With the ongoing integration of measurement technology into production, the demands for transparency of environmental conditions that affect measurement quality are increasing. Therefore, Hexagon presents an enhanced version of PULSE, its solution for CMM real-time environmental monitoring – designed to improve measurement quality and reliability.
The latest hardware and platform enhancements of PULSE go beyond the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and enable continuous monitoring of environmental conditions including temperature, humidity, vibration, shock, and probe deflection, which can directly impact measurement results. These additional insights help manufacturers reduce rework, avoid faulty results, and ensure confidence in test results; especially in uncontrolled manufacturing environments. 'PULSE complements the CMM by extending the sensors beyond the machine. This allows users to ensure accuracy, reduce downtimes, and work with greater confidence in real production environments,' explains Thomas Maresch, Senior Product Manager System Components at Hexagon.
Increasing Challenges in Manufacturing
In production-related environments, temperature fluctuations, vibrations, and unexpected physical influences can directly affect measurement results – often without operators noticing immediately or only after the workpiece has relaxed. Unlike climate-controlled measurement rooms, manufacturing environments are significantly more dynamic, complicating root cause analysis: deviations can be attributed to both environmental influences and other events.
The enhanced version of PULSE addresses these challenges with several hardware and platform extensions tailored to current production and automation requirements. The included Metrology Communication Interface (MCI) from Hexagon allows for centralized and standardized integration of PULSE data into PLCs, MES platforms, dashboards, and automation software, without cumbersome IT integration. The improved detection of probe deflections also allows for the distinction between general vibrations or shocks and actual probe collisions that require calibration. Users can respond more specifically and avoid unnecessary interventions. Furthermore, the platform is modular and allows seamless integration into third-party systems as well as expansion with additional sensors and functions: for enhanced interoperability and future-proofing.
With the expansion, PULSE can now be used in all Hexagon CMMs as well as in a heterogeneous machine inventory. This facilitates the standardization of environmental monitoring across multiple locations. Thus, Hexagon contributes to increasing the availability of CMMs, strengthening confidence in measurement results, and supporting reliable, automated, and autonomous testing processes.
Availability and Upgrade Path
The enhanced version of PULSE is now available. Existing users can easily upgrade to the new version with a plug-and-play update of sensors and software. The installation does not require special service support and can typically be completed within five minutes.
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