(Metris: Leuven, Belgium) -- A leading aerospace manufacturer recently took delivery of one of the widest bridge style coordinate measuring machine (CMM) ever manufactured. Building on the 40-year heritage of the LK brand, Metris developed the gantry CMM, with a measurement volume of 6 m x 6 m x 3 m, to run geometry verification on large aerospace components and assemblies.

Unmatched in terms of dimensional stability

While the length of the measuring volume was well within the capability of many CMM manufacturers, the requirement for the superwide width meant that only Metris LK was able to provide a solution to meet the customer’s accuracy specifications.

The gantry style CMM performs with an accuracy of 8 mm, which could only be achieved by the use of ceramic guide ways for the beam and spindle components. Ceramic is an ideal material for metrology because it offers the ultimate in stiffness combined with low weight and excellent thermal properties. Used in combination with double air bearings that prevent torsion, this ceramic LK gantry CMM provides high and long-lasting measurement accuracy. In its final location, the granite rails will be positioned on a purpose built ‘U’ shaped concrete foundation in order to provide the 3 m vertical measurement range.

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