‘Squeeze’ Gaging
Machinists working strictly in metalworking shops don’t have many occasions to gage the thickness of soft materials.
3D Scanners for Heavy Equipment Manufacturers
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Post-processing a 3D scan in software helps optimize parts. Credit: Creaform.
Maintaining high-quality standards is critical in the heavy equipment industry. Customers rely on manufacturers to deliver products that perform reliably in harsh and demanding operating conditions. The stakes are high.
Innovating Aerospace Quality Control With New Metrology Solutions
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A GKN Aerospace team member uses the MetraSCAN 3D to scan an aerospace part.
GKN Aerospace Deutschland is a global tier-one supplier of airframe and engine structures, landing gear, electrical interconnection systems, transparencies, and aftermarket services.
AI and 3D Scanning Are Shaping the Future of Bridge Safety
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The Artec Leo 3D scanner being used to digitize beams underneath a bridge.
The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024 was the consequence of a long-standing problem: the fragility of aging infrastructure.
Five Concepts Can Help You Understand Quantum Mechanics and Technology
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NIST physicist Tara Fortier at work. Credit: R. Wilson/NIST
If you’ve heard or read about quantum mechanics, you may have seen it described as “weird.” Even the great Albert Einstein—one of the founders of quantum mechanics—called certain aspects of the theory “spooky.”
Breaking New Ground With 3D Scanners in Metal Forging and Forming
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Bharat Forge CDP Gmb employee uses the MetraSCAN 3D optical CMM scanner to capture 3D measurements on a metal part.
For 185 years, Bharat Forge CDP has been a hallmark of expertise and craftsmanship in metal forging and forming.
Using Metrology to Perfect Race Cars
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2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Credit: Wayne Taylor Racing
Founded in 2007 by three-time World Sportscar Champion Wayne Taylor, Wayne Taylor Racing has quickly become one of the most recognized motor sports brands around the world.
Automakers Boost Quality With Servo-Electric Test Systems
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eMpulse Test Systems’ four-poster road simulator uses servo-electric actuators to simulate road and driving conditions.
Since the early 1980s, the automotive industry has used hydraulically actuated (servo-hydraulic) test systems to simulate operating speeds and road conditions for testing OEM components and fully assembled vehicles.
Using AI to Digitize and Preserve Legacy Designs and Techniques
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Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of an ornithopter (aircraft that operates by flapping its wings).
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum across a vast array of fields. Nearly everyone has tried or actively uses a form of AI, whether for personal or professional purposes.
Robots and AI Are Working Together
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In the Autonomous Formulation Laboratory, Peter Beaucage and other experts are revolutionizing the way product formulations, such as medicines and shampoo, are created and improved. Credit: M. King/NIST
Every time you squeeze toothpaste onto your toothbrush, spray perfume on your skin, or swallow a pill, you’re using the result of a carefully crafted recipe made in a lab. These are called formulations.
