Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has introduced full IP54 protection for its latest range of Absolute Arm models, together with other usability improvements and compatibility with the HxGN SFx asset management service. From ultra-high-accuracy probing with the Absolute Arm Compact to high-productivity 3D laser scanning with the Absolute Arm 7-Axis and Absolute Scanner AS1, every new Absolute Arm model will be fully equipped for the demands of measuring and monitoring in the most challenging measurement environments.

According to Hexagon, an IP54 protection rating is a market first for portable measuring arms and comes alongside a further environment-related improvement that sees the system’s maximum operating temperature increased to 45°C. Together with the Absolute Arm’s portability and versatility, these updates complete a package that is suitable for the demands of the hot and dusty environments in which metrology-grade inspection is used all over the world.

“In the past few years we’ve seen a migration in where our arms are being used,” explains Anthony Vianna, product director – portable measuring arms. “Whereas once most arms would sit in a nice clean metrology room, today we see them used on shop floors, in foundries and close to machining centres. That’s why this update to the Absolute Arm is so important – we want our customers to go into those environments with total confidence that they can measure anywhere.”

Also arriving with this update are improvements to the functionality of the Absolute Arm wrist display, now upgraded to a touchscreen, and the RDS software that drives it. These are changes intended to further enhance the ease of on-the-ground measurement processes by bringing more functionality to the point of measurement and reducing trips back and forth between the arm and its control computer.

For further information www.hexagonmi.com