ARES XL Coordinate Measuring Machine

As the global industrial economy begins to improve and production levels begin to grow again, activity in the job shop sector is beginning to show increased activity as well. As a result, COORD3 Metrology is introducing the new bridge-type ARES XL Coordinate Measuring Machine. The high-performance CMM is designed and built to meet the needs of the typical job shop. Specifically, that means a reasonably priced machine with an accommodating measuring envelope, high-accuracy, and automated Renishaw touch or scanning probe heads that allow a manufacturer to have the necessary CMM accuracy at a cost that is targeted to lower budget levels.

The ARES XL CMM is an ultrarigid alloy platform with a silicon carbide Z axis column and an integral dovetail X-axis machined directly into the granite plate. The bridge beam is FEA designed alloy extrusion providing the optimum moment of inertia for minimum deflection when operating at high accelerations. Rigid air bearings are applied on all axes with wide bearing spread ratios. The ARES XL machines have a 0.1µm resolution measuring scales that use dynamic signal processing to provide low sub-divisional error of better than +/- 30 nm.

A pneumatic vibration isolation system is provided as well as a wireless CMM thermal compensation system of both machine and part that is built into the machine structure allowing the measuring system to automatically and dynamically compensate for changes in the CMM operating environment. This system allows the CMM to perform with stated measuring accuracy between 16 and 26 degrees C. Direct axis drives, using toothed drive belts, provide the vibration-free motion with zero hysteresis.

The COORD3 ARES XL CMM has a measuring range for the X-axis of 700mm (27.5-in); Y-axis of 650 (25.5-in.); and Z-axis of 650 (25.5-in.). Maximum positioning speed is 517mm/sec (20.3"/sec.). Maximum acceleration 1730mm/sq. sec. (68"/sq. sec.).