A host of tools are available to metrologists in today’s manufacturing environment. Many are simple, mechanical, and accessible to anyone who wants to measure something. Others are high-tech, even futuristic. Some, like the measuring microscope, might be considered a hybrid of the two. In addition to all the benefits measuring microscopes can bring to manufacturing applications, two very important ones—calibration and fixturing—cannot be overlooked.
When measuring in a manufacturing setting, particularly in a high-volume application, calibration is important for accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. This is especially true for very small measurements made with a measuring microscope.