For industries that regularly perform large-scale measurements, laser trackers offer accurate 3D measurements collected by a single operator. 

It would be an obvious understatement to say that technology plays a key role in just about everything we do, as well as how we do it.

The time is the late 1960s. Detroit muscle cars roam the streets. Woodstock is just around the corner. Passenger air travel is growing at an unprecedented rate. 

Compared to CMMs and articulating arms, laser trackers constitute a fairly young technology. In use for about 30 years, these increasingly portable and flexible devices are known for measuring large objects by determining the positions of optical targets, usually spherically mounted retroreflectors (SMRs) that a technician holds up against the objects.

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division launched a brand-new laser tracker line, the Leica Absolute Tracker ATS600. This new product introduces a new concept in metrology-grade laser trackers, with targetless 3D scanning possible for the first time directly from the laser tracker.

Seems like everyone who fancies themselves an artist or performer uses—or overuses—the term “pushing the envelope” when describing their craft. However, if we journey back to the origins of the term we can regain the value of its meaning.

The manufacturing industry continues to push the conventional boundaries of creating larger and more complex parts. The potential for costly errors also increases exponentially when producing large-scale, intricate components and assemblies. 

KinAiry is the comprehensive, independent solution for laser tracker evaluation, utilizing NIST’s Interim Field Test Procedure IR-80161.

The project includes six stations in total: four in-line gauging, one in-line robot guidance for form and pierce, and one near-line closure panel gauging.