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Frequently Asked Questions
FabriVISION FAQ
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 I’m using FabriVISION’s Reverse
Engineering.
How can I make the CAD file cleaner?
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 You’ll
need to adjust the scanning parameters. As a general rule:
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- If too many patterns are being created, try making the
tolerances looser.
- If separate patterns are being lumped together, try making
tolerances tighter.
See the “Change Parameters and Try Again” section
in Chapter7.
Question: The Inspection Report skips numbers.What causes
this?
The Inspection Report will skip numbers if:
- The CAD file pattern didn’t meet FabriVISION’s CAD file requirements.
For instance, FabriVISION can’t read the radius
of a circle made up of two arcs. Therefore, that radius
measurement
is omitted.
- Comments in the CAD file are assigned a number, but
the number doesn’t
print on the report.
Question: How do I make FabriVISION traceable to ISO 9000?
To make FabriVISION traceable to ISO 9000 standards, you
simply need to check the calibration using a part that has
been certified
to
ISO 9000 standards. For
best results, your test part must have:
- All edges perpendicular to its surface. (Don’t
use a part with slanted or beveled edges.)
- A square intersection at each corner. (Don’t
use a part with rounded corners.)
- A thickness about 0.060 inch with all edges machined
and even. (Don’t
use a part with burrs or dents.
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Get the part certified on equipment traceable to ISO 9000
standards before performing your tests. Scan the part
on FabriVISION and
compare FabriVISION’s
results with the known part measurements. If the measurements
are within +/-0.002, FabriVISION
is adequately calibrated.
As all edges of the part are considered in FabriVISION’s measurements,
use a part for calibration that’s as close to perfect as possible. For
example, never use a gauge block when checking FabriVISION’s calibration.
A gauge block has rounded edges. Your calipers measure to the centers of the
edge and aren’t affected. But FabriVISION examines
the entire edge.
If you find FabriVISION’s calibration to be off,
you can improve results by cleaning the glass and calibration
scale, changing
the
bulb (if nearly worn
out) or replacing the glass (if scratched). However, calibration
may require a service call. (Camera adjustment requires
a
FabriVISION maintenance
call
at normal rates.)
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How
do I take a dimension for an arc?
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To
create a snap point for an arc, pick “Auto” from the “Snap” menu
and click on the arc’s edge. Then, you may use “Radius” and “Diameter” options
from the “Dimensioning” menu to take
radius and diameter dimensions.
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The
carriage doesn’t move when we ask FabriVISION to start scanning.
What’s happening?
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Make
sure the switch for the main power is on. Press the “Start” button
and make sure the green “Cycle-Ready” light and FabriVISION’s
lamp are lit. If the problem persists, check the wiring
and cable connections. Especially check the cable connections
to the computer.
Also, you might
want to check the fuse under the switch for the main
power.
If everything else seems fine and the problem continues,
call the FabriVISION support department. Before you
can try scanning
again,
you’ll
also need to shut the computer down completely (close
down Windows and shut
off the power).
Then turn everything back on and try again.
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When
I pick the “Auto Generate Report” option to automatically
create the numbering key for the Basic Inspection
Report, the computer hangs. What’s happening?
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If
the computer gets stuck while trying to prepare the numbering
key, the CAD file probably does not abide by
the guidelines imposed
on it. See Chapter 8 to
learn how to clean up the CAD file.
Or, use the “Generate Report” option to pick
the important dimensions and prints a custom key for
your Basic
Inspection Report.
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FabriVISION
seems to be scanning more slowly than usual. What can be
done?
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Try
wiping the bulb and cleaning the calibration scale
glass. If this doesn’t
help, try replacing the lamp. See Chapter 9.
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The
FabriVISION machine scans extremely slow and the carriage
does not return to the home end. What
can be done to correct this?
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Check
the IRQ setting in the “System Parameter” window.
IRQ 10 should be used.
NOTE: The default IRQ is 10. Do not change this IRQ setting
without consulting FabriVISION Technical Support first.
The digital processor board and your FabriVISION software
can be set to use either IRQ 10, 11, or 12. Both IRQ
settings on the board
and the software must match.
The digital processor board’s IRQ setting is done by the use of a jumper.
As for your FabriVISION software, you can set its IRQ setting in the “System
Parameter” window under the “Setup” menu.
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How
do I align a part using the edges?
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You
need to use at least two edges AND they need to intersect
somewhere on the part.
Use the “Manual Align” option. Start by picking
an edge on the CAD drawing. Then, pick both ends of the
matching edge
on
the scanned
part.
Next, pick an intersecting edge on the CAD drawing.
Finally, point out both ends of its counterpart on the
scanned part. When you’re
finished pick edges, select “Do Manual Align”. If the alignment is
correct, pick “Continue”.
See the “Manual Align” section in Chapter
5 or 6.
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How
do I align a part with concentric circles?
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Use
the “Manual Align” option. Pick one of the circles. Then, select “Do
Manual Align”. If the alignment seems correct, pick “Continue”.
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How
do I print the Basic Inspection Report?
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Printing
the Inspection Report is a three-step process:
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- A full scan, comparison and alignment must be performed.
- Print the numbering key, using either the “Auto Generate Report” or “Generate
Report” options.
- Finally, choose “Print Report” from the “Notepad” “File” menu
when the “Notepad” window
appear.
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NOTE: If you have trouble while
using the “Prepare Report” option,
the problem may be found in the original CAD file.
See Chapter 8 and read about CAD
file requirements.
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I
used Reverse Engineering to create a CAD file. But the drawing
is tiny and crooked. What should I do?
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A
few simple steps let you quickly spruce up the CAD file. See
the “Tips
for Using FabriWIN with Your New CAD File” with Reverse Engineering” section
in Chapter 6.
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What’s the procedure for scanning a part that’s larger
than FabriVISION’s table?
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You’ll
use more than one scan to check the part, running a complete
inspection on each portion as if they
were separate
parts.
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- First, align the part on the table so that FabriVISION
can scan a sizable portion. Decide how much of the part
you want to check
on the first pass.
- Start FabriVISION scanning the part. When the
table reaches the end of the first section, press <Enter> to
stop the scan. FabriVISION will continue with the
inspection. Do the alignment,
and comparison. Then, if
needed, print the
numbering key and report.
- Reposition the part and
repeat this process for
each remaining
section. (You may want
to overlap the scans so
that
you don’t
miss any spot on the part.
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What
do I need to know about using FabriVISION for scanning Mylar?
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For reverse engineering applications, scanning mylar can
be useful. Keep these tips in mind:
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- The mylar must be clear and transparent, not opaque.
- The image must be a solid drawing of the part, not just
a line drawing.
- Lines must be at least 1/2 an inch (12.7 millimeters)
thick, although 1/4-inch (06.35 millimeters) lines might
work.
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During
scanning, what is the difference between pressing the <Esc> key
and pressing <Enter>?
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Pressing
the <Esc> key stops the scan and interrupts the inspection. Pressing <Enter> stops
the scan without interrupting the inspection process.
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What
are flange bend lines?
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They are construction lines in FabriWIN that indicates
where the part is to be bent. A flange bend line is shown
in FabriVISION as
a dotted line with a snap
point in the middle and at each end of the line. The snap
points are imported along with the flange bend lines. You
cannot delete
these snap points; however
you can use these snap points to take dimensions or attach
a datum origin.
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I’m having trouble aligning a part. What
might be wrong?
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When
the drawing is improperly aligned with the part, you’ll know it. The
holes and edges just won’t match. Pick “View All” and
try again.
These questions might help you figure out what’s
wrong with the alignment.
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- Are you looking at the same face on the drawing and
the part? If you’re
not sure, select “Mirror” and
try aligning the part
again.
- Did FabriVISION recognize
each entire pattern during
scanning? If you watched
asFabriVISION drew each
pattern, did you notice
if any one pattern was
drawn in two sections?
FabriVISION should finish
each pattern
before
continuing to
the next.
- If FabriVISION
draws a pattern partially—even if that pattern is later
finished—this pattern cannot be used for alignment. If the scan created
such patterns, you have two options. Select “Manual Align”, but don’t
use any of the partial
patterns for alignment.
Or, move the part
on the FabriVISION
table and rescan.
- If you’re aligning with edges, do the first two you picked intersect on
the part? Edges are the trickiest alignment method. Additionally, make sure that
you’re matching each CAD edges with the appropriate edge from the part.
Sometimes on a nearly symmetrical part, it’s
easy to match up
the wrong pairs.
- If you’re aligning with edges, do any edges in the CAD drawing contain
more than one line? Having an edge in the CAD drawing that’s
made up of more than
one line can throw
off alignment. When
picking the endpoints
of
a line
on the scanned image,
be careful that the
points are
on the same line.
This may mean picking
points that do not
extend
across the
entire edge.
See Chapter 5 or 6
for more information.
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How
do I get my SPC data into my third-party SPC package?
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Assuming
that you used “Full: New SPC Run” for the first part and “Full:
Continue SPC Run” for the subsequent parts,
and also saved each SPC report, creating the data
is easy.
From the “File” menu, pick “Generate SPC Data”. Click
on “Load CAD File” and tell FabriVISION which part’s data to
use. Then tell FabriVISION whether you want the report cover all features or
just one selected feature. Set the tolerance specifications for this part and
the sub-group size to tell how many parts you want in each report. Pick “Create
SPC Data”. This option makes a data file in format usable by a compatible
third-party SPC package. (For more information, see the “FabriVISION and
SPC” instructions for SPC package.)
Now, click on “OK” to tell FabriVISION
to make the data. (For more information on your SPC
package,
see
its manual.)
NOTE 1: For the SPC data to be meaningful, you need to
have inspected at least three parts. The measurement
for each part must deviate
slightly in order to
display data.
NOTE 2: Only compatible SPC packages will work with FabriVISION.
For a current list of compatible SPC packages, please
contact FabriVISION service.
For more information, see Chapter 5: SPC Inspection.
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I
was practicing SPC Inspection. How do I clear the SPC data
and start over?
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Two
methods let you clear all reports for a CAD file. If you process
the part with the “Full: New SPC Run” option, FabriVISION asks if you want
to delete any existing data the system finds. You can also delete the data files
with the “Delete Data File” option that appears on the window for “Generate
SPC Report” and “Generate SPC Data”.
For more information, see Chapter 5: SPC Inspection.
NOTE: Be careful with this option. Once you erase inspection
reports, you cannot get them back.
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How
does SPC Inspection differ from Basic Inspection?
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Basic Inspection inspects one part. The results are for
that part only and there is no way to compare one inspection
to another.
With SPC Inspection, a list of reports for scanned parts
is kept for each CAD file you run. From these reports,
FabriVISION can create
a set of SPC data. For
SPC Inspection to be valid each inspected part in the
run must be examined using the same alignment method
and the
same dimensioned
features.
Therefore, when you inspect the first part in an SPC
run, FabriVISION remembers the alignment and the dimensions
you establish. For each
subsequent part, FabriVISION
will recall the same alignment method (you will be prompted
to pick the same patterns) and dimensioned features.
For more information, see Chapter 5: SPC Inspection.
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What
causes a gap in a pattern on a scanned
part?
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Gaps
can be caused when a portion of the pattern is parallel to
the row of cameras, and the cameras are unable to
see enough points
to
represent
that
portion of
the pattern. A gap does not affect the overall accuracy
for the pattern or for that part. The gap is shown
on the screen
so that
you know
where fewer
points
were measured. If the gap appears in a critical area
of the part or on a critical pattern, you may choose
to rotate
the
part to
a different
angle and rescan.
(See “Part
Placement Examples” at the end of Appendix
A.)
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Our
shop frequently inspects part with
tiny lips and notches.
What tips will help
parts having tiny
flanges
or intricate
designs?
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Follow these tips for scanning tiny parts or parts with
tiny notches or other details:
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- Make sure the glass and calibration scale are completely
free from dust.
- Position the part near the home end and be positive that
every edge of the part is more than 1 inch (25 millimeters)
away from
any edge of the glass.
- Make sure that none of the edges
on the tiny notches are parallel
with the cameras. Placing the part
at an angle to the cameras
allows FabriVISION to see the most
points on
the boundaries of the part and cut-outs.
If a scan shows that FabriVISION did
not see enough points, reposition
the part and
try
again.
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NOTE: If you place a part so
that a small edge is parallel
to the cameras, the cameras
may not recognize that small
edge. Move the part and
try again.
Question: What can I do to
speed up printing the part
comparison? What is the difference
between “Print” and “Print Fast”?
Depending
on the
memory available
in the
printer, printing
a picture
of the
comparison screen with
FabriVISION’s “Print” option
can take a long time. This is because this option tries
to give an exact representation
of every pixel
included on the part. Two options will help speed up
this process.
When you
install
your printer
driver
in Windows “Printers” option,
set it up to use the lowest resolution (draft, 300 dots per inch (per 25 millimeters),
or “econ” setting). This will speed up
printing the FabriVISION part comparison screens for
the dimensions
numbering
keys.
Also, to
print a
picture
of your
part from
FabriVISION,
you can
use
the “Print
Fast” option from the “File” menu.
This option only prints half the pixels and therefore
prints
the comparison
screen at
a much faster
rate.
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