Technical article - MTP

OMP400 - strain gauge probe

Renishaw probing technology and the

new OMP400 probe featuring strain gauge
technology in an ultra compact design

Abstract Renishaw has now further developed strain gauge

Since the invention of the touch trigger probe by Sir technology further with the introduction of the OMP400
David McMurtry in 1972, probing has become a vital touch probe, achieving a high level of measuring
component of automated production processes on performance in a small package.
machine tools. This simple mechanism, employing
a kinematic location to retain a stylus in a highly The kinematic probe
repeatable manner, has formed the basis of many The Renishaw touch trigger probe mechanism (fig. 1)
Renishaw probes for over 30 years. Renishaw is based on a spring-loaded kinematic arrangement
kinematic touch trigger probes continue to serve the of rods and balls. These provide six points of contact,
manufacturing industry well, remain the market’s ensuring that the stylus carrier is held in a unique
best selling probing products by far, and are the first location with excellent repeatability. The mechanism
choice of the majority of end users and machine tool allows the probe’s stylus to be deflected as it contacts
builders alike. The level of measuring performance and the surface of the part, while the spring ensures
reliability of these probes must not be understated. that the mechanism re-seats when the stylus is in
free space. This has been the basis of Renishaw’s
Nonetheless, Renishaw saw an opportunity for touch trigger probes for many years, and in some
improving the accuracy of touch probes for machine cases, this long history is acknowledged by the fact
tools, leading to the development and marketing of the that they could be referred to as “traditional” probes
Renishaw MP700. The introduction of strain gauge by some. However, under no circumstances should
sensing has given an increasing number of users the this description be held as an indication that this
benefits of high accuracy measurement. mechanism has not seen development over the years
and is limited in its performance.

A trigger signal
is generated on
contact with the
component surface
and is used to stop
the machine.

A spring holds the stylus

against the kinematic
contacts and returns
the probe to a seated
positionfollowing contact
between the stylus and the
part

3 rods, each resting on two balls,

providing 6 points of contact in a
kinematic location
The stylus ball is uniquely located,
returning to the same position to
within 1 µm (0.000039”)

Figure 1:
Technical article - MTP
OMP400 - strain gauge probe

Figure 2: Figure 3:

High force Pivot point is further

Low force
direction: from stylus centre-line direction:
in high force direction

Pivot point is closer to stylus

Pivot point Pivot point
Figure 4: high and low
centre-line in low force direction
force directions

The contact elements are made of tungsten carbide The benefit of Renishaw’s low pre-travel approach
to ensure that the contact patches, where the material becomes evident when probing in 3D, such as the XZ
is elastically deformed under the force of the spring, and YZ planes, or a full 3D surface. This is because
are very small. An electrical circuit runs through the PTV also occurs in three dimensions, where there
contacts, and it is the resistance through this circuit is a combination of XY and Z pre-travel effects. The
that is measured by the probe’s electronics. When this pre-travel in the Z-axis of a Renishaw kinematic touch
resistance reaches a threshold, the probe’s output is trigger probe is negligible, and as the XY pre-travel
set to ‘triggered’. Vitally, the balls and rods are still in is also small the resulting error in 3D can approach
contact when the trigger occurs, so that the stylus is in that of the XY result. Also, probing against an inclined
a defined position, providing repeatable measurement. surface with a small pre-travel probe results in a trigger
before the friction between the stylus ball and the
A number of factors affect kinematic touch probe surface is overcome.
measuring performance. From the point at which the
stylus ball contacts the workpiece there is bending In contrast, other types of probes with large
of the stylus prior to electrical triggering of the probe. mechanical pre-travel may generate forces prior to
This is known as pre-travel. Pre-travel will vary trigger that overcome the friction and cause skidding.
dependent on the length and stiffness of the stylus Furthermore the larger difference in pre-travel between
and the contact force (see figs. 2, 3 and 4). Pre-travel the XY plane and Z results in a larger 3D measuring
variation (PTV) - otherwise commonly known as lobing, error.
probe measuring error or roundness measuring error
- can affect measurement performance. In the case of Figure 5 below shows a typical plot for the
Renishaw probes the sets of contacts form a triangular measurement of roundness of a calibrated ring gauge
arrangement. Lobing occurs because the pivot using an OMP40 kinematic probe.
distance varies depending on the direction in which the
Figure 5:
contact force acts in relation to the probe mechanism.
Such lobing effects can be compensated by probe
calibration.

Consequently, there is a variation in the contact force

– resulting in varied pre-travel distances. There are
a number of other probe mechanisms that differ from
the implementation described as the traditional probe.
It is claimed that these systems offer low lobing or low
measuring error in the XY plane. The Renishaw balls
and rod mechanism in the OMP40, OMP60 and MP10
touch probes, has a typical PTV of 6 µm in the XY
plane with a 50 mm stylus. Figure 5 on the right shows
a measuring test in a calibrated ring gauge run on a
machine tool with 1 µm resolution position feedback.
The maximum measuring error, including the machine,
is 8.85 µm with a 50 mm standard ceramic stylus. The
Renishaw approach has always been to have a small
pre-travel, the suggestion that a three lobed pattern The three high force directions can be seen as the
has larger measuring error is in fact not the general peak points of this plot. The maximum pre-travel
case. variation in this case is around 8.85 µm (0.00035 in).
Technical article - MTP
OMP400 - strain gauge probe

Calibration designed to maximise the sensitivity of the probe,

Pre-travel itself need not result in a measurement without compromising its robustness. They detect
error, since it can easily be compensated by probe forces in the structure and their outputs are processed
calibration. A datum feature, of known size and through electronics so that, once a force threshold is
position, is measured to establish the average pre- breached in any direction, a trigger signal is generated.
travel for the stylus concerned. Once this is complete, This threshold force is typically a few grams – much
the key factor affecting measurement accuracy is the lower than the trigger force on an equivalent
probe’s repeatability. mechanical probe.

Figure 6:
However, there are some limitations. On complex
parts, many probing directions may be needed. If
the PTV value for the probe / stylus combination is
sufficiently low, then its impact on the measurement
accuracy may be acceptable. However, if this potential
measurement error is unacceptably large, then it may
be necessary to calibrate the probe for each direction
in which it is to be used. This can be time consuming.

STRAIN
Strain gauge technology STRUCTURE GAUGE

When looking for a technology to produce a high

WIRES CARRY STRAIN SIGNAL BACK TO PROBE CIRCUITRY
accuracy probe that could interface easily to a
machine, the target is a lower pre-travel and hence
lower PTV. Renishaw developed a new form of Figure 7:
sensing technology that addressed the 3D measuring
Silicon strain
limitations of the kinematic resistive touch probe gauges mounted
mechanism: silicon strain gauges. This has been on webs (1 out of
4 shown)
made possible by ultra compact application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC) electronics and solid state
sensing technology.

Although strain gauge touch probes still use a

kinematic mechanism to retain the stylus, they do not
use the resistance through the contact elements as
Kinematics
the means to sense a trigger. Instead, a set of strain
remain seated at
gauges is positioned on carefully designed webs in the low force
probe structure beyond the kinematics. These gauges
measure the contact force applied to the stylus and
generate a trigger once the strain exceeds a threshold
value in any direction. This provides a low trigger
force, low pre-travel and low PTV.

The MP700 touch probe, introduced in 1995, was This approach to developing probes with low pre-
the first Renishaw machine tool probe to use strain travel can suggest to some that the probes would
gauges. It has brought to users all the benefits be susceptible to vibrations and shock, causing
expected of the technology – improved repeatability, unexpected triggers. However, as an alternative
reduced pre-travel, and practical elimination of PTV. to designing in large mechanical pre-travel and
Such benefits manifest themselves in more accurate therefore losing measuring performance, Renishaw
measurement, especially on 3D surfaces where uses filtering circuitry inside the probe to establish
many sensing directions are used, or in set-up, when whether the strains seen at the gauges are the result
approach vectors to the workpiece are not known of a real and persistent deflection of the stylus, rather
than a transient shock or vibration. To achieve this, a
Figures 6 and 7 on the right shows schematics of a short and highly repeatable delay is inserted into the
strain gauge touch probe. At low contact forces, the detection circuit from the instant the force threshold is
kinematics remain seated and the force is transmitted first passed, after which a persistent and increasing
through them to the probe structure. The strain force must be seen before a trigger is issued at the
gauges are mounted on precision-manufactured webs end of the delay period.
Technical article - MTP
OMP400 - strain gauge probe

The OMP400 touch probe only viable solution for measurement of mould, die and
The OMP400 is Renishaw’s latest other complex parts.
optical signal transmission machine
tool touch probe. It features an In addition, strain gauge technology brings the
improved version of the highly further benefits of a ten-fold increase in operational
accurate strain gauge technology life over that enjoyed by traditional resistive probes.
first seen in the MP700 within the Furthermore an improved strain gauge structure within
same small dimensions as the the probe increases the robustness of the product,
award winning OMP40 kinematic ensuring it is well suited to the harsh environments
touch probe. As a result, for the first experienced inside machine tools.
time strain gauge accuracy is now
available to small machine users. In kinematic resistive touch probes, the PTV increases
with stylus length and this means that measurement
The OMP400 touch probe offers performance requirements can limit the length of stylus
extremely low pre-travel, and uses a that can be used. The OMP400 touch probe, with its
novel and improved algorithm within lower and more consistent trigger forces, can provide
the probes electronics to provide superior measurement performance and support
even lower PTV than that found in the much longer styli. The OMP400 can support styli up
industry leading MP700 touch probe. to 200 mm in length, with only a small decrease in
The benefits of this are that a simple measurement performance.
probe calibration routine is all that is required to enable
the product to be used in any direction. Combined
with the extremely high level of repeatability enjoyed
by the strain gauge touch probe, the OMP400 is the
Figure 8 on the left shows
a measuring test done on a
Figure 8:
Renishaw Probe Test Rig with
10 nm resolution, where 12 points
are taken at 30° increments around
a circle. The chart shows a typical
PTV plot for an OMP400 touch
probe, showing a low and almost
uniform pre-travel in all directions.
Using a 50 mm stylus, the PTV
value in the XY plane is just 0.34
µm (0.000013 in), or roughly
90% less than the PTV value for
a similarly sized kinematic touch
probe. The OMP400 touch probe
typically exhibits XYZ PTV values
of less than 1 micron.

OMP400 probe Stylus length

50 mm 100 mm 150 mm 200 mm

Repeatability
Max 2 sigma in any 0.25 µm 0.35 µm 0.50 µm 0.70 µm
direction of 12

2D (XY) lobing
Max deviation from a ± 0.25 µm ± 0.25 µm ± 0.40 µm ± 0.50 µm
ring gauge

3D (XYZ lobing)
Max deviation from a ± 1.00 µm ± 1.75 µm ± 2.50 µm ± 3.50 µm
known space