(Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: North Kingstown, RI) -- Probe-based machine tool inspection has a well-deserved reputation for delivering clear productivity gains. But when it comes to capturing a full digital image of a clamped freeform workpiece, it can fall short.

A probe only records a representative sample of a part’s surfaces. As a result, the comparison between the actual target and the values from the CAD drawing for free-form surfaces is not always 100-percent accurate.

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