Calling All 3D Measurement Professionals for the 2020 State of the Industry Survey

Back in 2016, the PrecisionPath Consortium (PPC), in cooperation with the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) and UNC Charlotte, conducted the very first industry survey in support of their lead project—the Technology Roadmap for Large-Scale Manufacturing. 3D measurement professionals answered questions about usage scenarios, workforce issues, existing technology capabilities and requirements, as well as anticipated future needs, for portable metrology systems in support of large-scale precision manufacturing (LPM). These valuable insights were captured in a 70-page roadmap that covered the scope and potential of the next-generation data-driven factory, and the evolution of measurement technologies needed to support advanced manufacturing moving forward.

In 2020, the PPC and CMS are joining forces again to launch a new survey of the industry at large, sweeping the full metrology landscape. The study examines the principal factors affecting measurement professionals today. Managers and practitioners are asked to share their perspectives on career requirements, technology usage, workforce and education trends, job challenges, and the anticipated support needed to move the industry forward. Serving in diverse industrial and scientific markets, metrologists are users of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), laser scanners, laser trackers, portable arms, and inspections software.

Users, managers, experts, or novices in the field of 3D measurement are urged to take this important survey being offered until August 31, 2020. Follow this link to the 2020 Survey and make your contribution today. The entire survey takes fewer than 10 minutes to complete. All participants are invited to enter a giveaway for an Apple iPad, sponsored by New River Kinematics (NRK). The study is being conducted purely for research purposes, and all answers are private. To ensure confidentiality, no identifying personal information is collected, although an email address is required to initiate the survey.

PPC Chair, Dr. Ed Morse of UNC Charlotte states, “The CMS and PPC will use the 2020 study to clarify the needs of our membership and guide our education and career-enhancement programs. This timely snapshot of the industry is important to the CMS membership and sheds light on what is trending in our highly specialized discipline. The PrecisionPath Consortium will review the granular findings of the study and share the main takeaways in a State-of-the-Metrology Industry Report in the second half of the year.”

Interested professionals from the science, design, or manufacturing communities are welcome and invited to join the PrecisionPath Consortium. Please contact Dr. Ed Morse, PPC Chair, at emorse@uncc.edu, if you can commit to attending remote or in-person monthly meetings. The group is also currently researching and assessing the workforce needs of the industry as well and will update this section of its Technology Roadmap later in the year.

About The Author

Belinda Jones

Belinda Jones is the founder and owner of HiTech Marketing LLC, in Westbrook, Connecticut. For more than a decade, Jones has written articles and commentaries about manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, CAD/CAM/CAE applications, and other high-tech topics. She has extensive experience in marketing communications, technical sales, and applications engineering. Before joining the computer industry, she was a broadcast copywriter for four years. Jones holds degrees in fine arts and mechanical engineering, and studied cultural arts in Europe.