CMM

Description
The Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is located in the back-right corner upon entering the Metrology Lab. It is used to measure parts accurately for inspection and reverse engineering.

Principle Uses
The CMM excels at precision measurement and geometries that would be otherwise difficult to measure:
 * Center and diameter of large holes
 * Center and radius of curvature
 * Flatness/Straightness
 * Orthogonally/angles between planes

Principles of operation
The CMM uses high-precision encoders and air-bearings to allow tracking the position of a measurement head in 3D. Combined with a computer it can interpret the RAW XYZ coordinates to calculate distances and complex geometries. Our machine is manually moved by an operator, but more complex computer driven models exist and are used in many industries.