Formtracer
Avant
FTA-S4C3000

“Speed-up” greatly increases throughput.

FORMTRACER Avant Series boasts best-in-class drive speed for both drive unit and column axis along with a quick stroke return speed. To establish “Speed up,” for surface roughness measurement, the positioning distance from the start of measurement to the start of data acquisition is reduced to the lowest limit. For contour measurement, the time from contact on a workpiece to the start of measurement is shortened. The total measurement time is drastically reduced to improve measurement efficiency.

High-speed driving drastically reduces the measurement time

X-axis (drive unit): 80 mm/s (MAX) Z2-axis (column vertical movement): 30 mm/s (MAX)
Speed-up of the movement enables reduction of the total measurement time.

Reduction of the total measurement time

The stroke (retraction) speed is improved by approx. three times compared to conventional models; meanwhile, the speed when the stylus goes down to touch a workpiece becomes slower in consideration of safety. The measuring system automatically detects the workpiece contact, then immediately moves into standby mode for the start of measurement approximately three times faster than a conventional model, for a drastic improvement in measuring efficiency.

Remarkably improved workability with outstanding features

X-axis inclinable drive unit

To measure inclined surfaces efficiently, an X-axis inclinable drive unit which can measure surfaces within a range of ±45° is mounted. When mounting the contour detector C-4500, the measuring force can be varied in 5 steps by using the software provided (FORMTRACEPAK), eliminating the need to adjust the measuring force by switching weights or through positional adjustment. This system can also maintain the specified measuring force even when inclined.

Arc scale

The system features a built-in precision arc scale that allows the circular trajectory of the stylus tip to be read directly, eliminating the need for an arc direct conversion mechanism, which often causes measurement error on the detector. It allows precision measurement over a wide range even if the arm is not in the horizontal attitude. You can perform precision measurement without worrying about the measurement range.

Cable-less

All detector and drive unit cables are housed inside the main unit to eliminate any risk of abrasion or snagging and guarantee precision measurement and rapid movement.

Hot swapping

No need to turn the controller power off when replacing the contour detector or roughness detector; moreover, the tool-less replacement mechanism (thumb-turn clamper) greatly helps to reduce the replacement time by approx. 1/4 (approx. 30 seconds) compared to a conventional model. Further, positioning using the guide pin improves reproductivity when replacing detectors and allows efficient operation of the automatic measuring program.

Optimized measurement features depending on characteristics of workpieces

Upper/lower surface continuous measurement

Upper/lower surfaces can be measured continuously by using Mitutoyo’s double-sided conical stylus. This continuous measurement data can be used to facilitate analysis of features that were difficult to measure before, such as the effective diameter of an internal screw-thread. The collision monitoring feature for the magnet arm and the detector cover ensures safe measurement even during high-speed movement, in addition, optional accessories for automatic measurement automate processes from the setup to the measurement.

Stylus drop detection feature

Detects sudden drop of the stylus from a measurement surface and stops the measurement operation; also, it controls the dropping rate to avoid breakage of stylus.

Continuous cut-out measurement feature

The detector hold position can be registered, allowing measurement to be performed without dropping below the preset position. This feature allows continuous measurement of interrupted surface features on workpieces without needing to use mechanical stoppers.

Specifications