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Measure Pro accessory

The Measure Pro is a Panel Pro Accessory.  The Panel Pro is already wired for use You simply remove the router, clamp the probe into the Z axis 43mm base clamp, and plug in the cable.

What it does.

The measure pro measures individual elements such as lines, circles, and curves and saves them as a dxf file for editing in your CAD program.  It is a coordinate measuring device, not a scanner or a tracer.  Some panels can be measured with hand measuring tools.  The curves that are a part of most aircraft panels are very difficult to measure by hand, yet they are a snap for the Measure Pro.  The panel perimeter is the primary focus of the Measure Pro, but mounting holes and instrument holes and other panel features can be measured as well.

The system consists of:

• TP1 Touch Probe.  The touch probe is essentially a switch that opens when the 20mm  long by 2mm diameter ruby probe tip makes contact with a edge or surface.  It triggers +/- X axis, +/- Y axis, - Z axis. 
• The software is part of the AvCAM software included with the Panel Pro 5925a

Operation:

The software utilizes the keyboard key pad for rough x/y movement.  For instance if the 6 key is pressed, the x axis will move right until the 5 key is pressed.  Most of the measurement tools (software routines with an icon on the tool bar) rely on the user moving the probe into a rough position and then clicking a tool (line, circle, square, ATI etc) to measure that feature.

The panel is clamped to the mount rails, squaring as good as you can, but minor out of square can be corrected in later CAD editing.

The software is configured to measure:

• Calibration.  The system includes a calibration bar.  It has a small hole in the middle, the size of which is recorded on the calibration bar.  The probe does not switch exactly on contact.  It moves a few thousands of an inch before contact is broken.  This movement is checked by placing it in a small known diameter hole measuring it.  Knowing what the hole diameter is supposed to be and what is actually measured creates a calibration number.  Each 5624a machines is laser measured.  The normal steps per inch is 5080, and at shipping we supply a custom steps per inch to minimize errors.  In addition for ultimate accuracy, a calibration file can be used to eliminate lead screw errors.  Lead screws have a tolerance of .004" per foot.  It is possible to have up to .018" of error in 56" of travel.  using the custom steps per inch, absolute error is rarely over .005" of an inch over the entire range of travel.  Using the calibration table, it is reduced to about .002".
•  The origin (0,0 point) of a panel, usually in the lower left corner, however any x edge may be used as a 0 reference. Any y edge may be used as a Y reference.  In addition the center of a hole can be used as a 0,0 point.  The origin is the first task after clamping a panel into place.  There is a tool to locate the lower left corner. 
• distance and bearing between two points.  This is for reference only, and usually used to check the square of the panel.
• lines.  To measure the left side line of a panel, position the probe clear of the left panel edge near the bottom corner.  use the 3 key to lower the Z axis.  The speed automatically changes to detect speed.  click the 6 key to move right.  The x axis will move right until it encounters an edge.  When the contact is made, click the line tool.  It is automatically expecting a line start coordinate.  hit enter, and the tool disappears.  Move the y axis up near the upper left corner and probe again.  and after probe contact click the line tool again.  It is now expecting the line end.  click set end, It now calculates a line between the two points probed.  You now have the option to save the line.  If you save it, a save as dialog will pop up requesting a file name to save to.  subsequent saves will go in this file until closed.  When you save the line, it will also draw on the screen.  The lines created will not extend to their intersections.  This will be done in subsequent editing in CAD.
• circles

  To measure a round hole of about 3 1/8" diameter, the user would position the probe in the rough center of the hole, click the circle tool, click proceed.  The Z axis will automatically lower, the x axis will seek a right edge, a left edge, and from those coordinates find the x center of the hole.  It will then do the same with the Y axis.  The probe is only accurate when the probe contact is orthogonal with the edge.  Since the x axis has been located, the Y axis should be accurate.  After the Y axis coordinates are found, the x axis is again probed since we now know the Y axis center.

  The circle dialog now shows the diameter of the circle, and the center coordinate.  The results can be saved or discarded.  If saved, they are saved in a dxf file with as a circle entity.

  To measure a small circle such as a mount hole, the probe must be positioned carefully so that the probe is not triggered when it is lowered.  You rough position as above, but now you put the manual z axis to "float"  this releases the air pressure holding the z axis up, and it drifts down under gravity and is held off of the surface by the operator.  Now we use the mouse wheel tool for fine positioning. You can now move the probe in either the x or y axis in small increments of .01,.001, or .0001".  You visually observe that the probe is near the center of the hole, you gently allow the probe to enter the hole and observe that there is no probe trigger (displays on status bar and beeps the internal computer speaker).  You then place the manual valve lever to normal and click the circle tool, proceed as above.

• arcs.  to measure an inside arc place the probe inside of the arc between the estimated center point and the arc apex.  click the arc tool.  enter the bearing on which the center of the arc is to be measured (i.e. 90 ) click proceed.  It measures 3 points, calculates a center, moves to the center and repeats.  It yields an arc of 90 degree span with the measured center coordinate and radius.  The resulting arc is again edited to extended to other entities in CAD after the file is closed. 
• curves are measured by positioning the probe near the first probe point and clicking the curve tool.  You start by positioning the probe near the starting point and then opening the curve tool.  when you click proceed the probe makes a measurement, backs off, moves to the next interval positions and makes another measurement.  The interval can be increased for gentle slopes or decreased for rapidly changing profiles.  While the curve tool can trace all the way around a panel, straight sides should be measured with the line tool.
• ATI (8 sided) cutouts.  Position the probe inside the ATI hole and click the ATI tool.  click proceed.  The probe measures the right, left, top, bottom, and then the diagonal measurement.  The results are recorded as a polyline.  mounting holes can be measured with the circle tool.  For editing, the polyline can be exploded into lines in CAD.  AvCAM can re-assemble them into a polyline going in the correct direction.
• square or rectangular cutouts.  Position the probe within the cutout, click the square tool, click proceed.  the height and width are recorded as lines.

When you are done making measurements, open the dxf file in cad.  The entities are then edited to extended lines to their intersections, the entire panel can be rotated to correct any minor out of square condition.