debugging

5.1 Selection of installation position for tool setter

Common installation positions for horizontal knife alignment devices:

Position Advantages shortcoming
:—- :—- :—-
Side of workbench Do not occupy the working area during knife alignment Additional support is required, with sufficient rigidity
T slot at the bottom of the machine tool Space saving and short tool path Poor heat dissipation and difficult to clean
Inside the protective cover (wall mounted) Beautiful and space saving The installation base needs to be processed, with high precision requirements

5.2 Special Requirements for Horizontal Calibration

There are three differences between horizontal and vertical calibration:

1. B-axis zero calibration: It is necessary to calibrate once at B0 °, then rotate to B180 ° and calibrate again. Take the average value to eliminate B-axis clearance error2.Calibration of tool setter height: After installation, the Z-height of the horizontal tool setter is more sensitive to temperature changes than that of the vertical tool setter (because the spindle is horizontal and the direction of thermal elongation is different). It is recommended to calibrate the tool setter once after each startup.3. Consistency of multi-faceted measurement: When measuring the same point at different angles, the deviation should be within ± 3 μ m; If exceeded, the B-axis positioning accuracy needs to be checked

6、 Frequently Asked Questions

Question Reason Solution
:—- :—- :——–
Signal loss of probe after B-axis rotation The receiver antenna is obstructed Check the antenna position and install a second receiver if necessary
The deviation of the measurement results for the same hole at B0 ° and B180 ° is greater than or equal to 5 μ m B-axis rotation clearance Run the B-axis clearance compensation cycle to correct the positioning parameters
The Z-value of the tool gauge drifts with temperature Horizontal spindle thermal elongation is different from vertical spindle After the first startup, wait for thermal stability (30 minutes) before calibrating the tool setter
The workpiece is accurately divided, but the processing is biased G54 coordinates do not take into account the offset of the rotation center Calibrate the center of rotation with a standard sphere and correct the G54 coordinates
OMP400 lying down with unstable signal Optical transmission distance exceeds the limit or angle deviation Choose RMP400 radio version or adjust receiver position

7、 Summary

The key differences in the combination of horizontal and vertical measuring heads can be summarized into three points:

1.Selection of heavy wireless radio– With a large range and multiple angles, wireless radio is more reliable than infrared.2.Coordinates should be clearly distinguished– The tool setter is the machine tool coordinate, and the workpiece coordinate system is G54+rotation offset, and the two are not mixed.3. Calibration needs to be done twice – both B0 ° and B180 ° should be calibrated, and the average should be taken to eliminate the gap

If these three things can be done well, the speed of using the probe on the horizontal sensor will not be much slower than that on the vertical sensor.

This article recommends configurations and prices based on Renishaw RMP400QE DS(H-6586-8210)、OMP400 DS(H-5069-8214)、RMP600QE DS(H-6554-8210)、NC4 DS(H-6270-8210)、RTS DS(H-5646-8210); Marposs WRSP60_GB; Blum LaserControl Brochure. The differences in horizontal programming are based on industry common technical specifications and practical experience. For specific configuration plans or on-site debugging support, please contact Ningbo Jiangce Technology.

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The technical parameters of this article are based on the official product manuals and technical specifications of Renishaw, Marposs, and Blum. Part of this article is based on the maintenance and service data organized by Ningbo Jiangce Technology. Please refer to the official manual of the corresponding model for specific configuration and compatibility. This article does not constitute a disparagement or comparative conclusion of any third-party product, and the third-party software/systems mentioned in the article are compatibility statements. If you need professional repair services, please contact Ningbo Jiangce Technology Co., Ltd.