One major area of application for coordinate measuring machines is the quality control of manufacturing processes. In order to keep transport routes short, coordinate measuring machines should be installed as close to the production environment as possible. The prevailing environmental conditions must be considered when designing such workshop measuring machines. Figure 28 shows one example of such a machine. The elements determining its accuracy are made of steel or other materials with a similar expansion coefficient. Thermally induced deformation of the machine is thus minimized. All of the machine’s sensitive components (its scales, guideways, etc.) are encapsulated or covered so that it can be installed in rough manufacturing environments. These components are designed with an eye to high stability under load (no deformation when loaded) and the use of standard components. The use of a specially customized compact control in a separate housing minimizes heat build-up inside the machine. To enhance the ease of servicing, cable connections between the individual components of the machine are kept to a minimum. A CAN-bus system is used to enable the control of all system components via a single, common connecting cable. The basic version of this machine class is equipped with an image processing sensor featuring zoom optics. It also includes the basic modes of illumination (for example, transmitted light, bright-field reflected light and dark-field reflected light). The system can also be optionally equipped with a tactile probe (touch trigger principle).

Due to its construction and a design optimized for quality control, measuring uncertainties of as little as several micrometers can be attained in a workshop machine. In addition to production control for machining, sheet metal punching and plastics injection molding operations, these machines are also used in toolmakers’ shops and in incoming inspection departments. It is important here to achieve a good balance between measuring uncertainty and part tolerance. The special demand for a maximum ease of operation generally associated with workshop use has been taken into account in two ways: by the control concept (adjustment of the illumination intensity via rotary knobs, keys on the joystick panel) and by providing special software functions like automatic part feature recognition or WinWerth®-Autoelement. If workshop machines are equipped with a VideoCheck® control system, they can also be upgraded to include measuring probing systems and laser sensors.