For decades we were taught to believe that if you ever wanted to measure anything properly, you needed a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). A couple of decades ago, portable arms were released and although they were novel, nothing could compare to the rigidity and accuracy of three linear scales and drives. We were resigned to the fact that any improvement in CMMs would be only incremental. We lived this way for decades. Recently, however, optical CMMs began developing and maturing, to the point that they may have become the revolutionary change the metrology market is looking for.

About the optical CMM technology

While the technology comes in different “flavors,” most optical CMMs work around a similar principal. For instance, Nikon Metrology’s optical CMM (KCMM) begins with three linear CCD cameras. When light from an active LED is detected, the three cameras triangulate its position in space.

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