For years, North American factories relied on CMM machines to perform vital functions, such as quality control along production lines. By introducing automation to this process, manufacturers in North America could finally compete against their international counterparts in countries with cheaper labour and fewer regulations.
Today, the best CMM dealerships do a lot more than just sell the equipment. Please keep reading to learn more about how leading metrology dealers go above and beyond.
Measuring Services
Every company has their own needs and, perhaps, limitations. Accurately measuring parts requires three things: the right equipment, trained personnel, and the physical space necessary for both of these things.
The best metrology dealerships can perform any measuring services you need if you lack any one of these three requirements, tailoring to your business needs and schedule as they evolve and change.
Whether it’s dimensional measuring, reverse engineering, or any other customized measurement solution, the best metrology dealerships can get it done.
Training
The most experienced metrology dealerships also offer CMM training for all types of machines and levels of experience. Your employees can learn about different Polyworks systems, PC-DMIS, and Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing.
Many metrology dealerships offered in-class lessons before the pandemic but ran online learning sessions too. Some have vastly improved their remote learning sessions to more closely resemble in-class learning programs.
Expect basic training courses to take one day, while more comprehensive sessions may take three days or more.
Repairs, Calibrations, and Preventative Maintenance
Unsurprisingly, the people who have sold this equipment for years also do the best repairs. CMM machines need to work precisely and produce repeatable results, so it’s wise to be proactive about preventative maintenance periodically to ensure everything is working as it should.
Perhaps you have an old CMM machine that needs upgraded software or a retrofit? The best metrology dealerships can handle this and many other services which occur before, during and after the purchase, such as machine relocation and portable arm calibration for Faro and Romer portable arms.
They should be able to service all types of CMM machines, including Vision systems. Finally, look for a dealership that is ISO 9000 and ISO 17025 accredited.
Sometimes, it may be enough to call the dealership and have their service coordinator solve the problem over the phone. If this doesn’t work, they’ll dispatch a technician to your location quickly.
The best metrology dealerships can even do same-day Renishaw probing repairs and rentals. Some businesses prefer to have a Service and Preventative Maintenance contract in place, so they know their equipment will be maintained in “top notch” condition, all with a guaranteed response time and a fixed cost per year.
Metrological equipment like CMM machines is highly complex and essential to your operations. If quality control isn’t guaranteed on production lines, it could severely impact your business. Look for a partner who can handle everything to do with this equipment, not a seller who walks away and ends the relationship after the purchase is complete.
