Everyone knows how important accurate centerline measurements can be for accurate machining. That being said on occasion things happen to throw off your machine such as a slight “bump” of the machine or a problem when troubleshooting process issues. In either case there might be a need to verify or re-measure these centerline values. This usually requires a service call, and, even more painful, costly downtime of the machine while waiting. Although there is no substitute for the accuracy of the certified kit used by Brooks technicians, this procedure will hopefully allow customers to keep their machines up and running at least until a technician visit can be scheduled.
Remember that the centerline values are extremely important for a 5-axis machine to operate properly so before you change any of the values in your control be sure to write down the current values. You never know when you may need to restore the original settings should something go amiss.
The tools you will need for this procedure are simple: a magnetic base with a test indicator, and an edge finder mounted in a tool holder. That’s it! Obviously the more accurately you execute this procedure, and the more accurate and trustworthy your tooling is, the better your results will be. For example: using a tenth-indicator (or a micron graduated indicator) is best, but a half-thousandths indicator will work.