Portable CMM arm and laser tracker wins award

Faro Technologies received the Spotlight on New Technology Award for its CMM TrackArm which enables users to measure hidden points that other tracker systems miss.

Faro Technologies, a leader in portable measurement arm and laser tracker sales, received the Spotlight on New Technology Award for its TrackArm at the 2007 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

More than 60,000 people attended OTC, the premier showcase of its kind for the most advanced technologies.

Faro was chosen for the award because the TrackArm is new and innovative, has been proven in the field, has a broad interest to the industry and has a significant impact beyond existing technologies.

By combining the impressive range of the Faro Laser Tracker and the flexibility of the six- or seven-axis Platinum FaroArm, the TrackArm enables users to measure hidden points that other tracker systems miss.

The Faro TrackArm unites the Faro Laser Tracker, which has a range of up to 230 feet, with the Platinum FaroArm - the original and only long-reach, six-degree-of-freedom probe on the market.

Both systems share the same CAM2 Measure software (on the same PC or separately), so all of the data is easily accessible.

"Combining these two technologies creates an immediate R.O.I.," Faro President and CEO Jay Freeland said.

"A manufacturer can use the Faro Laser Tracker for all of their large volume, 3-D measurement applications.

Then they can then use the Platinum FaroArm's six degrees of freedom to reach the hidden points that all other tracker systems miss.

That means they have the ability to measure anything, any size, anywhere - simultaneously - but now with no line-of-sight limitations, and all on the same software interface".

In seconds, the Faro TrackArm can switch from the Tracker to the Arm, enabling the Platinum FaroArm's six degrees of freedom to reach the hidden points that are out of the Laser Tracker's line of sight - even around corners and inside.

The big benefit of TrackArm technology is that the user no longer has to go through the lengthy process of establishing reference points.

This is accomplished in part by having a dedicated laser target mounted on the Platinum FaroArm.

The CAM2 Measure software provides a simple user interface to quickly and easily switch back and forth between the Tracker and Arm.

Perhaps best of all, it can also be used separately as two stand-alone portable CMMs, yet sells for less than the cost of purchasing the technology separately, regardless of the FaroArm's size.

"Working together or apart, the TrackArm is a great value and will boost measurement efficiency on the shop floor," Freeland said.

"It enables users to inspect, reverse engineer or perform CAD-to-Part-analysis with greater ease than ever before".

The TrackArm is available as a complete system (Laser Control Station, FaroArm and TrackArm Kit), or current USB FaroArm or Faro Laser Tracker users can order the TrackArm Upgrade to enable to the two portable CMMs to work together.

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