I have a new contract starting in the near future that requires holes to be measured to 0.007" true position, while vacuumed to the 5 axis trim tool. The goal is to get a high accuracy measurement (+/-0.001") on parts (largest part is 41" by 31") quickly as to not hold up production on the 5 axis. Anyone have any solutions?
By the way these are composite parts 
So you will be drilling the parts, or only measuring?
we will be producing the parts from start to finish, they will be trimmed by the 5 axis then its my job to inspect them before we remove vacuum. Probing on the machine is not acceptable, so i need equipment that can do the job accuratly.
My solution as a machinist is make a test part and then inspect it. It’s all in the set up of the CNC. Tighten the trim tool wrong it changes the alignment so if it is a tool you are removing from the machine use a torque wrench to tighten the clamps and always use that same torque setting. I’m not certain if your 5-axis is a milling machine or is it some sort of composites router or ?
The trick is getting the operator to pay particular close attention to consistant set ups i guess.
Portable vacuum holding table / jigs?
Use a Faro arm dialed in to at least 3 known points on the actual trim fixture. Then just move the probe to each hole.
the problem is that these are structural parts and require 100% inspection, so just checking the first one is not an option, Portable fixtures would work but very tiem consuming, and a faro arm does not have the required accuracy.
So basically you just don’t trust the drilling machine.
unfortunetly it’s a contractual requirement that it has to be 100% inspected and cannot be probed by the 5 axis cnc milling machine. Currently the options are - optical tracker, laser tracker or laser radar system.
Cmm ???
Well, sometimes you can’t have cake and frosting at the same time…
Have the portable fixtures to have precise location pins for both the machine and test area.?