CMMs are vital measurement systems for many quality departments. Of the many active components of these systems, the software used to control and record the measurement of parts is critical to getting the most complete performance out of your machine. It is important to be diligent in your search for the software package that will best fit your needs.
At a minimum, a CMM software program should provide functionality for basic tasks such as measurement routines, probe calibration, basic plane-line-point alignments, and data reporting among other features. But in terms of addressing a company’s unique applications and getting the best value for a system now and in the future, there are other main factors to consider in your quest for new software. These factors can help define the “added value” for your due diligence efforts when evaluating different software programs. Your evaluation checklist should include these nine important considerations: