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components don't need to be built into the hardware. e actual on-machine hardware may be physically smaller for the same reason. Additionally, there are no batteries to be charged or changed. e downside of wired systems is the wires. Machine tools and wires simply don't get along well, and the resulting maintenance downtime and wire replacement cost can be significant. Wired systems have their place, and where they fit, they work well. But there is a need to consider the machining environment carefully to avoid long-term maintenance headaches. A simple contact toolsetter on a VMC table is probably going to be a good application. e same toolsetter on a HMC with a rotary table probably isn't. Finally, remember that wired systems are not any more accurate than wireless systems. A typical touch probe will deliver 1 micron accuracy, and a laser will deliver 0.2 micron in either a wired or wireless configuration. On the wireless side, the only real issues are range and traditional RF versus Bluetooth communication. Unless the shop is running a large machine such as an aerospace spar mill, range is not likely to be a consideration, and if it is, the issue is easily addressed. Bluetooth, and particularly the latest incarnations of Low Energy Bluetooth, are emerging as the winners in the communication technology competition, so much so that the issue may not even exist outside legacy systems for much longer. at's at least one technology choice that doesn't present much of a challenge. However, once the wired/wireless decision is made, things start to get more complicated. Contact vs. Non-Contact Contact systems all use some variation of touch probe technology to determine tool location or detect broken or missing tools. e differences between available systems are in the kind of probe used and whether the probe is fixed or moving. It is worth noting that the term "probe" does not neces- sarily mean a long, thin stylus device with a ball on the end. A simple toolsetter, for example, might consist of a measurement device with one or more contact "pads" that is permanently affixed to the table or some other compo- nent of a VMC. e only visible element may well be the arm or "cross" that connects the "pads" to the measure- ment mechanism inside the housing. e tool is brought into contact with the probe to deter- mine its presence, its size, its condition and its location. Within certain limits, a relatively smooth cylindrical tool such as a drill or end mill can be rotating when it contacts the probe, which will also allow runout to be measured. Rotational speeds faster than about 400 rpm are likely to damage the probe, in most cases, which limits the useful- ness of this application. :: Use of a spindle touch probe like this, which incorporates piezo technology to measure critical dimensions after machining, can be part of a tool monitoring strategy. :: Radio frequency transmission technology used with the WRTS touch-type toolsetter eliminates cables, thereby enabling better flexibility in applying the system to the milling machine or machining center where line of sight between the transmitter and receiver is limited. Toolsetting and Detection Technologies productionmachining.com :: 37