1-D space ball array calibration methodology for coordinate measurement machine

In industry, the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is the most confident instrument in length metrology. The device must conduct systematic precision calibration during installation and before measurement in order to ensure the measurement quality. However, the complete calibration procedure is multifarious. It requires many standard gauges and an experienced worker to finish the job. The expenditure is considerable. The purposes of this study are, first, to develop a CMM calibration tool, the 1-D space ball array plate, to carry out the calibration process, and secondly, to propose the `1-D space ball array coordinating algorithm' to compute the CMM spacial measurement error. From the actual measuring experiments, the proposed 1-D ball array plate has good repeatability and has similar functions of a step gauge. In addition, the proposed methodology conforms to the calibration specification of ISO 10360-2, and has the advantages of low fabrication cost and short calibration time. It provides a new and efficient procedure for CMM calibration.