At the limits of human vision, high-accuracy me- trology takes over: the measuring head positions itself with a precision well below 1 μm, reliably cap- tures tool geometries, and transfers exact correction values to the CNC machine. The result is reproduc- ible manufacturing quality at the micrometer level. For 80 years, E. ZOLLER GmbH & Co. KG has been synonymous with measurable precision. To- day, the company manages a global network from the German town of Pleidelsheim, with its own subsidiaries and representatives at 85 locations in 62 countries. ZOLLER measures tools for CNC ma- chining at the micrometer scale. The long-standing collaboration between ZOLLER and maxon shows how this interaction works. “For us, precision at the micrometer level is what counts,” says Manuel Walter, Head of Purchasing at ZOLLER. This standard shapes the entire mea- surement architecture – from the mechanical design to motion control. The company began as a work- shop and is now an established name in the world of tool measurement. Industries including auto- motive, aerospace, medical technology, and me- chanical engineering rely on the company’s mea- suring machines. What often remains unseen is that optics, image processing, and motion must work together per- fectly to turn individual pieces of image informa- tion into usable data. This is where the real tech- nical challenge begins. In systems like these, motion control does far more than simply control a motor. It ensures that movements take place at the right moment, with the right dynamics, and in exactly the right posi- tion. Only the carefully coordinated interaction of closed-loop control, synchronization, and appli- cation logic turns motion into a precise measure- ment result. Precise axis positioning The systems use multi-axis controllers from maxon’s MACS platform. They coordinate the control of multiple axes, capture position data in real time, and provide the basis for synchronizing motion with image acquisition. Over the years, the con- trollers have been continuously developed together with ZOLLER. They have also been specifically tailored to the requirements of the measurement application. ZOLLER’s measuring and inspection equipment relies on a highly precise interaction between op- tics, image processing, and finely controlled mo- tion. At the heart of this process are powerful multi- axis motion controllers, which provide the timing for the entire measurement architecture. They con- trol the axes, synchronize image acquisition, and ensure that tool contours are captured at the micro meter level with maximum repeatability. For Georges Pappas, Head of Electrical Design at ZOLLER, this interaction is crucial: “Our systems
must be able to move quickly while also position- ing with high precision and holding positions with absolute stability.” The measuring devices move the tool, camera, and optical system along multiple axes. These axes must be positioned with micrometer accuracy, and their positions must be monitored continuously. The challenge is that positioning the measuring head along the X, Y and Z axes requires an accu- racy of better than 1 μm.
“We rely on accuracy down to the last micron.”
Manuel Walter, Head of Purchasing E. ZOLLER GmbH & Co. KG
The maxon multi-axis controller precisely posi- tions the axes and moves them to defined mea- suring points, coordinates dynamic acceleration and deceleration for different measurement meth- ods, and stabilizes the holding positions during image acquisition. This combination of functions is essential because even minimal vibrations or positioning errors would distort the measurement result. Georges Pappas sums up the requirement: “During image acquisition, the position must remain abso- lutely stable. Even the smallest movement or con- trol deviation would distort the measurement re- sult.” Particularly during the holding phase, this stability determines whether measurements remain highly accurate and repeatable. Synchronizing image acquisition and motion Another key technical element is interrupt-driven position latching. Each of the approximately 30 camera images per second triggers an interrupt in the controller. At the same time, the exact position
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Motion Control
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