In the shopfloor environment, the challenge is not just measuring a part, but monitoring production continuously.
This means thousands of work cycles, high speeds, and a constant enemy: dirt.
That is why the motion systems and the machine layout determine your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and the efficiency of your production line.
Laboratory machines use air bearings because of their extremely smooth motion.
However, on the shopfloor the presence of oil, dust, and contaminants makes these systems prone to failures and blockages.
Ready RUN solutions are equipped with prismatic guideways and recirculating ball bearings, completely eliminating air bearings.
This choice guarantees high resistance to contamination and allows the machine to operate reliably without the need for clean rooms or dedicated compressed air systems. It is also a standard adopted by other leaders in the shopfloor metrology sector to ensure stability in harsh environments.
When a CMM is used to monitor production rather than perform occasional inspections, the number of axis movements increases exponentially.
In traditional systems with lead screws or rack-and-pinion drives, mechanical wear requires frequent and costly maintenance.
The integration of linear motors in Ready machines changes the rules of the game:
No mechanical contact: No screws, no pinions, no wear.
Minimal maintenance: Operating costs drop dramatically because there are no transmission components to adjust or replace.
High speed and acceleration: Enables extremely fast movements to keep up with modern production rates.
The efficiency of a CMM is also measured by the time required to load and unload parts.
The Ready RUN series introduces Full Front Table Extraction. Unlike moving-bridge systems, where the operator must reach inside the machine structure, the table here slides completely out of the portal.
This provides superior ergonomics for manual loading, making the work safer and less physically demanding.
More and more frequently, medium and small batch production is handled by cobots (collaborative robots).
Ready’s layout is specifically designed to make this integration smooth and safe:
Separated zones: Thanks to the moving table, the Loading Area is physically separated from the Measuring Area.
No waiting time: The bridge and probing head always remain outside the robot’s working space. The cobot can already wait above the unloading area during the measurement cycle. As soon as the table moves outward, it can unload and reload the part with a quick rotation.
Safety without digital handshakes: There is no need for complex clearance signals allowing the robot to enter the measuring head workspace, because the two areas never overlap. The result? Faster cycles and maximum operational safety.
A shopfloor CMM should not only be precise—it should be a tireless worker.
Choosing a technology without air bearings and with linear motors means investing in a machine that is not afraid of dirt and drastically reduces maintenance costs.
And when the layout facilitates automation, quality control stops being a bottleneck and becomes a real competitive advantage.
