Productivity is a key competitive element for any manufacturing operation. Do more in less time is an often recited production mantra. Dimensional measurement is a necessity for process control and/or quality inspection, and while there are many technologies available for completing measurement tasks, few offer the versatility, speed and accuracy of video metrology. Video dimensional measurement systems have been in use for over 30 years with tens of thousands of systems in use globally. Very high precision video metrology systems are available, some of which offer better than one micron accuracy.
The terms optical and video metrology are sometimes used interchangeably, but in the truest sense there are some key differences. Optical metrology could involve using lenses or optical enhancement with the purpose of measuring features of a part. An optical comparator or measuring microscope are common examples of optical metrology systems.