The conflict between the production floor and the quality lab is legendary. A machinist measures a part with a micrometer and sees it as “in spec.” The CMM says it’s “out.” Who is right? Stability vs. Compensation Manual tools like micrometers are often kept at the workstation. They are at the same temperature as the […]

You can have a sub-micron CMM, but if a 5-ton forklift drives past it, your measurement data is noise. On the shop floor, vibration is the silent killer of Gage R&R. Environmental Analysis and Active Damping Before spending $100k on a CMM, spend $2k on a vibration study. Many workshops underestimate the seismic impact of […]

In the world of shop-floor metrology, heat is the ultimate enemy. Most manufacturers promise “thermal compensation,” but there is a fundamental difference between a machine that uses software to mask structural weaknesses and one built to resist thermal deformation. The Physics of Cascaded vs. Separated Axes The most common CMM architecture is the “bridge” type, […]