Operations managers and quality directors know the challenge: capital equipment like laser trackers or automated measurement systems aren’t cheap, and you’re often asked to justify laser tracker cost before getting approval. The only way to do that is by demonstrating...
Happy World Metrology Day! Today, May 20th, is the 150th World Metrology Day—a global recognition of the importance of measurement science in our everyday lives. On this day in 1875, representatives from seventeen nations signed the Metre Convention in Paris, setting...
Choosing between a laser tracker vs portable arm isn’t only about part size. In automotive and aerospace work, the winner depends on range, speed, ergonomics, and future goals. Below is a condensed guide to help QC managers and process engineers pick the right fit....
What is LADAR? LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) technology developed by API Metrology (Automated Precision Inc.) in 2022 represents a significant leap in precision measurement and mapping. Utilizing advanced laser sensors, LADAR measures distances with micron level...
API Automation Automation is one of our namesakes. And while its easy to focus on the innovative precision measurement equipment that founded our company and revolutionized industrial measurements and machine tool calibration, automation was in that first invention of...
In previous posts on this blog, we’ve discussed Tools of Metrology that either can be found in your daily life or were ancient measurement tools, and it’s a topic we’d like to return to here. While we often track the refinement in measurement units and tools since...
The Origin of Lasers Did you know that discovery of Laser properties was a byproduct of microwave “Maser” research done at Columbia University in 1951 by Charles Towns? In 1953, Charles Townes debuted a device he’d been researching at Columbia University that would...
In our “What is Calibration?” article, we discussed how calibration is a two-step process of first evaluating equipment performance against a reference standard and second using that information to improve equipment performance. And we looked at how many of the...
As we discussed previously on this blog, Spherically Mounted Retroreflectors (SMRs) are made up of three key components: the sphere, the corner-cube reflector, and the reflective coating on the reflector. Each of these components must be manufactured and assembled to...
What is Calibration? Laser Trackers naturally see an erosion in their performance over time. Wear and tear from regular use, plus a host of environmental factors, can create slippage in accuracy. Fortunately, there are many ways to test your Laser Tracker to determine...
