Coordinate Measuring Machines - CMM Software
A coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is a mechanical device used to measure the physical dimensions of an object. A CMM is often used in manufacuring to inspect and record the dimensions of a part for comparison to the specified dimensions of the object. The CMM is controlled by software which controls the motion of the measurement probe along the axes of the machine. An electronic representation of the part is input into the CMM software and the probe is moved to a reference location. Once the reference location is established, the software follows a prescribed inpsection path, probing the surface of the part at discrete locations and recording the location relative to the reference point. The CMM software can be specific to the machine being used or part of a commercial computer aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software package.
