Measurement Device With CAD-to-Part Analysis Capability

FARO Technologies' PowerGAGE, which resembles a short, metallic arm, is described as a high-tech, yet user-friendly manufacturing inspection device. INstead of taking the part to an expensive CMM in a climate-controlled room, users can mount the PowerGAGE directly to where the part is being made. As the user traces the arm's tip over the part's entire surface, the system's laptop computer verifies all of the part's 3D measurements against the original CAD file--the digital blueprint--to see if it was made correctly and , if not, where it needs to be corrected, thus reducing scrap, re-work and labor costs.

The PowerGAGE is different from its Faro GAGE and Gage-PLUS counter parts in that it can perform CAD-to-Part analysis. Whereas the FaroArm enables users to reverse engineer and use more than 60 different software platforms, the PowerGAGE runs exclusively on a version of Delcam's PowerINSPECT software.