‘METROLOGY BREW’ News Bulletin – 30th March
Summary of metrology and smart manufacturing news from the past 7 days.
Optical Vision Systems Transform Microchip Handling Accuracy
In the high-precision world of the semiconductor industry, every micrometer counts. To ensure the exact, contactless positioning of even the smallest components, esmo AG, a leading provider of special machine engineering, automation technology, and semiconductor handling, relies on optical inspection technology from senswork in its Talos system series … read more
Real-Time Measurement Reduces Scrap in Plastic Profiles
A new measurement technology reduces scrap in fiber‑reinforced plastic (FRP) profiles and enables cost‑effective, real-time process control for small and medium-sized enterprises. Researchers developed the system in the PulLoop project led by the Fraunhofer Application Center for Optical Metrology and Surface Technologies AZOM. Together with Fraunhofer IGCV … read more
Nikon Boosts Throughput and Automation with Next-Generation NEXIV Software
Nikon Corp has announced major advancements across its NEXIV software lineup with the release of the newest versions of AutoMeasure and Advanced Measure, designed to significantly simplify program creation, automate operator tasks, and accelerate high‑volume measurement workflows. “With these updates, manufacturers gain powerful optimizations … read more
Interlayer Control System Advances Quality Assurance in Industrial 3D Printing
In industrial AM, ensuring consistent part quality remains one of the sector’s most persistent challenges. Variations in thermal conditions during the build process, particularly between layers, can significantly impact layer adhesion, structural integrity, and final part performance. Royal3D has announced the market readiness of its new Interlayer Control System … read more
Intelligent Automation-Led Manufacturing Emerges as a Strategic Imperative for Automakers
“The intelligent factory is no longer a future ambition – it has become essential for manufacturers looking to stay competitive in a challenging and fast-moving environment,” said Joerg Reger, Managing Director of ABB Robotics Automotive Business Line. “This year’s survey shows that automation, particularly more autonomous and versatile robotics … read more
Comprehensive Reverse Engineering and Metallurgy Services Meet Aerospace Challenges
When a leading FAA-certified repair station faced the challenge of replicating critical components without original design documentation, it turned to NVision. NVision provides reverse engineering, encompassing 3D scanning, 3D CAD modeling, 2D drawings, and materials analysis. Leveraging its advanced scanning/measurement, engineering, and metallurgy capabilities … read more
True-Absolute Multi-DoF Encoder System for High-Performance Motion Control
Renishaw, a global leader in precision engineering technologies, has unveiled a new multi-degree-of-freedom optical encoder system, designed to deliver advanced position measurement in up to six degrees of freedom (6DoF). The system combines one or more RXMA30 1.5D scales with the company’s established RESOLUTE absolute encoder readheads … read more
Real-Time Simulation Integration Drives Quality and Control in Robotics Engineering
PTC has announced a new robotics design-to-simulation workflow that connects PTC’s cloud-native Onshape CAD and product data management (PDM) platform with NVIDIA Isaac Sim open simulation framework. The workflow was introduced at NVIDIA GTC 2026 to demonstrate how teams can simulate robot designs while maintaining a single source of truth … read more
Industry 4.0 Barometer 2026 Reveals Growing Global Digitalization Gap
China is designing the factory of the future, while Europe, and the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) in particular, are struggling with the past. Established IT and OT landscapes as well as fragmented data structures are hampering progress here. Meanwhile, China is taking the lead in terms of supply chain transparency, digital twin technology, automation, and AI … read more
Metromeet 2026 Focus on AI, Digital Twins, and Future of Dimensional Metrology
The global dimensional metrology community will once again converge in northern Spain this autumn, as the 22nd edition of Metromeet is set to take place on October 1–2, at the Euskalduna Conference Center in Bilbao. Recognised as one of the premier international gatherings in the field, the event continues to serve as a focal point for the metrology landscape … read more
Vision Engineering Group Director of Group Sales to Spearhead Growth
Vision Engineering, manufacturer of innovative microscopy, metrology, and digital 3D visualisation solutions, has announced the appointment of Jacques Brümmer as Director of Group Sales. Brümmer will oversee the sales strategy for Vision Engineering’s renowned core portfolio, while also driving commercial synergy across the wider Group businesses … read more
Renault to Deploy 350 Humanoid Robots in Industrial Automation Push
At its recent ‘futuREady’ strategy event, Renault Group announced plans to deploy 350 humanoid robots developed with Wandercraft across its manufacturing facilities within the next 18 months. The move represents one of the most ambitious large-scale implementations of humanoid robotics in automotive production and signals a decisive shift from experimentation … read more
Exploring the Future of Metrology at CMSC 2026
The Coordinate Metrology Society has announced a standout keynote for the 2026 Coordinate Metrology Society Conference, bringing a unique perspective that bridges precision engineering and astronomical discovery. Dr. Sandrine J. Thomas, Rubin Associate Director for Summit Operations at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will take the stage to explore how metrology underpins … read more
US Cutting Tool Shipments Up 9.9% from January 2025
Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, a collaboration between The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute, totaled $220.7 million in January 2026. Orders increased 2.7% from December 2025 and were up 9.9% from January 2025 … read more