“Portable metrology and CNC CMM metrology devices used to be operated in very different ways. Offline CMM programming and online CNC measurements were traditionally performed in different modules using different tool sets. This time is now over,” said Marc Soucy, President of InnovMetric. “More than ten years ago, InnovMetric embarked on an ambitious journey to deliver a universal hardware-independent 3D metrology software platform to our customers. With PolyWorks 2016, the definition of what constitutes a universal platform takes on an entirely new meaning: a universal hub that interfaces with any type of 3D metrology measurement device, and offers a universal workflow for performing all inspection tasks. This innovative end-to-end approach will significantly lower the total cost of software ownership for industrial manufacturers as it eliminates metrology workflow silos, decreases the cost of training, facilitates broader collaboration between teams, ensures consistency in measurement results, and increases workforce mobility.”

With PolyWorks 2016, portable metrology and CNC CMM operators are now able to:

• Define a measurement plan without being physically connected to a specific measurement device; 
• Specify geometry controls on measurement objects and prepare inspection reports;
• Connect to a non-contact or a contact-based portable metrology device, or to a CNC CMM controller (from Hexagon, Mitutoyo, Nikon, Pantec, Wenzel, and I++ servers), to play the measurement sequence;
• Review measured object geometry controls and reports, or multipiece inspection results through the built-in SPC functionality.

Operating portable metrology and CNC CMM devices within a common framework is now possible with the introduction of two new major components in PolyWorks 2016: the measurement sequence editor and the offline simulation.

Measurement sequence editor

Since 2012, PolyWorks has offered the powerful Play Inspection tool that automatically generates a step-by-step guided measurement sequence to capture 3D datasets of a new piece using portable metrology devices. PolyWorks 2016 expands the capabilities of the Play Inspection technology by allowing the customization of its automatically generated sequence. Using the new sequence editor, users can now:

• Configure the order of measurement operations;
• Control device position moves;
• Trigger CMM-specific operations, such as moving the probe head to a specific location or changing the orientation of a measurement tool;
• Easily add guidance messages and images;
• Create conditional blocks of operations;
• Insert macro scripts, opening up unlimited process customization possibilities.

Offline simulation

PolyWorks 2016 also delivers a new easy-to-use offline simulation functionality that automatically generates simulated point cloud data and probed points from a CAD model of the measured part, while going through a simulated measurement workflow. Offline simulation allows users to quickly create simulated measured object components, Data alignments, Data color maps, geometry control tables, 3D scene snapshots, and inspection reports before the real measurement task, without needing access to a measurement device. The PolyWorks 2016 offline simulation also fully supports CNC CMMs, allowing users to control the probing and laser scanning tool orientations and trajectories on a virtual device.

Universal inspection projects

Thanks to the universal 3D metrology architecture of PolyWorks 2016, only minimal changes will need to be made to a PolyWorks inspection project so that it can be used with multiple hardware platforms to optimize object measurement methodologies and adapt them to different measurement principles. As a result, PolyWorks 2016 opens a new era for universal inspection projects and device interoperability, ensuring total flexibility for customers to select the appropriate measurement devices for their needs and maximize the return on their 3D metrology investments.

About InnovMetric Software

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Quebec, QC, Canada, with subsidiaries worldwide, InnovMetric Software Inc. is the leading provider of universal 3D metrology software solutions. The world’s largest industrial manufacturing organizations (Toyota, GM, Volkswagen, Honda, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, Apple, and many more) trust InnovMetric’s PolyWorks® software solutions and associated technical services to maximize the benefits of 3D measurement technologies for their engineering and manufacturing applications.

With our subsidiaries and joint ventures, we have more than 250 employees across 10 countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, Netherlands, India, Thailand, China, and Japan.