CNC Machine and Process Capability Solutions
NC-Checker

NC-Checker's benchmark accurately reports on the movement of the probe tip, to make sure the machine is doing exactly what it has been asked to do.

If you run the machine twice and there’s variability in the benchmark, it means the machine or the probe has changed (everything else – the software and MSP macros – stay the same). Next task? Find out why.

NC-Checker is a rich comparison tool. If your maintenance team says the machine is fine, and the parts are OK on the CMM, we use this information to set the tolerances and generate a green benchmark.

Then all you need to do is look for any drift away from that green benchmark – as long as you’ve sorted the variability, of course.

NC-Checker is a powerful, time-saving tool for maintenance: it tells your team what to look at, and which Renishaw products will sort the problem.

For instance, NC-Checker’s benchmark will show your maintenance team when to take the machine down to use Ballbar, Laser Cal, or kinematic updates of the TRAORI table. And if the benchmark is green, there’s no need to do anything at all: so no more downtime for that routine laser check.

The team can also use NC-Checker to show that the machine has been improved after a maintenance intervention. Benchmark the machine before any work, then again afterwards: it should have improved. And if it hasn't, you know more work is needed, or the part quality from that machine will be affected.

NC-Checker can show benchmark trends – so you know when a machine needs attention, and you can plan preventive maintenance, as opposed to production emergencies and unplanned machine downtime.

Why do certain machines make good parts, and others make bad ones? NC-Checker gives you an answer at a glance. Here’s how.

Every machine has a specific benchmark signature: the non-uniform circle on the benchmark report. Any difference in these signatures across machines shows you precisely where part-to-part variation is coming from. Fix the difference in the machines, and you’ve fixed the variation in the parts.

Fully automate NC-Checker, and no-one needs to be there to run it. Run the software in quiet periods – overnight, for example, and the benchmark report is produced automatically.

For both 3 and 5-axis machines, we provide MSP’s world class probe calibration ensuring maximum accuracy throughout your probing processes.

Some aspects of the calibration are manual – like clocking in the sphere, for example. Once you’ve calibrated it, it’s good for 3-6 months and only needs repeating if:


• You replace the stylus 

• You change or drop the probe
• The machine needs mechanical maintenance or parameter adjustments

Take care with the calibration sphere: it’s a scientific instrument and the quality of the calibration will be affected if it gets knocked, dropped or damaged.

NC-Checker doesn’t just give you the benchmark report. Behind each check is a copious amount of data: interrogate it, and you’ll see where and how an error for any check manifests itself across the machine, for every axis. Maintenance teams can use these reports to create an action plan to fix the machine – or work with your machine tool partners, who will know exactly what to do. All detailed reports are archived against the machine, date and other criteria for full traceability. The benchmark is a summary of these reports.