21st Century Measurement Challenges

Over the past 30 years, one of the most important changes in metrology has been the development of portable measuring devices that bring inspection right into the production line, as close to the part as possible. The development of portable measuring arms in the early 1990s and emergence of laser trackers turned conventional inspection methods upside down. Measurements could be taken more quickly and more often, generating huge improvements in response time and quality. However, portable measurement is still facing several major challenges, particularly in production environments: production equipment can generate permanent vibrations, the setup of stable measurement systems is not guaranteed, temperature and humidity levels are subject to change, and user skill and experience vary.

With TRUaccuracy technology and dynamic referencing, Creaform systems generate highly accurate results regardless of the measurement environment and operator skills.

Creaform''s HandyPROBE portable CMM arm-free measurement system is the alternative to traditional measurement arms. The HandyPROBE is a wireless, triangulation–based CMM that offers complete freedom of movement and can be used for single or repeated measurements of various parts. The HandyPROBE is tracked by C-Track dual-camera sensors. C-Track sensors ensure exact localization and perform continuous image acquisition and transmission. When the HandyPROBE is networked with 2 to 4 C-Tracks, the CMM gives access to C-Link, a mobile measurement solution for quick and easy measurements and scans of complex setups, jigs, tooling or prototypes. This functionality makes it possible to network with up to 4 C-Track camera sensors and operate them simultaneously with the HandyPROBE or the MetraSCAN 3D optical 3D scanner.

In addition to portable CMMs, Creaform offers many scanning solutions that feature TRUaccuracy technology. Creaform scanner users easily measure only the part they require. The HandySCAN 3D and MetraSCAN 3D scanners are ideal for performing 3D inspection, quality control, reverse engineering, CAD comparison, 3D modelling and conformity assessment tasks.