Stop calling it a presetter!

Automating machine tools increases productivity and efficiency and helps ensure repeatable precision across multiple platforms and different operators. Automation of the machine’s supporting equipment also increases productivity. Tool presetters are a case in point.

Once a simple device that used a digital readout and an optical projector to determine the length and diameter of a cutting tool assembly, today’s tool presetters barely resemble their older counterparts. They’ve even outgrown the name “tool presetters.” Modern presetter systems collect hundreds of geometric features and measurements by scanning the cutting tool surface with a high-resolution CMOS video sensor. The presetter systems are one part measuring machine, one part inspection instrument and one part multifunction communication device.

More machine shops are requesting enhanced automation and additional inspection capabilities from tool measuring systems. Automating the mechanical system provides micropositioning of up to five independent axes of linear and rotational movement, while automation of the software routines that analyze the cutting tool gives operators a high degree of process control and micron-level repeatability of the resulting data. Software developers have recently made significant automation advancements.

For example, by automatically rotating the cutting tool assembly and simultaneously scanning the tool surface with a high-megapixel video sensor, Parlec’s software processes millions of points of data using thousands of algorithms. This produces measurements and geometries of interest to the machine tool control (if used to control the machining operation) or to connected applications (if used to support the tool data management process).

As this technology has evolved, operators have had to endure complicated user interfaces, the need to enter some tool data to identify the tool parameters and varying communication protocols to finally get the data where it needs to go. Manufacturer demand for greater simplicity led Parlec to develop the new SpeedScan measuring routine app for Parle-Vision CNC automated tool measuring and presetting software.

Courtesy of Parlec