(AICON 3D Systems: Braunschweig, Germany) -- Not only do portable coordinate measuring machines (PCMM) outplay their stationary colleagues when it comes to flexibility, they also impress with their attractive price. AICON now has a special offer for companies with simple measurement tasks: the low-priced optical PCMM DPAEntry that is applicable for the measurement of single points without restriction. The favorable price can be achieved because DPAEntry is delivered without comprehensive software for further processing, which is not required for many applications.  

If the user eventually needs to do further data analysis for solving measuring tasks (e.g., CAD comparisons in the context of 3-D inspections, deformation analyses, or the merging of individual scans), he can simply import the 3-D point cloud generated with DPAEntry into the metrology software at hand (for example into PolyWorks/Inspector). Alternatively, it is possible to upgrade the system, as AICON also offers the necessary software on demand.  

AICON’s DPA systems are photogrammetry systems that work with a digital SLR camera for data collection. The operator takes photos of the object to be measured from a number of directions. These photographic images are processed either simultaneously with data collection (online) or afterward (offline). The basic software, AICON 3D Studio, automatically calculates the 3-D coordinates of points that have been targeted.

 …