The global coordinate measuring machine (CMM) market in the automotive industry is expected to reach $1.278 billion by 2021. The global CMM market as a whole is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than seven percent between now and 2021. The primary drivers are 3D inspection of products using CMMs, rising electric vehicle sales and the increasing use of metrology in the power sector.

Happy New Year 2020!There is no doubt that growth is on the upswing for the metrology industry. In 2019 AIMS took some steps to support its own growth and we also experienced some important milestones. To help fabricators take their production uptime to a new threshold of performance we equipped our Revolution Series LM CMM with a Renishaw 5-axis REVO 2 head and the new SFP2 probe. Because the SFP2 is interchangeable with other probe options, it gives manufacturers the flexibility to inspect a diverse range of features on one CMM. The SFP2 automates surface finish measurement for reduced part handling and higher throughput. Integrated surface finish and dimensional inspection can remove the need for dedicated surface measurement equipment. It reduces factory footprint, part handling and associated costs.

To help promote education about 5-axis coordinate measuring machines, we held a Metrology Forum at our facility in October. Visitors got the chance to see firsthand the unique technology behind our 5-axis LM and HB CMMs. We delivered a 5-axis Revolution Series HB CMM to the Technological University of Chihuahua (UTCH) in 2019 and will ship 16 additional HBs to campus locations across Mexico in 2020. The institution offers accelerated two-year programs in the fields of science and technology.

We expanded our network for service and support by signing Motch & Eichele as our exclusive distributor for the territories of Ohio, Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania. AIMS products will include our laboratory-grade LM equipped with Renishaw’s 5-axis REVO 2 scanning head and SFP2 probe and the our Revolution Series HB, [the industry’s only mobile 5-axis CMM] built and designed with Renishaw’s PH20 5-axis touch trigger system. Motch & Eichele will also offer our Renishaw Equator 300 gauging system for manual and automated application.

This year we’ve also been putting the pieces in place to make two major new equipment announcements in 2020.

As the year comes to a close we would like to thank our customers for partnering on the projects that took place over the last 12 months and our team of associates for their hard work. We wish each you and your families a Happy New Year.