Touch Probes for Lathes

June 29, 2010

Renishaw’s new RLP40 and OLP40 lathe inspection touch probes offer a choice of signal transmission technologies, radio or optical, to make part setup and inspection on turning centers accurate, simple, and reliable.

Measuring just 40 mm in diameter and 58.3 mm long, the probes provide unidirectional repeatability of 1 µm and can be used to reduce setup times, scrap, and fixture costs, while improving process control. Both designs are hardened and sealed to IPX8 to withstand the extreme environments typical of lathes and turning centers. An eyelid protection system prevents entry of swarf and chips that could damage probe internals.

The RLP40’s frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio transmission pairs with the standard Renishaw radio machine interface (RMI) and utilizes the 2.4-GHz frequency band. The probe and its interface continually hop from one transmission channel to another, delivering signal robustness and flexibility through frequency switching. Radio transmission allows continuous communication between the touch probe and the interface, even when line-of-sight is lost.

The OLP40 uses modulated optical transmission for high resistance to light interference, and its 360-degree transmission systems allow the probe to operate in any orientation. It also works with the company’s legacy transmission systems, while two touch probes can be used on one turning center when the OMI-2T interface unit is used.

A range of shanks is available, including parallel and tapered designs, for flexibility when mounting the probes in a lathe or turning center turret.

For more information, visit www.renishaw.ca.