Renishaw QC20-W ballbar; new wireless product with volumetric testing capability

The QC20-W ballbar is a completely new design featuring a Renishaw developed linear sensor and Bluetooth wireless technology. This design offers benefits in ease of use and enhanced durability and allows the QC20-W to be used for testing even in “closed door” manufacturing, where access for wiring can raise safety and procedural issues.

The new design also allows testing in 3 orthogonal planes through a single reference point. A single, simple hardware set up means quicker testing and the ability to produce a representative volumetric measurement of positioning accuracy. The QC20-W ballbar retains the principle of a simple CNC circular program, and powerful software. Together, these can quickly diagnose and quantify machine positioning errors including, servo mismatch, stick-slip errors, backlash, repeatability, scale mismatch and machine geometry as well as giving an overall circularity error value.

Ballbar 20 volumetric analysisThe Ballbar 20 system software has been enhanced to give even greater flexibility for testing and reporting. The QC20-W kit is supplied in a redesigned, robust system case, which includes spaces for the most popular accessories.

With many thousands of established users of the QC10 system, Renishaw has gone to great lengths to ensure backward compatibility with the QC10 system. This minimises costs and disruption when upgrading or working alongside existing QC10 systems.

Ballbar lengths are identical to QC10, so all existing test routines can be carried over including test templates, CNC programmes, and work and test procedures. Only minimal training is required when upgrading, focusing on familiarisation with the new features. The Ballbar 20 software is also compatible with QC10 systems as the test file format is unchanged. As a result both old and new machine records can be reviewed using the same software.