Ballbar system

Use Renishaw's QC10 ballbar system to plan predictive maintenance programs, improve machine performance through targeted maintenance and increase the productivity of your machine shop.

Circularity testing is recognised internationally as a test of contouring accuracy on CNC machine tools. Renishaw's QC10 ballbar allows you to carry out such tests quickly and easily, a quick 10-minute test is all that is required to assess the performance of your machines capabilities.

The QC10 ballbar system will aid you in:

	Increase machine uptime and productivity
	Reduce scrap
	Form predictive maintenance programs
	Pinpoint specific machine faults
	Comply with ISO, ANSI, JIS, QS9000 and ATA standards

Ballbar 5 Software

An integral part of the ballbar system, the Ballbar 5 HPS software guides you through the dynamic circular test, analysing your machine's performance in accordance with international standards, as well as Renishaw's own standard reports. In addition advanced mathematical techniques are used to identify the specific error sources on your machines, therefore taking out the guesswork of your machine's performance.

The Ballbar 5HPS software will aid you:

	Ballbar 5 Windows software makes regular machine testing both quick and easy
	Data is analysed to ISO230-4, ANSI B5.54 or B5.57 machine performance standards, plus a comprehensive Renishaw analysis format.
	Machine errors are ranked according to their significance to overall machine accuracy
	100mm to 600mm test radius

Flexible and easily adaptable

The QC10 ballbar is extremely versatile tool designed to be used on a large variety of machines. The standard system can be used to test on 3-axis CNC machines such as horizontal and vertical machining centres. With the addition of other accessories (360° lathe adaptor and small circle kit) the QC10 ballbar can be used to test a much wider range of machines.

How can you benefit?

For more details of user benefits and of the QC10 in action ask for your free copy of the QC10 promotional CD-ROM today.

Benefits & features

Increase machine uptime
Know that your machine is up to the job - before you even begin cutting metal. Gain a detailed picture of how each characteristic of a machine's performance is varying over time. Predict when maintenance work will be required for specific machines, and establish contingency plans in advance

Reduce scrap rate and re-work
By performing a simple 10-minute ballbar test once a month you can ensure that your machine is capable of producing good parts - before you begin cutting chips. The net result is a significant gain in productivity and a significant reduction in scrap.

Increase knowledge of your machine / manufacturing capabilities
Use the right machine for the job – assigning specific toleranced jobs to machines capable of holding these tolerances ensures that the machine is fit for the required purpose and less likely to produce scrap.

Target maintenance
Ballbar 5 software ranks each diagnosed error according to its impact on overall machine accuracy. Hotlinks take you to the relevant section of the on-line user manual which details causes for each type of machine error and offers advice on how best to fix them.

The QC10 ballbar often gives you all the information you need to fix the problem on-the-spot, with nothing more than a screwdriver. This eliminates the need to call maintenance unnecessarily. If maintenance do need to be called, you have all the information to pinpoint the problem and minimise downtime.

Rapid payback
The ballbar system can pay for itself many times over, increasing the productivity and profitability of your machine shop with one simple procedure

Minimal training requirements
Easy-to-use software with test templates, graphical set-ups and comprehensive side-bar and on-line help means that anyone in your machine shop can run a simple, repeatable QC10 ballbar test.

Overview

The quality of every component produced on a CNC machine is highly dependant on a machine's performance.

The Renishaw ballbar system provides you with a quick and effective solution, recognised in international standards (eg ISO 230.4) to verify machine performance, achieve manufacturing tolerances, reduce machine downtime and actually improve machine performance through predictive, targeted maintenance.

Problems with a machine inevitably result in inspection failures, scrapped components and unexpected down-time. All to frequently, quality and inspection procedures identify problems after components have been produced, too late to rectify any incurred scrap and down-time costs.

For this reason it is essential that your machine performance is checked before component manufacture.