Many industries, including the automotive and aerospace industries, must precisely measure the three-dimensional features of large objects. An increasingly popular way to do this is with the laser tracker, a device first introduced in the late 1980s. As its name suggests, the laser tracker measures 3-D coordinates by tracking a laser beam to a retro-reflective target held in contact with the object of interest. 

Some laser trackers can measure object features up close and as far away as 60 meters. Some have typical single point accuracy of about 0.001" (0.025 mm) at distances to several meters. Trackers collect coordinate data at a high speed and require just one operator. They offer improved methods of coordinate measurement and make entirely new manufacturing methods possible. 

Competing coordinate measuring instruments

Today, many instruments can measure coordinates. Each is best suited for certain applications. Traditional fixed coordinate measuring machines (CMM) carry out repeated measurements rapidly and accurately but are immobile, limited in measurement range, and expensive for large applications. They are most popular for inspecting small to medium-sized (under one meter) production components where speed and accuracy are important. 

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