Synchronized Arm/Tracker Scans for Alignment

SA offers the ability to use an arm to start and stop a synchronized scan operation, much like the “Faro ScanArm” alignment. This allows an arm to be quickly located in different positions using a laser tracker.

To do, the following steps should be taken.

Connect and Configure the Instruments

This procedure requires at least 2 instruments be connected at one time and that a common target can be monitored. To locate an arm this typically means a reflector needs to be mounted as a probe tip and calibrated.

Tracker Settings: The tracker should be placed in a spatial scan mode. An increment of 0.10” has been shown to work well.

Arm Settings:

Measurement and Alignment Process

  1. Lock onto the reflector with the Laser Tracker and make sure it is tracking the arm’s movements.

  2. Start measuring by pressing the trigger button on the arm. Trace a path with the arm that roughly defines the 3 axes of a frame and check that the scan was duplicated by laser tracker.

  3. Stop the scan process by again pressing the button on the arm.

  1. Fit a spline through the measurements taken by the arm using Construct>B-Spline> from Points and the following settings:

  1. Build a relationship (Relationships>Group to Objects) between the Tracker measurements and the spline built from the arm measurements.

  2. Run the optimization by selecting Relationships>Move Objects by Minimizing Relationships, and then selecting the b-spline as the object to move, press enter, and then select the arm to move.

  1. When the Minimize Relationships window opens you should be able to simple press the Run Optimization button followed by the Apply Transform Button.

 

Automating the Process

This entire process can easily be automated through MP or SDK. An example MP is available for download here:

www.kinematics.com/ftp/SA/Install/Examples/Functional/

 

The MP is call "SyncScanAlignment.mp"