Making the Most of Your Metrology

Manufacturing automation and efficiency increases are not the sole property of machining. In a recent conversation I had with Ken Myers, solutions manager at Mitutoyo’s technical and custom solutions center in Mason, Ohio, he spoke of secondary equipment (“peripherals,” in his words), software and processes that can make job shops’ inspection workflows more productive and efficient. He spoke on four broad categories: peripherals focused on attribute data and traceability; peripherals focused on moving parts; software and training to help metrology personnel avoid errors; and clear-eyed consideration of where automation is and is not useful for your shop’s budget and typical parts.

Sometimes, specialty parts require custom inspection machines and peripheral packages to perform inspection in a cost-effective way. For example, the picture shows a custom seven-axis form measuring machine for EV gears, which can have difficult geometries and surface finish requirements much tighter than traditional automotive gears.

Attribute Data and Traceability

Some of the most common forms of peripherals Myers has seen during his time at Mitutoyo are devices meant to streamline gathering traceability data, whether that’s ensuring specific machining operations are complete or identifying where individual parts are within the inspection process. The former includes checking whether proper deburring has occurred, whether the sharp edges have been removed from a part or whether particular features or subassemblies have been correctly added. This is vital for multi-step processes, as automated attempts to check features that are meant to be added in a later step can cause machine crashes and part damage. Myers’ team has created many custom devices over the years for gathering attribute information, such as a device he calls an “attribute box.” This device uses MeasurLink SPC software to input visual attributes and enable users to make quick pass/fail decisions at the push of a button.

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RFID chips, barcode scanners and laser scanning devices are common devices for improving the traceability of the manufacturing process, most typically recording lot numbers when individual parts are serialized, as is common for medical and aerospace applications. Myers recommends pairing these peripherals with robots — whether as standalone sensors to which the robots bring parts or as attached sensors so the robot merely needs to move to the part.

Myers notes that many of his team’s customers integrate scanners into their custom inspection projects to improve part traceability throughout the inspection and machining process.

Myers also notes that the traceability granted by RFID tags, especially for palletized parts, goes beyond record-keeping. He points to an example of an aerospace manufacturer who would place raw blade castings into pallet fixtures with an RFID tag. After sending the palletized part to a shopfloor CMM (a machine like Mitutoyo’s MiStar 555, Myers says) for measurement, the CMM would update the data on the corresponding RFID tag. After a robot then brought the part to a grinder, the RFID tag would communicate with the control to adjust the grinder’s offset. Myers said this sequence would take place multiple times for each part, from the CMM to the grinder and back again, with the RFID tag ensuring success in the grinding operations.

Modular Movement for Metrology

As in the above example, robots can act as a peripheral for inspection and metrology operations. Myers calls them “the primary vehicle” for getting parts into place to gather attribute or measurement data and notes they enable lights-out metrology.

Because parts can vary widely in shape and size, Myers recommends robotic transportation of pallets rather than individual parts. He points to the modular metrology automation cells Mitutoyo is launching in early 2026 as an example, as these use basic pallets with generic end effectors to maximize compatibility across a wide range of parts. This also enables shops to quickly redeploy the cells for new part types as the shop’s work mix changes or as the shop further optimizes the layout or makeup of its cells. While size, volume and weight limits are inevitable, this is where the customers can adjust their cells to meet their needs, integrating higher-capacity robots, larger pallets or machines with larger work envelopes.

Giving Guidance

Just like crashing a CNC mill, crashing a CNC metrology device can damage it and require costly recalibration. Myers says his team works with I/O systems and programs that pass information between sensors, automated devices and CNC metrology devices to avoid this problem. He points to his team’s work with CMMs as an example. If a CMM has been programmed with touch-off points for one of its inspection programs, Myers’ team can set the machine to report an error loop if one of those points is missed. That way, the machine can retreat its probe to a safe location and prevent a machine crash.

Robots and rotary tables can add mobility to the inspection process, enabling CNC inspection at difficult angles which may have previously required manual processes.

Myers also recommends setting up a guided user sequence for inspection applications. This is a feature of Mitutoyo’s MeasurLink SPC software, enabling a user to pull up a how-to video at the press of a button for any step in an inspection process. This simplifies the processes of both training new inspection personnel and upskilling personnel on new machines, giving them an option for self-training as they work. Training material should come with any stock metrology device a shop purchases, and Myers recommends ensuring custom equipment providers also provide custom training. In his own team’s work, he says, Mitutoyo develops instructional sheets and videos as reference materials for any custom equipment.

Automating the 90%, not the 10%

Whether using stock or custom metrology automation technologies, Myers says it’s important to keep in mind that the largest part of your budget should go to the largest percentage of work. “Don’t let 10% of your needs drive 90% of your budget,” he warns, with a caution that small chamfers and radii are typical features that can throw a wrench into an otherwise excellent automated inspection application. While these features are important, Myers says primary diameters and form and fit are typically more important, and shops should purchase automated technology that focuses on these measurements. Only considering a high-end machine that can measure these features is possible, but going with a faster, less expensive machine for the main measurements and using a specialized machine for the few prismatic or tiny features can save time and is generally more cost-effective in the long run.

Semiconductor metrology is another field that has required Mitutoyo to develop new technology to enable efficient inspection. In this case, near-infrared lighting and filter systems help inspection personnel take images and gather data through substrates. Image courtesy of Mitutoyo.

That said, complex parts and applications can sometimes require the development of new technology for taking bread and butter measurements. Myers points to semiconductor development, where the development of near-infrared lighting and filter systems was necessary to take images through substrates and gather critical data. Likewise, his team has developed algorithms and software to assist customers with detecting defects in parts created through chemical vapor deposition. The need for custom equipment is also a concern in gear and shaft work for electric vehicles. Myers says these parts require much finer polished surface finishes than similar parts in internal combustion engine vehicles, to the point where anti-vibration systems are necessary — especially if performing inspection on the shop floor, where even the ambient noise from a gear hob could throw off a measurement.

Automation is an Active Process

Just as for automating milling, turning and other manufacturing processes, Myers says leaving it up to chance that shopfloor personnel will rely on automated inspection equipment will likely result in a failed integration. Shopfloor personnel will likely continue to use tried-and-true methods rather than experiment with the new technology, and these big investments could turn into dust collectors. Instead, Myers strongly recommends appointing an in-house automation champion willing to learn new systems and support them throughout their lifecycle. By making automation an employee’s active responsibility, a shop can develop the processes it needs to make its technology sing, winning over its staff with real results.