Programs for precise measurements of parts don’t have to be written manually anymore. MiCAT Planner software will write it instead—and write it much faster. It uses the same information that a programmer uses to write a measurement program. Available from Mitutoyo America, MiCAT goes directly from a CAD model containing product and manufacturing information to acquire tolerance data and locations for measurements. A function controlled by the user receives measurement rules, specifies locations to measure, and chooses a sampling method that will be used in the final program.
The user then specifies structural information of the Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) chosen for measuring the part. The program creates a virtual CMM to generate measurements from the CAD model and user specs. Finally, MiCAT uses an optimization function to determine the minimum number of probe-repositions and tool-changes, in order to write a program that will act as fast and as accurately as possible.
Mitutoyo America Corp., 965 Corporate Blvd., Aurora, Illinois 60502, 1-888-648-8869
