CALYPSO——The total program for standard geometries and more
 
Ø    Many tasks – one tool
CALYPSO is designed for manual and CNC measurements, online and offline programming. CALYPSO is multisensor capable and supports all current sensors and measuring capabilities from Carl Zeiss. Via the I++ DME interface, CALYPSO allows you to control non-ZEISS measuring systems such as 3D measuring machines, articulated arm measuring machines, laser trackers and computer tomographs.
 
Ø    Collision-free – automatically
As soon as you define a part feature and the associated tolerances with a few clicks of the mouse, CALYPSO automatically generates an appropriate measuring strategy that can be modified and applied to other features at any time. CALYPSO quickly moves the stylus around the workpiece without collisions and approaches the part features correctly – you are free to deal with other tasks.
 
Ø    Dynamic mini-plan
CALYPSO’s hierarchical design and feature-oriented programming give you the flexibility to focus your measurement planning on the production process. For example, you can interrupt measuring runs to quickly measure another part. The interrupted measurement can be easily continued afterwards. More intelligent scanning with VAST Navigator CALYPSO supports VAST Navigator – the fifth generation of scanning from Carl Zeiss. Without unnecessary interruptions and with optimal approach and travel paths, VAST Navigator allows you to measure smoothly in one run. A tangential approach is standard. Fully integrated intelligence enables CALYPSO to determine the maximum scanning speed depending on the required accuracy.
 
Optional interfaces: IGES 2D/3D, VDA 2D/3D, STEP 3D, DXF 2D, PMI, and FTA can be directly processed.
Optional direct interfaces: ParaSolid, CATIA V4, CATIA V5, ProEngineer, UniGraphics, Inventor, Solid Works
 
CALYPSO options——Extension: Tools for Special Jobs
 
Ø    CALYPSO curve
Measure and calculate 2D and 3D curves. Inspection features: curve slope, cam throw, curve length, curve form, surface area, etc. Fields of application: crankshafts, cam shafts, turbine blades, powertrains.
 
Ø    CALYPSO freeform surfaces
Measurement of freeform surfaces. Deviations from plan are marked in color. Typical fields of application include medical technology, moldmaking and engine construction in which freeform surfaces have to be inspected along with standard geometries.
 
Ø    CALYPSO preset
Preset erosion electrodes and processing tools. Users are graphically guided through the manual measuring run. The most commonly used measurement plans are saved. CNC extensions are available for square and round basic geometries.
 
Ø    CALYPSO PCM
Menu-guided control of parameter-supported measuring runs. Workpiece variations can be efficiently measured using a measurement plan parameterized with CALYPSO PCM.
 
Ø    myCALYPSO
myCALYPSO turns your measuring machine into a flexible gage. Standard measuring tasks, such as the measurement of the interior diameter or height, are saved as macros and can be loaded with a few clicks of the mouse.
 
Ø    CALYPSO simulation
Virtual collision observation. The part, clamping equipment, stylus, probe, base plate, rotary table, measuring range, or the entire measuring machine, are simulated in the CAD window. In conjunction with CALYPSO planner, measuring runs can be generated and simulated remotely.
 
Ø    CALYPSO/qs-STAT export
Export measuring results in the Q-DAS format for analysis in the qs-STAT statistics program. CALYPSO qs-STAT export converts the CALYPSO result files from a CNC measuring run into Q-DAS description and value files. With qs-STAT, you can then statistically evaluate production processes, for example.
 
Ø    CALYPSO planner
The offline version of CALYPSO. Use CALYPSO planner to write measuring programs offline. Your measuring machine is not blocked by CALYPSO planner and can continue being used for additional measurements. CALYPSO planner saves the finished measuring program. Furthermore, it can be loaded and run at any time with CALYPSO. In conjunction with CALYPSO simulation, measuring runs can be generated and simulated remotely.
 
Ø    FACS automation
FACS (Flexible Automation and Control System) is used to integrate the measurement cells into CIM automation environments. FACS establishes the connection between the measuring cell and the process control computer. This allows you to initiate measuring runs from a customer-specific user interface.

RDS——The basis for maximum flexibility
VAST XTR gold——Scoring points with speed
VAST gold——Peak scanning performance guaranteed
VAST XXT——Scanning done differently
ViScan——Spotlight on two dimensions
LineScan——Point clouds at the speed of light

 
Ø     RDS——The basis for maximum flexibility
The RDS articulating probe holder is particularly well-suited for measuring complex parts, where features require many styli with different spatial directions. It reaches up to 20,736 positions in 2.5-degree increments – thus providing access to every part feature. This is made possible by the horizontally and perpendicularly arranged rotary axes with rotational ranges of plus/minus 180 degrees.
Furthermore, the RDS-CAA for touch-trigger and measuring sensors leads to shorter calibration times: only a few spatial angular positions require calibration. During programming, the RDS can be easily positioned using the joystick on the control panel to enable shorter programming times. Designs are available for machines in standard, compact and multisensor configurations.
 
Ø    VAST XTR gold——Scoring points with speed
VAST XTR gold is based on the VAST XT gold design. The navigator and performance functions are fully supported by VAST XTR. VAST navigator is an expert system that recommends the optimal measuring speed for the desired accuracy. The VAST performance function enables the stylus to scan interrupted contours without sacrificing speed or precision.
The key differentiating feature is the integrated swivel joint. It enables the stylus mount to turn as far as possible in 15 degree increments and thus always be positioned at the right angle to the part.
VAST XTR with the integrated swivel joint is as reliable and accurate as traditional “fixed” styli. Users can rely on the precision they are accustomed to. There are a wide range of workpieces on which the probe flexes its muscles. These include parts with many features and angular positions such as those on gear housings for helicopters and locomotives. VAST XTR gold is also suitable for rotationally symmetric workpieces such as ventilation gears or turbines. Thanks to the swivel joint, the probe reaches interior gears that until now could only be measured using complex stylus configurations.
The new sensor also has a particularly positive effect on large and heavy parts, e.g. in shipbuilding, in wind power or in the heavy equipment industry. With workpieces weighing more than five tons, it is difficult to find a rotary table suitable for the required accuracy and workpiece weight.
 
Ø    VAST gold——Peak scanning performance guaranteed
VAST gold is the ideal sensor for contact scanning and single-point measurements with long styli up to 800 mm and stylus weights up to 600 g. Asymmetrical stylus configurations can also be used with VAST gold.
VAST gold is also known for its high scanning speeds with navigator technology. Thanks to the integrated collision protection, VAST gold is extremely robust. Dynamic damping enables continuous operation. The probing force can be adjusted to the stylus geometry and the workpiece material, and is always constant – it can be programmed between 50 and 1,000 millinewtons.
In combination with navigator technology in particular – object-oriented CALYPSO software from Carl Zeiss featuring automatically generated measurement strategies – VAST gold increases the measuring performance and thus productivity considerably. The FlyScan and QuickChange technologies in the Performance Package ensure maximum productivity. The short travel path on FlyScan results in time savings of up to 40 percent. The QuickChange function accelerates the automatic change out of measuring styli by up to 60 percent.
 
Ø    VAST XXT——Scanning done differently
There are a large number of measuring applications that can benefit from the flexibility of an articulating probe holder combined with scanning capability. VAST XXT is ideal for such tasks.
Compared to touch-trigger sensors, VAST XXT increases the operational safety and accuracy of the measurements. It also adds scanning functionality, thus providing information on the form of the features.
The compact design of lightweight scanning sensors on the articulating probe holder requires different sensor modules. With only three modules, VAST XXT covers the typical stylus length ranges for this sensor design. This sensor accommodates lateral styli up to 65 millimeters. It is also suitable for fixed installation.
 
Ø    ViScan——Spotlight on two dimensions
The hallmark of ViScan is its flexibility in all aspects: combined with RDS, it permits measurements in all spatial directions without rechucking the part. Different lenses are also available. The working distance is practically independent of the lens used, thus allowing the measurement of deep features. In addition to the measurement in the image, the auto-focus system also permits measurements perpendicular to the camera plane.
ViScan is particularly well-suited for the measurement of parts with very small or two-dimensional geometries and/or soft materials such as sheet metal, rubber or plastic parts. Difficult measurements can also be performed on low-contrast test pieces such as punched components or printed circuit boards using the optional, mobile transmitted light stages with LED illumination.
 
Ø    LineScan——Point clouds at the speed of light
LineScan is extremely fast: up to 250,000 points per second can be captured for high-speed digitizing. The short measuring times lead to a considerable increase in productivity. CALYPSO measuring software and the automatic sensor change out on machines featuring MASS technology also contribute to the high productivity of this sensor. The accuracy also increases thanks to the definable point grids and consolidation possibilities for intelligent point reduction.
The LineScan optical sensor is the tool of choice, particularly for car bodies, mold/tool making, construction and design, as well as for contact-sensitive or finely structured surfaces.

A Small Company with a Big Vision
——Three-M Tools wins new customers with Carl Zeiss
 
Three-M Tool and Machine Incorporated, is a small manufacturing company with 80 employees capable of doing big things. Four years ago, Three-M received an order to manufacture parts for wind turbines. Three-M relies on measuring technology from Carl Zeiss to ensure the required precision of these workpieces.
 
The situation
Three-M Tool and Machine Incorporated, a small manufacturing company located in Wixom, Michigan, wanted to expand their business into the growing market for wind energy. They quickly realized that when you have a tool to edge out your competition, that tool quickly becomes a key to your company’s long-term vision.
In 2008, Three-M acquired a contract to manufacture gearbox and forward housings for Clipper Windpower. Until then, they had been using an older DEA gantry system for quality inspection of other large parts. The machine’s limited speed and size meant that the new housings could not be measured assembled. Production would have slowed to three units per month instead of the required 16. The search began for a more efficient and capable measuring system.
 
Good experience with Carl Zeiss
Three-M did some research with Carl Zeiss since they had positive previous experience with them and were still using their first ZEISS system, a UMC 850, purchased in 1975. In 2005 they bought an additional CMM, a CONTURA with a VAST XT active scanning sensor. “Our first ZEISS CMM really taught us the true meaning of accuracy,” states Michael Medwid, President of Three-M Tool and Machine Incorporated.
They chose a Carl Zeiss MMZ G gantry machine in a configuration that could measure 3 meters vertically; an optimal solution for the inspection of gearbox housings standing upright. The CMM is equipped with the VAST gold probe which is capable of speeds up to 300 points per second. The VAST gold probe also allows scanning with styli up to 800 millimeters long weighing up to 600 grams. Not only did Carl Zeiss have the right machine for the job, but Three-M found them to be very competitive on cost and delivery.
 
Edging out the competition
Three-M invested in some of the most accurate, state-of-the-art milling machines to handle the new Clipper project. “These are some of the best milling machines in the USA, but they still are not accurate enough to hold the required tolerances on these parts. We can’t just machine the part to the print right off the milling machine,” states Michael Medwid. True position tolerances on these larger parts are about 25 microns. These new parts, typically made of cast iron, are rough-machined, undersized as three separate castings, assembled together and sent through in-process inspection, making sure screw holes are lined up, then re-machined to print as separate castings and assembled one last time for final inspection. In-process inspection is performed on every 10th part with 100 percent final inspection. The casting would warp out of shape if this process wasn’t followed
In 2010, two employees from ZF Industries visited Three-M to review their capabilities to produce gearbox housing prototypes. ZF Industries already inspects with three ZEISS CMMs in their Greenville facility so they were familiar with the systems. “After two hours they called their boss and said to quit looking because they had found their new supplier,” says Medwid. “Our ZEISS MMZ-G machine was the main reason we got that business,” claims Medwid.
 
Optimistic for the future
In the future, Three-M is optimistic that their MMZ-G system will be able to handle parts from additional machine tools. With increased business, they are now running the CMM in two shifts. The two best things about Three-M’s experience with Carl Zeiss have been service and follow-up from the sales team. “Having the ZEISS CMM made it possible to edge out the competition and keep our big vision alive,” states Michael Medwid.
 
About the company
Three-M Tool and Machine Incorporated specializes in the production and precision machining markets. Three-M also manufactures new and reconfigured special machine parts for the machine tool industry in accordance with customer drawings and specifications. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquarterd in Wixom, Michigan, USA.