API's Swivelcheck Validates Machine Tool Rotary Axis Performance

The API Swivelcheck measures and calibrates machine tool rotary axes, tilt tables and pendulum axes, validating rotary axis performance. The product uses a servo-driven motor in conjunction with an electronic level and precision rotary encoder to measure multiple parameters in a single setup.

The instrument can operate in automated or manual modes. It includes API’s Intellicomp software for control, data acquisition and reporting. Intellicomp imports measured axis data directly to the machine’s CNC, enabling the operator to update system parameters for improved precision. Swivelcheck can also be used in conjunction with the company’s XD laser interferometer to measure horizontal rotary table position.

The product can be mounted off-center relative to the rotating axis to measure the swivel axis of trunnions without having to disassemble critical machine tool components. Additionally, it provides ±400-degree swing and enables tilting axes to be checked at the spindle nose, offering truer accuracy compared with systems that check at the motor without detecting “lost motion,” the company says.