HAMAR LASER STEALTH Series, General Training Manual

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Appendix J – Machine Tool Alignment Methods for Older
Equipment
Level to Earth Measurements
Scanning lasers provide the ideal tool for leveling machine tools, surface plates and bases.
Setting Up and Leveling the Laser
1. Place the laser on any stable steel surface such as a machine bed or an L-104 floor stand.
2. Twist both magnetic levers (the base of the unit) to ON . This locks the instrument down securely on
the surface.
3. Plug in and turn on the laser using the switch on the top cover or the control panel.
4. Turn each of the coarse leveling thumbwheels or screws (on either the top of the instrument or, in the
case of the L-723, the L-123 leveling base) and adjust the tilt of the instrument to roughly center the
level bubble in each of the level vials.
Note: Some Hamar Laser alignment systems use level bubbles, some use split prism levels with level bubbles
and some use digital levels.
5. Using the fine leveling micrometers, adjust the instrument while viewing the split image of the level
bubble through the viewing prism.
6. Depending on the light conditions, a small flashlight (held at least a foot away from the laser) may be
used for short periods of time to view the split-prism while leveling adjustments are being made.
7. Place an A-517 Target on the unit that needs to be leveled or adjusted. Adjust the target so that the
beam scans near the middle of the red glass on the front of it by adjusting the height of the rods. Zero
the readout by adjusting the micrometer on the top of the target.
8. Set the target on various places on the surface to be leveled and adjust the unit until the readout reads
zero. Once the laser has been leveled and the target has been set to zero, these two units will not be
adjusted any further. Any further adjustments will be made in the unit to be leveled.
Note: Some users prefer to take readings at the various leveling points to find the highest point first.
They will then use the highest point to set their target to zero and bring all of the other points up to this
height.
Three-Point Buck-In (Flatness)
The Three Point Buck-In procedure requires adjusting the laser plane to be parallel to the surface being
measured; for example, a tabletop, a surface plate, or a way surface. Three points are required in order to
relate one plane to another. Any three points on a surface may be used, however Hamar Laser
recommends the setup illustrated in Figure 51.
When performing this procedure, it is best to place the laser source in a position that is as close to the near
target position as possible. The third target position should be approximately 90 degrees to these two
points. This is not always possible, but this is the easiest configuration for this procedure.
This procedure will almost always be performed using a scanning laser beam and one or more A-517
Single Axis Targets. The example provided uses an L-720 laser.
With a scanning laser you can use either:
•
An R-307 Readout with a T-251 Pre-Amp in the line
•
An R-308 Readout
•
The computer and interface with a T-251 Pre-Amp in the line.