HEIDENHAIN TNC 370 User Manual page 284

9 3D Touch Probes
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9.4 Digitizing with a Triggering 3D Touch Probe (Optional)
Contour line digitizing with Cycle 7 CONTOUR LINES
The CONTOUR LINES cycle scans a 3D contour
by circling around the model in a series of upwardly
successive levels. This cycle is particularly useful
for digitizing steep contours, such as the gating of
injection molding dies, or for digitizing a single
contour line, such as the contour of a cam disk.
The touch probe starts scanning in the direction
that you entered as STARTING PROBE AXIS AND
DIRECTION at a constant height. When the touch
probe has orbited the form and returned to the first
probe point, it moves in the positive or negative
direction of the probe axis by the value of the LINE
SPACING. The process is repeated for the rest of
the range.
Once the entire range has been scanned, the
touch probe returns to the CLEARANCE HEIGHT
Fig. 9.18: Digitizing with the CONTOUR LINES cycle
and the programmed starting position.
1 : LSPAC
Limits of the scanning range
l
In the touch probe axis:
The defined RANGE must be lower than the highest point of the 3D
model by at least the radius of the probe tip.
l
In the plane perpendicular to the touch probe:
The defined RANGE must be larger than the 3D model by at least the
radius of the probe tip.
Starting position
l
Z coordinate of the MIN point from the RANGE cycle, if the LINE
SPACING is entered as a positive value, or Z coordinate of the MAX
POINT if the LINE SPACING was entered as a negative value.
l
Define X and Y coordinates in the CONTOUR LINES cycle
0 Automatically approach the starting point:
first in Z to the CLEARANCE HEIGHT, then in X and Y
Contour approach
The touch probe moves toward the surface in the programmed direction
When it makes contact, the TNC stores position coordinates.
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9-26 TNC 370