January 2026 Metrology News Magazine

Editors Message:

As we begin a new year, the metrology community finds itself at a pivotal moment. Manufacturing is evolving faster than ever, driven by digital transformation, automation, and rising expectations for precision, speed, and traceability. At the heart of this transformation lies metrology – quietly but decisively shaping how quality is defined, measured, and delivered.

This year promises to be one of acceleration. From the continued rise of digital threads and model-based definitions to the growing influence of AI, sensors, and real-time data, metrology is no longer a downstream function – it is becoming an active, intelligent contributor to production and decision-making. Measurement is moving closer to the process, closer to the product, and closer to strategy.

In this first issue of the year, we explore the technologies, ideas, and organizations helping to define what comes next. Our goal is not only to report on innovation, but to connect the dots – between software and hardware, inspection and manufacturing, data and insight. Whether you are working on the shop floor, in the lab, or shaping the future of quality at an organizational level, these conversations matter.

Looking ahead to 2026, Metrology News will continue to deliver focused, in-depth coverage aligned with the industry’s most important themes. Our 2026 editorial calendar has been developed to explore how metrology is evolving across software, hardware, automation, and data -highlighting emerging technologies, real-world applications, and the standards shaping measurement today and tomorrow. As always, we welcome your ideas, insights, and story submissions, and we look forward to your continued contributions as we explore the year ahead together.

Already, 2026 is getting off to a dynamic start, marked by several industry acquisitions, new product launches, and strategic partnerships that signal both momentum and continued investment across the metrology landscape.

Here’s to a year of sharper insight, smarter measurement, and measurable impact.

This month featured articles included “Smart Factories 2050 – The Metrology Factor”; “From Data to Insight – How AI Is Transforming Manufacturing Software”; “Intelligent Inspection – The Role of AI in Next-Generation CT Workflows”; “Cybersecurity in Smart Metrology – Safeguarding Data Integrity in Connected Systems“; “Innovations Driving EV Hairpin Stator Measurement” and “Metrology Automation Transforms Sheet Metal Inspection“.

Access the full library of January Metrology News articles by clicking here.

As usual, I welcome your comments, news, and views – my inbox is always open.

Keith Mills – Publishing Editor

Smart Factories 2050 | The Metrology Factor

For decades industry has chased speed, scale, and automation – often celebrating output while assuming quality would somehow keep pace. That assumption no longer holds. As factories become smarter, faster, and more autonomous, one truth is emerging: the future will be defined less by how efficiently we produce, and more by how intelligently we measure. Looking toward 2050, the winners in global manufacturing will not simply be those … read more

Innovations Driving EV Hairpin Stator Measurement

As EV production scales, metrology suppliers are racing to deliver solutions capable of reliably measuring one of the most challenging powertrain components: the hairpin stator assembly. These assemblies, comprising hundreds of bent copper ‘hairpins’ inserted into a laminated stator core, deliver improved electrical performance over traditional wound coils … read more

CAPPS-NC Delivers Closed-Loop CNC Control with Wireless 3D Scanning and Automatic Tool Changing

Applied Automation Technologies (AAT3D) has announced the integration of the Hexagon LS-R-4.8 blue light laser scanning sensor into the CAPPS-NC manufacturing platform. The integration enables wireless communication and intelligent automatic tool changer (ATC) management to support high-speed, non-contact inspection of large airframe stringers and complex structural components … read more

UnitX Launches FleX AI-Powered Visual Inspection System for Inline Manufacturing Quality Control

UnitX, a supplier of AI-driven inline visual inspection, has launched FleX, its flagship platform engineered for manufacturing excellence. FleX is the essential platform for the toughest quality control demand, securing the highest quality, reducing the cost of scrap, and maximizing OEE. FleX elevates the benchmark for inline inspection by unifying advanced AI delivering significant gains across four critical areas … read more

Metrology Automation Transforms Sheet Metal Inspection

In sheet metal manufacturing, tight tolerances and complex geometries make accurate inspection critical. When productivity constraints limit the number of parts inspected, undetected deviations in thickness, flatness, or in formed, cut, and punched features can accumulate and result in tolerance stack-up issues across assemblies. This article examines the challenges … read more

RUN Brings Metrology-Grade CMM to the Shopfloor

As manufacturing continue to evolve toward faster cycles, higher complexity, and greater automation, the role of dimensional inspection is shifting decisively onto the production floor. Ready’s RUN coordinate measuring machines has been developed specifically to meet these demands, delivering metrology-grade accuracy in a robust, production-ready format … read more

How Additive Manufacturing and 3D Scanning Improves Product Quality

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is driving significant change in industrial production. By enabling complex, lightweight, and custom components, AM unlocks design possibilities previously impossible with traditional manufacturing. Yet, these benefits hinge on precise quality control, where 3D scanning becomes indispensable. In highly demanding industries like aerospace, where every gram matters, precision is critical … read more

Beyond the Factory Floor – Metrology’s Expanding Role in Cultural Heritage

In industrial metrology, accuracy is routinely measured in microns. Increasingly, however, these same precision technologies are finding applications far beyond the factory floor. One of the most compelling examples is their growing role in the scientific analysis and conservation of cultural heritage. A recent study of a 17th-century copy of Mona Lisa … read more

Handheld CMM Elevates Precision and Efficiency at Aviation MRO Specialist

In the aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, there is little margin for error. Components such as life-limited engine parts operate under extreme conditions, and any deviation from specification can have serious performance and safety implications. For JETAIR SUPPORT, a specialist in the inspection and maintenance of aviation components … read more

Using Industrial CT to Engineer High-Performance Pickleball Paddles

In the rapidly maturing pickleball market, the gap between good and great has narrowed to just a few percentage points. For elite paddles, performance differences between top brands can be as small as five percent—nearly indistinguishable without precise measurement. At this level of refinement, incremental improvements are no longer enough … read more

GoPxL Toolchains Reflect the Evolution of Inline 3D Metrology

Inline metrology continues to shift from isolated inspection tasks toward fully integrated, sensor-resident measurement workflows. As manufacturers demand faster cycle times, higher data fidelity, and tighter integration with automation, inspection software is increasingly expected to operate at the sensor level delivering actionable dimensional data … read more

High-Speed Structured Light Scanning Elevates Automotive HVAC Component Inspection

Denso Manufacturing Czech s.r.o. needed a more efficient and accurate way for inspecting HVAC and their components – heat exchangers, fans, and plastic parts – as its previous system reached the end of its serviceability. By adopting the Hexagon SmartScan VR800 structured light scanner, Denso now performs fast, high-accuracy, non-contact inspection … read more

FARO and Creaform Combine to Form Two New Business Units

FARO Technologies and Creaform, businesses of AMETEK, Inc., are announcing a major new chapter in their evolutions which will reframe how industries approach metrology and reality capture. FARO’s 3D Measurement business segment is combining with Creaform, giving rise to FARO CREAFORM, a business unit delivering rigorous dimensional measurement solutions providing practical certainty so manufacturing teams can act decisively … read more

AI-Driven Weld Inspection System Cuts Set-Up Time by 80%

The artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of SmartRay’s automated 3D inline weld inspection solution are redefining quality and process control for welding processes. JOSY’s new AI-driven algorithm package allows detecting across the entire weld seam borders within seconds, without the need for on-site training. Operators receive instant results of weld characteristics … read more

From Data to Insight – How AI Is Transforming Manufacturing Software

For decades, metrology software has focused on one core task: accurately measuring parts and reporting deviations against nominal values. While automation, CAD integration, and digital reporting have steadily improved efficiency, the responsibility for interpreting results and deciding next actions has largely remained with human experts. That boundary is now beginning to shift … read more

Intelligent Inspection – The Role of AI in Next-Generation CT Workflows

Where precision tolerances and complex geometry components challenge traditional quality assurance, computed tomography (CT) has become an indispensable tool for non‑destructive inspection. From additive manufacturing to aerospace castings, CT provides engineers with the ability to visualize and measure internal structures that would remain hidden … read more

Cybersecurity in Smart Metrology – Safeguarding Data Integrity in Connected Systems

The rapid adoption of Smart Metrology – where measurement systems are networked, automated, and tightly integrated into digital manufacturing ecosystems – is transforming quality assurance. Measurement data now feeds directly into closed-loop process control, digital twins, analytics platforms, and enterprise systems, making metrology a core driver … read more

Shaping the Future of Machine Vision Through Integration and Customer Focus

Allied Vision has announced that it is uniting the Machine Vision brands Allied Vision, Chromasens, Mikrotron, NET, and SVS-Vistek under one brand, becoming a comprehensive provider of customer-centric, integrated hardware and software solutions. The companies will combine their extensive technological expertise, individual strengths, and industry knowledge … read more

Leuze Introduces Compact Code Reader for High-Speed Industrial Traceability

Leuze has expanded its sensor portfolio with the introduction of the DCR 100i series, a compact industrial code reader engineered for reliable 1D, 2D, and direct part marking (DPM) code detection. Designed to operate across variable working distances and at high process speeds, the new series addresses the growing demands of tracking, traceability, and quality control in modern industrial production environments ... read more

Minitab Expanding Real-Time Manufacturing Analytics With Scytec Acquisition

Minitab, a leader in data management, predictive analytics, and process improvement solutions, announced today the acquisition of Scytec, a manufacturing technology company specializing in real-time machine data collection, machine monitoring, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) software. This acquisition enhances Minitab’s end-to-end solutions … read more

Hexagon Robotics to Collaborate with Microsoft to Advance Humanoid Robots

Hexagon Robotics has announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft aimed at advancing humanoid robots. Combining Hexagon Robotics’ expertise in sensor fusion, robotics, and spatial intelligence and Microsoft’s strengths in cloud computing and scalable platforms, including Real-Time Intelligence in Microsoft Fabric, Azure IoT Operations, and Azure App Service … read more

Quality in Real Time – Renault Group’s Shift to Data-Centric Quality Control

In an automotive sector undergoing rapid change, quality must represent a true commitment to customers. Renault Group has made it one of its key drivers of transformation and has rolled out a fast-paced methodological and cultural revolution: factory digitalization, quality runs, industrial metaverse, real-time responsiveness. Four years after the plan was announced … read more

Siemens and NVIDIA Unveil Industrial AI Operating System Paving Way for AI-Driven Factories

At CES 2026, Siemens and NVIDIA announced an expanded partnership aimed at transforming industrial manufacturing through artificial intelligence. Building on years of collaboration, the companies introduced the Industrial AI Operating System, a platform designed to accelerate innovation and optimize operations across the full lifecycle of products and production … read more

Hyundai Motor Group To Accelerate Human–Robot Collaboration in Smart Manufacturing

At CES 2026, Hyundai Motor Group has introduced its AI Robotics Strategy under the theme “Partnering Human Progress,” outlining a roadmap to position the company as a leader in the emerging Physical AI era emphasizing human-centered robots that operate in real-world environments, learning continuously from measured data to collaborate safely and effectively … read more

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