Use of coordinate measuring machine to measure angles by geometric characterization of perpendicular planes. Estimating uncertainty

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the uncertainty of angle measurements using a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), through the geometrical characterization of two concurrent sides of a steel angle gauge block with four perpendicular sides. For the calculation of the uncertainty associated with the measurement and investigating the errors of the CMM associated with orientation and length in the work volume, two models: linear statistical model behavior of CMM and the Mitutoyo model behavior are used and compared. After having established two behavioral models for the CMM we have determined the values of the angles and their uncertainty by using Monte Carlo Method. The results show that the proposed methods are suitable to investigate CMM hardware performance and determine the contribution of machine variables to measurement uncertainty. We can affirm that the statistical model behavior is more immediate and less laborious in terms of calculation and implementation time than the Mitutoyo model. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.