Has anyone ever been harmed by a CMM (coordinate measuring machine)?

John Nabors - 2009 · Jul 30, 2008

I've recently begun working with a nice new Zeiss coordinate measuring machine (for my fellow CMM heads, it's a Contura G2 with an XXT scanning head and the Calypso software). It's a fantastic machine, I'm only beginning to understand how its capabilities far outshine any other CMM I have ever worked with, but it has one feature that drives me nuts: the manual controls go to sleep after one minute if I don't move the probe manually.

While discussing another issue with Zeiss tech support I asked the tech, "How do I turn this off? Where is the parameter I can change to at least move the timing of the sleep mode out to, say, 15 minutes?" His answer is that I cannot change this, that this is a safety feature mandated by OSHA.

My question is: has anyone ever heard of anyone being physically harmed in any way by a coordinate measuring machine? Those of us who use them have all certainly been mentally damaged by them from time to time, but has anyone ever in the history of CMM's ever actually been physically injured by one? And if anyone has been stupid enough for this to happen, isn't this safety feature interfering with natural selection at work?

Just curious.

Regards -John

CycleMike · Jul 30, 2008

You'll get used to pushing the "shift" button on the control whenever you sit down and start driving. It will become habit.

I've never heard of anyone getting actually injured by a CMM, but I was hit in the head once. I was watching our Zeiss scan a diameter real closely and then it made it's move to the next feature and clunked me right on the forehead. Thankfully, no one was watching.

John Nabors - 2009 · Jul 30, 2008

CycleMike

It's one thing to have to hit shift each time you sit down to drive the machine, quite another to have to do it every time you turn from the joystick box to the computer to change a setting and then turn back to the joysticks. When the boss is in the room and I turn back to the controls, forget to hit shift and get the 'beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep', he reacts as if it's some civil defense alarm telling us it's time to run to the fallout shelter.

By the way, I had extensive experience with Zeiss equipment quite a few years ago, but that was with the old UMESS software and as you know and I am learning, Calypso is an entirely different critter. In the course of learning this software the same way the cat learned how to swim, I have invented a new term (which can be applied to the process of learning anything new) which I would like for the first time to place in the public domain right here at the Cove. The term is 'ohahertz'.

That is the frequency with which you say to yourself, "ohhhhhh...."

Regards -John

justncredible · Jul 30, 2008

Long time ago I was on a UMESS ziess, they are decent. Now I am on a Browne and Sharpe. About 2 years ago a service tech showed up and put a guard under the bridge, I asked why, and he said some guy had his hand on the colium and when it traveled in the X it cut off his fingers.

Also I have heard that small probes will penetrate the skin, I never tested that.

It is a robot, it does not know the diffrence between a hand and a piece of steel. Still that does not stop me from cussing it out all day....

True Position · Jul 30, 2008

As to the obnoxious beeping noise, if you have a tech in person and ask nicely and promise to never say they did it, they can disable it. It's one of those many op codes that users aren't allowed to access. One did do it for me but I still press the shift key out of habit. The one I had even sped up the controls so the joysticks are a bit faster. So my advice is.. you'll have more luck in person, phone support will never disable it for you.

Jim Wynne · Jul 30, 2008

John Nabors said:
I've recently begun working with a nice new Zeiss coordinate measuring machine (for my fellow CMM heads, it's a Contura G2 with an XXT scanning head and the Calypso software). It's a fantastic machine, I'm only beginning to understand how its capabilities far outshine any other CMM I have ever worked with, but it has one feature that drives me nuts: the manual controls go to sleep after one minute if I don't move the probe manually.

While discussing another issue with Zeiss tech support I asked the tech, "How do I turn this off? Where is the parameter I can change to at least move the timing of the sleep mode out to, say, 15 minutes?" His answer is that I cannot change this, that this is a safety feature mandated by OSHA.

My question is: has anyone ever heard of anyone being physically harmed in any way by a coordinate measuring machine? Those of us who use them have all certainly been mentally damaged by them from time to time, but has anyone ever in the history of CMM's ever actually been physically injured by one? And if anyone has been stupid enough for this to happen, isn't this safety feature interfering with natural selection at work?

Just curious.

Regards -John

Any CMM that harms a human has violated Issac Asimov's Wikipedia reference-link

Three Laws of Robotics:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

John Nabors - 2009 · Jul 30, 2008

Yep, old R. Daneel Olivaw just hated that crap...

John Nabors - 2009 · Jul 30, 2008

Hawat-

Yes I'm aware.. someone at Zeiss who shall remain nameless told me that the tech will absolutely (nudge nudge..) never (wink wink..) disable that feature (say no more..).

:agree1:

Randy Stewart · Aug 1, 2008

(nudge nudge..) . . . (wink wink..) . . . .(say no more..).

One of the greastest shows of all time and one of the best skits too!!!
Ranks up there with the Dead Parrot (He's not dead, he's sleeping), Spam and Eggs, the Lumberjack Song and the Ministry of Funny Walks!!!

I wonder what they could have done with a CMM???? :mg:

zancky · Aug 1, 2008

not but very close.
First let me explain that in our machine there is a bug the supplier can not solve :bonk:

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If You make an error like unwonted touch of the the stylus probe during travels the machine stops and prompts the error message. That is good but if You run a program after it without switching off the machine and restart, the machine considers the unwonted touch of the probe as first point of the new program

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So it happen that an operator ran a program and the machine supposed that the first point (for us it is the starting point to inform the machine where the parts is) has been already given and it moved to the next position. The touch probe went against the fixture so strongly that the touch probe stylus was thrown away very close to the operator face :notme:

.

Has anyone ever been harmed by a CMM (coordinate measuring machine)?

John Nabors - 2009

CycleMike

Registered Visitor

John Nabors - 2009

justncredible

True Position

Jim Wynne

John Nabors - 2009

John Nabors - 2009

Randy Stewart

zancky

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