This work discusses issues concerning the implementation of scanning of unknown engineering objects containing just simple (i.e. no freeform) surfaces with touch probes on three-axis computer numerical control (CNC) measuring machines in order to reconstruct their shape in a computer aided design (CAD) system. Several ideas are put forward e.g. scanning along vertical slicing planes adaptive point sampling distances in-process ‘proactive’ segmentation of points into curve sections and probe radius compensation in two directions as well as limited remedy of edge scanning ambiguities. Most of the suggested algorithms are implemented as parametric numerical control (NC) programs on an OKUMA machining centre.
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