It seems that everyone is interested in noncontact gaging these days. Laser scanners, structured light, confocal chromatic sensors, and CCD cameras have all made significant advances in the last decade, leaving us to wonder if this century old technology is still useful today.

When a shop begins the manufacture of rotating shafts, they frequently turn to their conventional CMM for part validation. However, this is often a case of using the tool that is at hand, rather than one designed for the job.