"The types of optical sensors that are used in certain applications, whether they are spot lasers, line lasers, or vision-type technology, are only a part of the solution," said Walter Pettigrew, vice president of LK Metrology Systems Inc. (Brighton, MI). "In most applications you have to use other technologies that go along with it, such as touch probes or scanning probes."
While not a large part of the overall CMM market, most, if not all, CMM manufacturers offer some type of multisensor system that includes such noncontact measuring devices as lasers, comparators and video. Conversely, manufacturers of vision equipment have begun to add tactile sensors to their equipment.