A portable Faro or Romer Arm allows you to directly take measurements on-site or in the manufacturing environment. You can move these devices from one facility to another and take three-dimensional measurements of several unique surfaces. These arms may be used for specific applications, including reverse engineering and rapid photocopying.
How Do Faro Arms Work?
Equipped with multi-axis configurations of six and seven axes, Faro's high resolution scanning efficiency allows for rapid scanning of surfaces using the Laser Line Probe scanners. A Faro Arm works with contact measurement linked to the kinematic probe. Its accuracy helps manufacturers and shop floor owners improve the quality of their services and operations affordably.
What Is Faro Arm Calibration?
Calibration is the comparison between a device's accuracy and the level of accuracy of another artifact with known precision. The artifact must be certified and traceable to national standards.
Well-equipped metrologists assess the accuracy of the arm from the calibration process, come up with reliable results, and compare them to existing ISO standards. Faro Arms are widely known for their versatile nature because of the multi-axis rotations enabling the machine to move unhindered throughout the location.
How Do You Calibrate a Faro Arm?
It's advisable to frequently calibrate your Faro Arm to ensure it is operating optimally. Here are the steps for using Polyworks to calibrate the arm:
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Click on the Polyworks icon on your computer screen, then open the inspector in the Polyworks workspace. To access the calibration window, click the orange round icon in the top toolbar.
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Connect the device power on the Faro Arm and connect it to the computer using Bluetooth or a USB cable. Then, a new window will automatically open.
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Home your device. This involves unlocking the pivot points in the arm and rotating each axis until the red arrows disappear on the screen.
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Open the probing properties to manage and calibrate the arm.
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Select probe and calibration methods. In the probe management window, select the probe size you want to calibrate and the method you want to use.
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Prepare the hole compensation tool by placing it on a flat metal plate and turning the knob to lock the magnet into place.
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The compensation overview window opens to a list of instructions about the actions needed to calibrate the arm. Review them, then click on the "Start Compensation" button.
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Follow the instruction in the compensation window to calibrate the arm. Seat the arm in the center of the hole compensation tool; then, press and hold the green button on the handle as the probe moves down into the cutout of the tool.
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Once you complete three sweeps into the cutouts, press the red button. Place the probe in the center of the compensation tool in a vertical position. While holding the green button, rotate the handle around the axis of the arm till it goes around, then press the red button.
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Now you can accept or reject the calibration results. The Faro Arm software will acknowledge if the calibration was a success or a failure. If there is an error, click on Restart Compensation and repeat till you get it right. Once you achieve desired results, click on "Save and Exit."
How Do You Calibrate a Romer Arm?
The calibration services and process of a Romer Arm involve various tests conducted to prove the arm's point positions, probe functionalities, and angles. Romer's software allows for data collection after every measuring test, which the metrology team compares with the current ISO standards.
Romer Arms are popularly known across industries as some of the best measuring models whose accuracy is top-notch. The delivery and performance of tasks are exceptional. For objects that cannot be located on a shop floor, flexible movements and lightweight structures come in handy. For accuracy, the Romer Arm feature encodes in the primary axes to soothe the joints and get accurate arm positions.
How Do Romer Arms Work?
The Romer Portable Arms are used for intense industrial measuring tasks when the surface being measured is too complex or heavy to move. The Romer Portable Arm measures products in 3D spaces with up to seven joints. A Romer Arm can move forward, backward, right and left, and up and down together with an appropriate and maximum revolution of three perpendicular axes. Movements along the axes are entirely independent of each other.
The steps involved in this calibration include:
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The single-point accuracy test, a single-point test to assess the portable arm's ability by using a trihedral seat
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The volumetric ball bar test, which measures the aspects of linear motion, kinetic performance, and accuracy of the FARO Gage or Romer machine
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The effective diameter performance test, for which the temperature at the time of testing and the reference ball precision are crucial for success
How Often Should I Have My Faro Arm or Romer Arm Calibrated?
A regular calibration process is necessary for optimized performance and good data accuracy since portable arms are prone to wear and tear. It is advisable to calibrate your portable arm at least once a year. In cases involving high-tolerance work, the portable arm is likely to be in operation most of the time across many plants, so it's recommended to calibrate every six months.
Why Is Calibration Important?
Portable arms are usually transported from one firm to another, requiring disassembly and reassembly, which makes them wear out faster. Calibration restores them for peak performance.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a certified specialist to take you through calibration is not an easy task. Only licensed professionals should perform this task. During calibration, every component of the portable arm is supposed to be thoroughly scrutinized to meet ISO standards. A well-qualified specialist can guide you every step of the way to achieve optimal performance of the portable arm.