Back in the early 1990s, before the laser tracker—the portable measurement system that relies on a laser beam to measure and inspect—had the reputation it has now, it was viewed simply as an inspection tool.  As part of a quality control group, I would check dimensional and geometrical accuracies of machined parts, structural welds, and castings to ensure production of quality manufacturing parts. It wasn’t long after first implementing the laser tracker that we recognized the value of it helping to control accuracies, instead of just informing the customer how inaccurate the part may be at final inspection when it was too late.

As drawings with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and CAD models became more of the norm for manufacturing parts and assemblies, the need for 3-D measurement also became a necessity. The laser tracker has proven to be a powerful tool in accuracies of machined parts and measurement in the manufacturing industry. In this article I will cover the positive changes the laser tracker has brought to the manufacturing world, especially to roller alignment.

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