Machine tool workpiece inspection system

A workpiece inspection system comprising a machine tool having a first part, a second part movable relative to the first part, and a controller operable to perform both a workpiece production process and a workpiece inspection process on a workpiece and for producing varying data representing a relative position of the first and second parts, the system also comprising a workpiece measurement device attached to the second part for producing varying measurement data and a synchronisation signal producer, the system operable to perform the following workpiece inspection steps:

• changing a position of the workpiece relative to the workpiece measurement device;
• issuing time-based synchronisation signals defining a plurality of instants;
• causing measurements of the workpiece to be recorded, the inspection system comprising:
• a first system recording a first data set comprising varying machine position data representing a position of the workpiece measurement device mounted on the second part;
• a second system, independent to the first system, recording a second data set from the workpiece measurement device comprising varying workpiece measurement device measurement data concerning the workpiece as detected and output by the workpiece measurement device,
• wherein the time-based synchronisation signals are used by the first and second systems in the recording of the first and second data sets such that simultaneous machine position data and workpiece measurement device measurement data can be determined and subsequently combined;
• and
• combining data from the first and second data sets based on the synchronisation signals so as to obtain at least one instance of simultaneous measurement device position and workpiece measurement device measurement data so as to obtain a measurement at a location on the workpiece,
• wherein, subsequent to said recording of the measurements of the workpiece, the measurement obtained from the combined data is used to refine the workpiece producing process and the refined workpiece producing process is then performed.

A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embedded thereon for controlling a workpiece inspection system, the system comprising a machine tool which has a controller operable to perform a workpiece producing process and a workpiece inspection process on a workpiece, the workpiece inspection process being performed while a workpiece measurement device is mounted on the machine tool, the instructions instructing the system to perform the steps of:

• changing a position of the workpiece relative to the workpiece measurement device;
• issuing time-based synchronisation signals defining a plurality of instants;
• causing measurements of the workpiece to be recorded by:
• causing a first system of the inspection system to record a first data set comprising varying data representing a position of the workpiece measurement device;
• and
• causing a second system of the inspection system, independent to the first system, to record a second data set from the workpiece measurement device comprising varying measurement data concerning the workpiece as detected and output by the workpiece measurement device,
• wherein the time-based synchronisation signals are used by the first and second systems in the recording of the first and second data sets such that simultaneous measurement device position and workpiece measurement device measurement data can be determined and subsequently combined;
• and
• combining data from the first and second data sets based on the synchronisation signals so as to obtain at least one instance of simultaneous measurement device position and workpiece measurement device measurement data so as to obtain a measurement at a location on the workpiece,
• wherein, subsequent to said recording of the measurements of the workpiece, the measurement obtained from the combined data is used to refine the workpiece producing process and the refined workpiece producing process is then performed.