Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are widely used throughout
manufacturing industries, such as aerospace and automotive, to
meet the increasing need for high quality standards and
dimensional accuracy. However, in many applications, CMM
measurement is not as efficient as it could be, so new
technology and techniques have been developed that can improve
flexibility, reduce inspection time and achieve consistency.
Repeatable stylus changing systems, available for both manual
and automatic CMMs, help achieve measurement efficiency. The
range of features and components that must be measured in a
typical factory means that manufacturers need a flexible
measuring solution, keeping in mind that the feature to be
inspected dictates the type and size of stylus to be used. In
contact measurement, CMM data collection starts at the stylus
tip, the part of the measuring system that makes contact with
the workpiece. Most CMM users have a single sensor and stylus
configuration, and although they might not realize it, in