Whether you use a measuring machine or measuring system from Carl Zeiss or from another manufacturer, you don’t have to do without Calypso. Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology (IMT) has developed several interfaces that permit the use of Calypso CAD-based measuring software with coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) from non-Zeiss manufacturers.

DME and Customer Specific Interfaces Open the Door

In the future, all 3D CMMs can be operated with the Calypso DME client via the DME interface if they are equipped with a corresponding DME server as a counter interface. Carl Zeiss IMT also offers a variety of direct interfaces that permit direct connection of Calypso to existing hardware. This is not limited to 3D measuring machines – there are also interfaces for articulated arm measuring machines, laser trackers and computer tomographers. Retrofits of older measuring machines with a new controller unit and a new sensor system are now possible. Carl Zeiss IMT offers upgrades with proprietary components as well as commercially available components which allow users to benefit from Calypso by selecting the solution best suited to their needs. The metrology specialists based in Oberkochen, Germany, brings this fact to light with a timely expression: “Calypso – One fits all”.

Practical Advantages for Measuring

Calypso is built around a CAD core. This integration permits the import of comprehensive 3D models from the CAD. As a result, all geometric elements of the 3D model, whether required or not, are available for measurement plan generation in the measuring software. However, users are not initially interested in information on geometric elements, but require information on the features. These include dimension, form and position tolerances. This is exactly where Calypso, with its feature-oriented architecture, differs from other standard software packages. The Calypso philosophy works primarily with these features. One feature, perpendicularity tolerance for example, contains all elements required for this inspection.

It includes cylinder and its reference plane, the calculation formula, the associated reference coordinate system with its alignment elements and the selected measurement strategy. As all properties of the feature are available in the feature itself, the features can be combined with each other as desired, left out or added. In doing so, all travel paths required between the features (including all relevant elements!) will always be dynamically recalculated. Measuring plans for the single manufacturing segments can thereby be very easily created. Changes to tolerances or runs can be made quickly and easily as everything only changes within a feature and does not influence the complete run. Nowadays, the features to be inspected must no longer be selected or assigned “by hand”. It is accomplished completely automatically through a feature list (characteristic input) created by produc- www.zeiss.de tion.

This enables Calypso to complete the chain from construction (CAD 3D model) via measurement planning (feature list) to inspection (measurement plan) on the measuring machine. With advantages that deliver clearly measurable benefit to the customer, Calypso is the world’s most widely used measuring software package in the powertrain area (motors, gears, drive train and undercarriage) of the automobile industry today.

Alfons Lindmayer Marketing Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH Tel. +49-(0)7364-20 3539 lindmayer@zeiss.de (characteristic input) created by produc- www.zeiss.de