Cable tension must be maintained precisely across various industries, and cable tensiometers are crucial for this. However, calibration of these instruments often faces issues due to communication between calibration labs and end users, leading to doubts about equipment functionality.

Today, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations are a significant sub-industry within manufacturing, valued at $656 billion and projected to exceed $800 billion by 2032. MRO involves maintaining machinery, equipment, and systems in optimal condition through repairs and overhauls to extend their operational life.

In manufacturing, microscopes and magnified viewing systems are crucial for inspecting products. Digital microscopes offer enhanced capabilities and AI-assisted inspections, revolutionizing the way manufacturers view and interact with macro and microscopic details.

Backlit video metrology systems offer high-speed and precise inspection capabilities by analyzing digital part shadow images to determine feature position and size. Advancements in computing power and algorithms enhance precision, speed, and feature detection, while integration with part positioning systems allows for composite part images, rotating part profile examination, and rapid part sorting.

3D optical profiling, developed in the early 1990s, is crucial for high-resolution measurement of optics, semiconductors, medical devices, and precision machining. Recent developments have expanded its capabilities, allowing high-resolution surface texture measurements over many square millimeters in minutes.

Automation requires precise data and careful attention to uncertainty, especially in longer processes with less human involvement, according to Chris Gordon from Optronic Laboratories.

To simplify the interface, touchscreen monitors were integrated with metrology software. This eliminated dedicated controllers and made the system much easier to use, leading to the revolution of touch metrology. Today, touch technology and controllers are widespread on the manufacturing floor.

Equipment failure disrupts routine calibrations, making it hard to verify specifications. Consider the impact on products since the last calibration and document assumptions about equipment tolerance.

Michelle Banger, Managing Editor of Quality, talks with Matt Noonan. He's the Quality Manager of Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems, Inc.

In the 20th century, internal combustion engines drove progress, but now automotive manufacturers are rapidly transitioning to EV production, requiring new metrology approaches.