Renishaw Launches PH20 PLUS 5-Axis Touch-Trigger System with 300 mm Inspection Reach

The headline improvement is reach: the PH20 PLUS system offers an over 50% increase in inspection reach compared to the original PH20 head, a figure that matters directly to anyone who has had to design a measurement strategy around features the stylus simply could not get to.

Longer reach, redesigned mount

The capability gain comes from hardware, not software. The PH20 PLUS system features a redesigned kinematic mount that supports longer probe configurations, and with a 50 mm stylus the PH20 PLUS head provides a maximum working length of up to 300 mm. For existing PH20 users weighing an upgrade, that is the number to compare against what their current setup can reach.

Renishaw is clearly aiming the product at two audiences at once, as its Product Manager makes plain:

"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.

Upgrade path protects existing investment

Backwards compatibility is the practical story here. The PH20 PLUS system maintains compatibility with the existing range of TP20 modules, so installed tooling does not become obsolete overnight. Just as important for production environments, the PH20 PLUS system allows existing users to reuse existing part programmes and measurement strategies — meaning the transition is a hardware swap rather than a programme rewrite.

On the controller side, the PH20 PLUS system is fully compatible with Renishaw's UCC controller, which simplifies integration for shops already running that architecture.

Automated module changing

Alongside the head itself, the PH20 PLUS system includes a new modular rack system for automated probe module changing. The product family extends to the PH20 PLUS PCR20 rack, as well as configurations such as the PH20 PLUS A45 B90 engine block extension and the PH20 PLUS head A45 B45.

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