RX10 rotary axis calibration

In line with the fundamental importance of rotary axis accuracy, recent national and international standards have made strong provision for their measurement.

Used in conjunction with the XL-80 or ML10 laser systems (and angular measurement optics) the RX10 allows rotary axes to be calibrated to within 1 arc second accuracy.

A control unit links the RX10 to your PC and XL-80 (or ML10) laser to give fully automated testing. This enables a rotary axis to be fully checked in only 25 minutes. This represents a time saving of more than 5 hours over traditional methods such as auto-collimators and optical polygons.

Features and benefits

Features

Quick, automated calibration - The indexer is motorised for lock, unlock and rotate movements to enable automatic alignment and tracking without any operator or machine intervention (ideal for CMMs and machine tools).

Flexible installation

Built-in calibration routine - With its built-in calibration routine, centering and other inaccuracies are easily eliminated.

High accuracy and repeatability - The basic system offers 1.0 arc second accuracy (0.5 arc second to special order).

Flexibility - The system will operate horizontally, vertically or even upside down, for easy calibration of different orientations of rotary axis and can be used to calibrate any angle with accuracy.

Recent international standards state that a rotary axis should be calibrated in a number of ways, which include:

• 0.1° increments through 5°
• 3° intervals through 360°
• At 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° positions and nine further random angular positions through 360°

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to complete these measurements using auto-collimators and optical polygons.

RX10 specification

* ±0.5 arc sec units may be available subject to availablility.  Please ask for further details. Product may be subject to UK export control regulations. 

RX10 system components

Rotary table with Hirth coupling

The RX10 features an extremely accurate indexed rotary table. Accuracy and repeatability are derived from its Hirth coupling design with multiple precision machined teeth. 

The rotary accuracy combined with the angular measurement accuracy of the XL-80 (or ML10) laser, allows the overall accuracy of rotary axis motion to be measured.

Rotary interface

The other key component is the controller which interfaces between the XL-80 (or ML10) laser and RX10 to give fully automatic calibration to a user defined programme. The system features a built-in self-calibration routine so that centering and other set-up inaccuracies are easily eliminated.

RX10 kit contents

The system is supplied as a kit that includes:

• RX10 indexer and controller
• Angular reflector mounting plate
• RX10 clamping plate
• Control cable and guide
• RS232 cable and 9-25 way adaptor
• Mains cable
• Carry case

Note: Angular measurement optics are required for use with the RX10 to measure axis movement.

To automatically calibrate rotary tables or axes that lift before rotating, the Lifting Table Accessory Kit is also required (see below).

RX10 rotary table lift accessory

Renishaw's RX10 rotary axis calibration system allows fully automatic calibration of most rotary axes, however, some indexing tables which lift before rotating cannot be calibrated automatically because the beam of the laser interferometer is broken when the indexer lifts.

This can be overcome by using the rotary table lift accessory kit which allows indexing tables with up to 15 mm of lift to be calibrated. A typical set-up for calibrating an indexing table with the RX10 and lift table accessory is shown above.

Specification

• ±0.2 arc second additional error when using the rotary table lift accessory
• 15 mm - maximum permissible lift of index table under calibration
• Maximum velocity of table under test - as for RX10
• Only mount the lift table accessory kit to Face A of the RX10
• Only use the lift table accessory kit with RX10s manufactured after January 1996