Brown & Sharpe Optiv Multi-Sensor Measuring Systems Launched at Quality Expo

North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  September 25, 2007.  Hexagon Metrology, Inc. has announced the release of the new Brown & Sharpe OptivTM line of multi-sensor measurement systems at Quality Expo 2007.  Optiv systems feature optical, camera, laser and tactile probing options in a wide variety of configurations.  With more than 25 possible size/accuracy combinations, plus a wide variety of accessories, Opitv systems can perform the most demanding 2D and 3D applications with a single system.  With a marketplace exclusive dual-Z axis available on many models ensuring a unique approach to multi-sensor technology, Optiv systems are capable of true multi-sensor measurement that makes the most of the available measuring envelope and delivers faster measurement cycles than systems that combine multiple sensors on a single Z axis.

Optiv is powered by the market-leading dimensional metrology software, PC-DMIS, in a special “PC-DMIS Vision” edition.  PC-DMIS vision brings true CAD programming functionality to vision based software, plus its underlying roots in 3D measurement make it an ideal choice for a multi-sensor system like Optiv. Powerful offline programming capabilities using CAD, including simulated lighting, magnification and camera image, allow maximum system uptime, because with PC-DMIS Vision you don’t need to program the Optiv on the machine itself.  CAD translators and direct CAD interfaces to all major CAD formats ensure complete compatibility regardless of the native CAD system. By combining the power of CAD with the versatility of simplified editing, the user has all the benefits of a toolmakers microscope, optical comparator and CMM combined in a single measurement solution.

“Hexagon Metrology continues to demonstrate its leadership in the market with this latest product introduction” said Bill Gruber, president and CEO of Hexagon Metrology, Inc. “The Brown & Sharpe brand is synonymous with high performance measuring systems. Optiv brings our customer new choices in measurement platforms that our customers have demanded, plus they leverage the common PC-DMIS software platform with its huge worldwide installed base.”

Zvonomir Kotnik, product manager for Vision and Multi-Sensor products, noted, “In some cases customers can actually run their existing CMM programs on the Optiv as-written. The power of a multi-sensor platform like Optiv is that you can combine the best aspects of 2D and 3D measurement in a single powerful system.  Plus, PC-DMIS is so widely adopted that a programmer familiar with PC-DMIS should have a very short learning curve when using it on a multi-sensor system.”

An Optiv 2 Performance 4.4.3 will be on display at Quality Expo, September 25-27 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, along with an example of PC-DMIS Vision software retrofitted onto another popular brand machine.  Hexagon Metrology’s booth number is 7505.

About Hexagon Metrology

Hexagon Metrology serves the high precision measurement and inspection needs of worldwide manufacturers with its extensive line of metrology hardware, software, accessories, and customer services. The company's name-brand portfolio of quality assurance products include Brown & Sharpe, CogniTens, Leica Geosystems, ROMER, Sheffield, PC-DMIS, DEA, Leitz, and TESA. Hexagon Metrology has an unrivaled installed base of more than 1.5 million handheld, stationary and portable measurement devices, and over 30,000 seats of PC-DMIS metrology software.

The company is a subsidiary of Hexagon Measurement Technologies, a business unit of Hexagon AB (Nacka Strand, Sweden), a publicly-traded company (OMX Nordic: HEXA B). The Hexagon group consists of  nearly 8,200 employees located in 30 countries.

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