Patent ID: 8782915

Claim:
Measuring device ( 10 ) for measuring a surface profile of a workpiece, said device comprising, a measuring carriage ( 15 ) having a plurality of carriage positions, the measuring carriage ( 15 ) during measurement carried by and movable via a carriage drive ( 16 ) in a straight line at a distance from the workpiece surface in a moving direction (x), a probe tip ( 25 ) provided on the measuring carriage ( 15 ), a free probe end ( 40 ) of said probe tip ( 25 ) in operative position resting on the workpiece surface ( 11 ) to be measured with a measuring force (F m ) and the free probe end ( 40 ) being deflectable in a measuring direction (z) transverse to the moving direction (x) a measured value receiver ( 45 ) in operative arrangement with the probe tip ( 25 ) and for detecting a deflecting value (s) describing a deflection (z T ) of the probe end ( 40 ) in the measuring direction (z), an analyzing unit ( 21 ) in operative arrangement with the carriage drive ( 16 ) and the measured value receiver ( 45 ), the analyzing unit ( 21 ) for determining a measuring force change value (F dyn ) describing the change of the measuring force (F m ) between the probe end ( 40 ) and the workpiece surface ( 11 ) as a function of the deflecting value (s), the analyzing unit ( 21 ) is provided with a pre-specified measuring force target range (F o , F u ) for the measuring force value (F m ), whereby an exact measurement can occur within said range, the analyzing unit ( 21 ) for generating a measuring error signal when the measuring for value (F m ) is outside the measuring force target range (F o , F u ), and, the measuring error signal for indicating that the probe end ( 40 ) has lifted off the workpiece surface ( 11 ) and/or that a measuring force (F m ) is too high between the probe end ( 40 ) and the workpiece surface ( 11 ).