A novel artifact and measurement technique is introduced for use in machine tool and coordinate metrology applications. The artifact, called the Step Plate, was originally designed for use with video probe measuring machines, but it has been shown to be a useful metrology tool for a wider range of applications with coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). The primary application of the Step Plate is for the direct measurement of the squareness errors of the ram axis of a measuring machine relative to the other machine axes. Squareness can be measured independently of other machine geometry errors using the artifact. In addition, measurements can be made using a self-calibration methodology. The mathematics behind the self-calibration is presented along with experimental results comparing the Step Plate concept to traditional techniques.
展开▼
