Renishaw's probe measurement system simplifies complex molds for BK Tooling

The craftsmanship of excellence is always the business card that tool makers are proud of; even after the emergence of complex CNC machines, the craftsmanship of the tool manufacturers is still indispensable. On the other hand, even the most experienced tool manufacturers can save a lot of time with innovative technologies such as the Renishaw PrimoTM probe measurement system.
background
BK Tooling, based in Bishop's Stortford, UK, is a company with extensive experience in the manufacture of injection molds and mold opening electrodes. Over the years, as mold designers continue to challenge design limits, the shape and structure of the mold has become more complex. Since BK Tooling introduced the first CNC machining center 20 years ago, General Manager Bob Tunks has been using Renishaw's probe measurement system, which is equipped with a Renishaw probe.
At the time, Bob Tunks didn't fully understand the value of the probe; "I didn't understand its importance when I first came into contact with the probe measurement system, but now I think it is very important. CNC machine tools must be equipped with a probe measurement system; if not Installing the probe, I think this is a technical step backwards. To my surprise, there are still tool manufacturers who don't use the probe measurement system today. Many of them only consider the cost of the probe, but they don't realize it. The lost time cost because there is no workpiece measurement on the machine."
BK Tooling's newly purchased machine tool - XYZ 1060 HS High Speed ​​Vertical Machining Center (VMC) - with Renishaw Primo system, including Primo Radio Part Setter and Primo Radio 3D Tool Setter


The Renishaw Primo system, which includes the Primo Radio Part Setter and the Primo Radio 3D Tool Setter, significantly increases the productivity of BK Tooling by reducing set-up time.


The position of complex molds can be easily located using Renishaw's triggered workpiece probes.

challenge
BK Tooling saw the benefits of using Renishaw probes when setting up molds, especially those that needed to be finished. If you don't use the probe measurement system, Bob Tunks estimates that it usually takes 20 minutes to reset a relatively simple mold. For more complex molds with multiple 3D reference points, it may take more than an hour to set the time before determining that cutting is possible. With the Renishaw probe measurement system, the set-up time can be reduced to less than three minutes, no matter how complex the workpiece is.
“Although we can complete the measurement and benchmarking of most of the workpieces in three minutes, we occasionally encounter some special challenges,” he explained. “Recently, we need to rework an existing mold, but We only have one CAD model and the old mold, and there is no identifiable reference point on the old mold. Finally, we have found 20 reference points by repeated measurement and verification. We use Primo Radio Part Setter (workpiece probe) It took about an hour to complete the process. If I don't use the probe, I estimate it will take at least half a day."
The Primo Radio 3D Tool Setter also brings great benefits to BK Tooling – BK Tooling rarely uses re-grinding tools, but uses “pure new” tools to do most of the cutting work. Since the tool manufacturers selected by BK Tooling strictly adhere to the relevant manufacturing tolerances, the diameter accuracy of these new tools is guaranteed, but the tool length setting is equally important. BK Tooling must be able to match the Z-axis height of all tools used to machine a workpiece in order to achieve the required 3D contour machining accuracy. As with the workpiece probe, the repeatability of the tool setter can reach 1 μm 2σ, which further improves the consistency of BK Tooling product quality.
solution
The Primo system eliminates the main concern of the company when it transitions to the probe measurement system, namely the perceived cost, vulnerability and complexity of the probe. The Primo system provides a “pay-as-you-go” approach that pioneers the industry and reduces early-stage investment. Renishaw offers two types of Primo Credit Tokens, which are 6-month refills and unfixed refills for experienced customers like Bob Tunks.


Primo inspection artifact


The Primo system significantly reduces the finishing time of the workpiece.

The system also comes with self-learning training components and Renishaw's new easy-to-use probe measurement software, GoProbe. In order to provide peace of mind for customers, Renishaw also offers Primo Total Protect, an accidental damage to all components of the Primo system. “I will never consider buying a machine that is not equipped with a probe measurement system. Yes, you can set the workpiece manually, but you are not sure of the reference position. The probe measurement is a good way to know the workpiece on the workbench. The position, not just the feedrate override of the machine," explains Bob Tunks.
result
“For us, the time saved by the workpiece setup is the value of the probe measurement system – the company can benefit from it. Combined with the CAD model, we are able to quickly select multiple reference points and then start cutting, which is better than Manually setting up the workpiece without the probe measurement system is much faster. The savings we have saved far outweigh the costs of the Renishaw probe measurement system."
The Renishaw Primo system offers far more than just initial workpiece measurements. In BK Tooling, the Primo Radio Part Setter is also used to update the workpiece offset to compensate for positional deviations due to changes in the operating environment temperature. Small displacements of the machine axes are unavoidable, especially on the Y-axis. By regularly measuring workpieces or other standard parts, this change can be easily and quickly compensated and the new reference data is transferred to the controller of the CNC machine. Bob Tunks explained: “We know that the machine axes will shift in position with temperature in one day. With fast measurements, we can detect these changes more frequently, which helps to improve the accuracy of the finished parts, let us The quality of production is as stable as possible."
“We already have five machining centers, each equipped with a Renishaw probe measurement system. I think it is not logical to buy a CNC machine without a probe measurement system. Measuring workpieces and tooling processes The time savings are far greater than the cost associated with buying a probe,” concludes Bob Tunks.

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