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Multi-axis calibration block

  • US 9,952,044 B2
  • Filed: 02/01/2016
  • Issued: 04/24/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • a measurement table;

    a calibration block for calibrating a touch probe, the calibration block comprising;

    a calibration block body forming a bored hole providing a concave measurement surface;

    a magnetic base comprising one or more permanent magnets and a manual release mechanism configured to facilitate releasing the magnetic base from the measurement table; and

    a three dimensional object protruding from the calibration block body and providing a convex measurement surface, wherein the convex measurement surface provides opposing measurement contact points in at least two dimensions;

    a five-axis mechanical holding arm configured to manipulate a touch probe to measure the calibration block and a component; and

    a computing device configured to;

    send control signals to the five-axis mechanical holding arm to locate the touch probe mounted in the five-axis mechanical holding arm relative to the calibration block;

    send control signals to the five-axis mechanical holding arm to measure the three dimensional object with a distal tip of the touch probe by contacting multiple points of the three dimensional object;

    send control signals to the five-axis mechanical holding arm to measure the bored hole with sides of the distal tip of the touch probe by contacting multiple points of the concave measurement surface;

    generate calibration factors for the touch probe by comparing the sizes of the three dimensional object and the bored hole as measured by manipulating the touch probe with the five-axis mechanical holding arm with predefined actual sizes of the three dimensional object and the bored hole;

    store the calibration factors for the touch probe in a non-transitory computer readable medium;

    after storing the calibration factors for the touch probe, send control signals to the five-axis mechanical holding arm to measure features of the component with the distal tip of the touch probe, wherein the calibration block and the component are both secured to the measurement table during the measurement of the calibration block and the measurement of the component;

    store values of the measured features of the component in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the values being based on the calibration factors;

    after storing values of the measured features of the component in the non-transitory computer readable medium, send control signals to the five-axis mechanical holding arm to again measure at least one of the three dimensional object and the bored hole with the touch probe;

    compare the sizes of the at least one of the three dimensional object and the bored hole as measured by manipulating the touch probe with the five-axis mechanical holding arm with the predefined actual sizes of the at least one of the three dimensional object and the bored hole to generate updated calibration factors for the touch probe; and

    in the event that the updated calibration factors are substantially different than the calibration factors, update the stored values of the measured features of the component in the non-transitory computer readable medium based on the updated calibration factors.

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