(Hubbs Machine and Manufacturing: St. Louis) -- Hubbs Machine and Manufacturing Inc. has introduced the new cost-effective Sphere Mount  POLAR Series of laser tracker target holders.

The SM POLAR Series offers several features. The most prominent are:

• Its small footprint for mounting in tight areas • A unique locating nest with a substantially increased included angle • Negative rotation of the spherically mounted retroreflector (SMR) • Removable cap provides protection • 17-4 PH stainless steel standard, optional 1144 steel, with black oxide finish

The substantially increased included angle of the unique locating nest creates a much smaller, yet sufficient, locating diameter at the bottom (the “polar” region) of the SMR.

This balance of the smaller, three-point locating diameter at the bottom of the sphere plus the lessening of the depth of the nest, allows for negative rotation of the SMR all the way around while still maintaining stability of the SMR and the sphere mount. Additionally, the normal close-tolerance offset and concentricity are still held for the products that apply.

A small, sealed, easily removable cap is included to protect the nest from debris and contaminants, and it provides additional shielding of the three critical contact points within the nest from damage when not in use.

As for the stainless steel and black oxide finishes, Hubbs engineers asked themselves, “Do we want to take a big piece of 17-4 PH stainless steel, then machine most of it away, which would provide benefit for the steel companies, machine manufacturers, and cutter companies? Or do we want to provide benefit for our customers by offering a smaller, cost-efficient design option?” They chose the latter. (No offense to the steel, machine, and cutter companies.)

Hubbs classic line of SM products are still available. The new POLAR option is in addition to the SM products. Hubbs plans to include the new  POLAR features in many of its already recognized designs, where applicable.

About Hubbs

In 1990, Hubbs manufactured the first sphere mounts to support laser trackers, the Sphere Mount (SM) Series. From that point forward, Hubbs has been the innovative driver in introducing a vast array of SM Series products that support laser trackers. In doing so, Hubbs has set the quality bar high in its extensive product line, options, and service.

Hubbs agrees with the views of other respected innovators that it’s the customer that decides the direction of the market, not the manufacturer. That’s because, during the past 20 years, Hubbs has witnessed and been a large part of the evolution of the first generation of laser-tracker targeting directed by the customer majority.