The TS 444 from Heidenhain offers an alternative to battery-operated touch probes for machine applications. According to the company’s press release, the probe can be powered by compressed air supplied through the spindle of the machine tool. It can be used with all other Heidenhain control systems.

The TS 444 operates using compressed air via the taper shank and powers a turbine wheel inside the touch probe. The turbine wheel generates electrical energy through changes in the magnetic field, which is stored in high-power capacitors.

Fully charged, the touch probe is able to probe for two minutes. Like other Heidenhain touch probes, the exit air is used for cleaning the probe point. It also features optical sensor technology for generating the trigger signal.