Renishaw has introduced a new 5-axis touch-trigger measurement system for coordinate measuring machines that extends maximum working reach to 300 mm while retaining the head motion, automated probe changing and programming architecture established with its PH20 platform. Known commercially as PH20 PLUS, the system replaces the original PH20 with a redesigned A-axis and larger kinematic interface capable of supporting longer and heavier probe configurations. The new arrangement adds 107 mm of reach, expanding access to deep bores, recessed surfaces and complex internal features that can be difficult to inspect with shorter stylus configurations. With a 50 mm stylus, PH20 PLUS provides a maximum working length of 300 mm from the center of the A-axis, more than 50% greater than the previous PH20 system.

The new system retains Renishaw’s established 5-axis CMM measurement architecture, using coordinated probe-head motion to capture measurement points and position the stylus around complex features while minimizing unnecessary movement of the machine structure. Renishaw introduced the original PH20 in 2010 using head motion technology developed for its REVO® 5-axis measurement platform, combining high-speed touch-trigger measurement with infinite positioning, inferred calibration and automatic TP20 probe-module changing. PH20 PLUS extends that architecture into a larger physical inspection envelope, giving CMM programmers greater freedom to reach internal and difficult geometries without changing the underlying measurement strategy or moving to an entirely different probing platform.

Close-up of the Renishaw PH20 PLUS 5-axis touch-trigger measurement system for coordinate measuring machines, Industrial Automation Monthly.

Renishaw has extended its 5-axis touch-trigger CMM architecture to 300 mm of working reach, combining longer probe configurations, automated module changing and compatibility with existing PH20 programs and TP20 hardware for complex production inspection.

A redesigned A-axis kinematic mount supports the increased reach and the new PE20 probe-module family. The larger interface allows longer and heavier probe arrangements while preserving the two-axis head movement required for 5-axis inspection. Renishaw specifies continuous B-axis rotation and ±115° A-axis travel, providing a wide range of probe orientations around complex component geometry. That combination of angular positioning and greater working length gives users more flexibility when inspecting castings, housings, machined assemblies and other parts where the feature sits comfortably within the CMM volume but remains difficult to approach because of depth, orientation or surrounding geometry.

“With PH20 PLUS, we’ve focused on extending capability which we think will appeal to both existing PH20 customers and those with measurement requirements which could previously not be met by the existing head,” said Nathan Fielder, Product Manager at Renishaw. “Existing PH20 users will be able to adopt the new head and reuse existing part programmes and measurement strategies, while benefiting from increased reach and greater flexibility.”

Renishaw has designed PH20 PLUS as a direct migration path for existing installations. Current TP20 probe modules, excluding the extended force module, remain usable through the PB20 adaptor, allowing manufacturers to retain established stylus configurations and much of their existing probe hardware. The head can also be configured to reproduce the effective working length of an existing PH20 installation, helping preserve qualified part programs, fixture relationships and established inspection strategies during an upgrade. For production metrology operations, that compatibility limits the amount of redevelopment required around a hardware change while still opening access to the longer PE20 configurations.

The system also retains Renishaw’s inferred calibration method, which allows additional head orientations to be calculated from a common calibration rather than requiring each measurement position to be calibrated independently. New modules can be introduced with a limited number of calibration-sphere touches, while full feature-orientation calibration remains available where the application calls for it. Combined with continuous head positioning, the approach supports inspection routines that move through multiple feature orientations without adding unnecessary calibration cycles between measurement sequences, preserving CMM availability for production inspection.

Automated probe handling has been redesigned alongside the head. A new modular rack system mounts to Renishaw’s MRS2 rail on either the CMM bed or machine frame and supports configurable change ports for TP20 modules, temperature-controlled ports for PE20 modules and connector modules that distribute electrical power across the rack. The powered PCR20 provides a standalone alternative for storing multiple probe modules and accessories. These configurations allow an inspection routine to move automatically among probe arrangements as feature depth, orientation or access requirements change, maintaining unattended measurement across more complex part programs.

PH20 PLUS remains within Renishaw’s existing UCC CMM control environment, with current technical documentation specifying the UCC T5 controller and UCCsuite 5.13 or later. That continuity keeps the head, machine axes and measurement routines inside the same broader control architecture used for PH20 installations and allows manufacturers to extend inspection capability without replacing the surrounding CMM control environment. Together with backward compatibility for programs and TP20 hardware, the design makes the increased reach an extension of the existing measurement platform rather than a separate metrology workflow.

The additional 107 mm becomes particularly useful where probe access, rather than nominal CMM measuring volume, determines whether a feature can be inspected efficiently. Deep pockets, internal bores, intersecting geometries and recessed surfaces can force programmers into complicated stylus arrangements or additional setups even when the component itself fits comfortably within the machine envelope. Extending the 5-axis head to 300 mm gives those applications more usable reach while retaining the angular access, automated module changing and head-driven point acquisition already established within the PH20 measurement strategy.

Renishaw is introducing PH20 PLUS after more than 15 years of PH20 use in production metrology, and the new system reflects that installed base. The increased working length, PE20 module family and redesigned rack architecture expand the range of features that can be reached, while compatibility with existing programs, measurement strategies, TP20 modules and UCC controls protects the surrounding inspection infrastructure. The result is a broader 5-axis touch-trigger measurement envelope built around the same automated CMM workflow manufacturers already use for high-throughput dimensional inspection.

About Renishaw plc

Renishaw plc was founded in 1973 by engineers Sir David McMurtry and John Deer to commercialize McMurtry’s touch-trigger probe for coordinate measuring machines. McMurtry developed the original probe while working at Rolls-Royce to solve a dimensional inspection challenge during manufacture of the Olympus engines used on Concorde. Renishaw subsequently commercialized the TP1, establishing a CMM probing business that became the foundation for more than five decades of development in precision industrial measurement and manufacturing technology.

Today, Renishaw designs and manufactures technologies spanning coordinate metrology, machine-tool probing, gauging, calibration, position measurement, additive manufacturing and industrial automation, alongside analytical instrumentation and medical systems. Its industrial metrology portfolio includes CMM probe systems and controllers, machine-tool measurement, encoder technologies, gauging and software used across aerospace, automotive, precision manufacturing, electronics and other highly controlled production environments.

The company employs more than 5,000 people and maintains wholly owned operations across 36 countries, with a substantial proportion of its research, engineering and manufacturing activity based in the United Kingdom. Renishaw remains listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and continues to develop integrated measurement technologies spanning process control, dimensional inspection and automated manufacturing. For more information, please click here.

Source:/Photo Credit: Renishaw

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Molly Bakewell Chamberlin
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