Is Your Coordinate Measuring Machine Future-Ready?
June 8, 2021
Digital transformation is placing urgent demands on coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to be interconnected and communicative. Without the ability to collaborate with other systems and workers on the shop floor, CMMs risk becoming an informational black hole that prevents the flow of data required for smarter manufacturing.
Dominant technologies to watch at IMTS 2018 include an increasing digital thread, robotics and automation, quality assurance and additive manufacturing.
“How do I probe this?” is a question frequently asked by CMM operators and machinists when faced with unusual workpiece features or properties. Often, a traditional ruby ball, carbide stem, and threaded base stylus won’t work. The solution is a special stylus. This article is an overview of some special styli that make up an important part of a CMM or machine tool toolbox.
It is generally agreed that engineering is about tradeoffs, and that has always been particularly true in regard to measurement machines. There are several types of measurement, and higher performance in one area generally meant less capability, or none, in other areas.
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence announced improvements to the operating temperature range of its TIGO SF shop-floor coordinate measurement machine (CMM).