---
title: "Sheffield CMM History: From Dayton Legacy to AIMS Metrology | AIMS Metrology"
description: Sheffield CMMs shaped quality in the 1990s. Learn how AIMS Metrology continues that tradition with shop-floor ready, American-built CMMs
image: https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hubfs/AIMS%20CMMs.png
---

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# Sheffield CMM History: From Dayton Legacy to AIMS Metrology

[ Tim Hogan ](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/author/tim-hogan)  Oct 1, 2025 9:14:59 AM

If you worked in manufacturing or quality control during the 1990s, there’s a good chance you crossed paths with a **Sheffield Cordax CMM**. Known as a dependable workhorse, the Cordax was built to last. Many customers who bought them decades ago are still running them today. For countless machinists and inspectors, the Cordax was the first real taste of automated dimensional inspection — a machine that earned respect for being both **bulletproof and dependable**.

But the story of Sheffield goes back much further. Long before the Cordax became a measurement icon, Sheffield was laying the groundwork for modern coordinate measuring machines.

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**Sheffield’s Roots in Dayton, Ohio**

| ![Precisionaire](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Precisionaire.png?width=167&height=250&name=Precisionaire.png) Precisionaire comparator on granite plate  |
| --- |

 

The Sheffield Corporation was founded in **1941 in Dayton, Ohio** by **Louis F. Polk**, who merged City Machine & Tool Works with Sheffield Machine & Tool. Early on, Sheffield gained prominence with its **Precisionaire comparators**, column-type gages that revolutionized repeatable inspection during World War II.

By the postwar years, Sheffield was a household name in gaging and inspection. At its peak, the company employed over **1,400 people in Dayton**, supplying the Midwest’s booming manufacturing base.

 

 

 

 

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**Early Innovations in CMM Technology**

In **1967**, working with Dayton’s Data Corporation, Sheffield helped develop one of the **first computer interfaces for a CMM**. Just three years later, in **1970**, it delivered one of the **world’s first computer-controlled CMMs** with servo-driven axes.

This leap cemented Sheffield as a true pioneer in automated inspection — turning what had once been a manual, operator-dependent task into a repeatable, computer-driven process.

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**The Cordax Era: A Workhorse for the 1990s**

While Sheffield introduced many respected machines, nothing defined the company’s legacy like the **Cordax series**.

The **Cordax** was built under **Giddings & Lewis (Fond du Lac, WI)** ownership in the 1980s and 1990s. These machines earned a reputation for:

- **Reliability:** Cordax CMMs often ran for decades with minimal downtime
- **Longevity:** Many remain in service today — a rare feat in an industry where technology turnover is constant
- **Versatility:** From automotive suppliers to aerospace contractors, Cordax machines became fixtures both on shop floors and in quality labs

For many, the Cordax was *the* Sheffield machine. Discovery and Endeavor models followed, but the Cordax was the one everyone trusted to deliver, day after day, year after year.

![Sheffields](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Sheffields.png?width=600&height=274&name=Sheffields.png)Sheffield Cordax CMMs

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**Expansion and Additional Product Families**

Alongside Cordax, Sheffield introduced other CMM families that gave manufacturers more options:

- **Discovery Series** – Compact, hard-bearing bridge CMMs for shop floor durability
- **Endeavor Series** – Traditional air-bearing bridge machines for precision and higher throughput
- **Apollo / Saturn** – Gantry-style CMMs for aerospace and heavy industry.

This broad lineup helped Sheffield dominate the market in the late 1980s through early 2000s, with Cordax anchoring the portfolio as the go-to machine for dependability.

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**Ownership Changes and the Hexagon Acquisition**

Sheffield’s growth also meant changes in ownership. The company passed through **Bendix**, **Giddings & Lewis**, and **ThyssenKrupp**, before eventually being acquired by **Hexagon AB in 2004**.

Hexagon formed **Sheffield Measurement Inc.** in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, initially maintaining the brand. But over time, the **Sheffield name was phased out**, folded into Hexagon’s broader metrology portfolio alongside Brown & Sharpe, DEA, and Leitz.

For those who grew up with Sheffield equipment, it felt like the end of an era.

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**The Legacy Lives On: AIMS Metrology in Dayton**

While the Sheffield name disappeared, its spirit didn’t. Today, **AIMS Metrology**, headquartered once again in **Dayton, Ohio**, carries forward the tradition of American-built CMMs. Founded by Sheffield industry veterans, AIMS was built on a belief that U.S. manufacturers deserve more than imported solutions.

AIMS delivers what Sheffield once stood for:

- **American-built machines** manufactured in Ohio
- **5-axis measurement technology** with Renishaw PH20 and Revo probes
- **Shop-floor readiness** with machines designed for harsh environments
- **Service, calibration, and support** from U.S.-based engineers

 Where Sheffield once set the standard with the Cordax, AIMS is now doing the same with its **Revolution HB, Revolution LM, Summit, and FlexGauge CMMs.**

**![AIMS CMMs](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AIMS%20CMMs.png?width=800&height=400&name=AIMS%20CMMs.png)**

 The evolution of American CMMs: AIMS Metrology’s Summit, LM, and HB continue what Sheffield started

precision, reliability, and innovation made in Dayton, Ohio.  

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**Why This History Still Matters**

For many quality professionals, Sheffield wasn’t just a brand — it was their introduction to modern dimensional inspection. The **Cordax series,** in particular, earned a reputation so strong that shops still run them decades later. That kind of dependability speaks volumes.

And for anyone searching today — wondering “what happened to Sheffield?” — the answer is simple: its DNA lives on in **AIMS Metrology**.

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**Conclusion**

Sheffield may have been absorbed into a global giant, but the innovation it represented never left Dayton. With **AIMS Metrology**, American-built CMMs are once again setting the standard — faster, smarter, and shop-floor ready, just like Sheffield once did.

**AIMS Metrology: Built in America. Supported in America.**

✅ Contact us today to learn more about our **Revolution, Summit, and FlexGauge CMM product lines.**

[AIMS Metrology](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/topic/aims-metrology)

## Metrology Resources

##### [3-axis vs. 5-axis ![3-axis vs. 5-axis](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1606250522.png?width=600&height=263&name=1606250522.png "3-axis vs. 5-axis")](https://landing.aimsmetrology.com/3-axis-vs-5-axis-ebook)

##### [The Hardware Side of a CMM ![The Hardware Side of a CMM](https://blog.aimsmetrology.com/hs-fs/hubfs/1606839354.png?width=600&height=254&name=1606839354.png "The Hardware Side of a CMM")](https://landing.aimsmetrology.com/the-hardware-side-of-a-cmm)

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