Mitutoyo America Corporation, a leader in the field of precision measuring tools and instruments, today introduced the MiCAT Planner automatic measurement program generation software that uses 3D CAD models and Product and Manufacturing Information (PMI) to enable one-click automated generation of measurement programs. With this new program, a complex program that previously would have taken five hours to complete manually can now be completed in 15 minutes.
Aerospace, defense and medical device manufacturers will realize significant savings in time and money by making the automatic measurement program generation software MiCAT Planner a part of their digital product definition strategy.
“Mitutoyo’s MiCAT Planner software is changing the relationship between people and precision measurement with one click,” said Larry Maggiano, senior systems analyst at Mitutoyo America. “Our software program reduces programming time by up to 95 percent, compared with programming using general‐purpose software, for a significant potential increase in the efficiency of measurement processes.”
MiCAT Planner bypasses the old drawing-based method to directly generate and execute a model-based workflow. “The coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is configurable virtually,” Maggiano said. “A model-based definition (MBD) is imported, a set of rules is applied and matched to the configured CMM, and a measurement plan is generated. With one mouse click, a final probe path optimization is performed to reduce the number of probe changes and to minimize CMM movement to the lowest possible cycle time, and that part program is then automatically generated.”
Benefits of MiCAT Planner
- Streamlined processes
- Improved productivity
- Reduced manufacturing costs
- Enhanced traceability
- Companies can realize up to a 95-percent savings in time compared to drawing-based methods
- Component manufacturers receive a single CAD file and complete all the necessary steps to build and inspect a part
- All pertinent features and characteristics are transferred into the inspection software, reducing the risk of misinterpretation
- Discrepancies arising from differences between the drawing and the CAD model are eliminated
- CMM configurations can be changed at any point
- Workflow automation
- Part measurement consistency
Established in 1963, Mitutoyo America Corporation offers turnkey metrology solutions and integrates measuring directly into manufacturing processes via inline automation. The company is the first service organization to have A2LA-accredited field service technicians. To help develop metrology solutions that best suit customers’ needs, Mitutoyo America operates nine M3 Solution Centers across the country, staffed with dedicated metrology specialists providing expertise on the most advanced technological equipment.
