You can pick whatever term or phrase you like:
Industry 4.0.
Smart Manufacturing.
Industrial Internet of Things.
The Connected Enterprise.
When it comes to the modern manufacturing operation, vocabulary is interchangeable. Results are essential. So, when Hexagon recently unveiled MAESTRO, their next-generation coordinate measuring machine, the descriptive terminology was appreciated but promises of faster inspection capabilities, more intuitive operations, and digital integration capabilities were what captured the most attention.
MAESTRO is positioned as the first all-digital offering of its kind and described as an IoT measurement system, i.e. not your father’s CMM. The company feels this is realized primarily with the speed in which it can perform complex measurements without slowing down production timelines.
These time-saving attributes stem from a redesigned mechanical structure, single-cable digital platform, and advanced sensor technologies. Such engineering innovations translate to an ability to measure at sub-micron tolerances in meeting stringent industry standards and complex geometries often found in the defense, aerospace and medical sectors, to name a few.
Hexagon states that time is also saved due to the minimal prep time needed in calibrating and positioning probes. This is realized via synchronised axis movements and cloud-connected software. The company also states that pilot users have reported reduced inspection lead times that have helped minimize production bottlenecks and keep pace with customers demanding shorter lead times, higher quality, and greater levels of customization.
Keeping It Simple
Just because a product has all the new-age bells and whistles, that does not provide a license to be overly complicated. If speed was the first of four pillars on which MAESTRO was built, simplicity was the second.
“Manufacturers told us they needed a next-generation system that tackles rising quality demands and skills shortages,” said Jorg Deller, General Manager, Stationary Metrology Devices at Hexagon. “By rethinking our hardware and software from the ground up, rather than iterating on existing systems, we’ve had the freedom to create a high-accuracy inspection solution that is so intuitive anyone from expert to new hires is significantly more productive.”
In addition to addressing production and skills gap concerns with simplified functionality, this strategy reflects one of the most vital ways to measure a true advancement in manufacturing potential. Generally speaking, automation looks to minimize manual labor, but leverage human expertise in vital operational areas, like quality control. By spending less time training and troubleshooting new users, IIoT developments like the MAESTRO can be put to task more quickly and efficiently, improving throughput and return on investment.
Hexagon states that CMM programming is also simplified by a more intuitive user interface and next-generation cloud-native apps, powered by Hexagon’s Nexus platform. These functions combine to allow for all levels of user experience to generate repeatable, standard-compliant measurements with having to write or edit code.
This would seem to address one of the most prominent challenges faced by manufacturers around the globe – a continuously-expanding skills gap. With more experienced quality control experts leaving or aging-out of the workforce, technology strategies like those illustrated by the MAESTRO will become more and more important for manufacturers looking to stay competitive.
Making Connections
Seemingly every new piece of industrial technology touts its’ ability to connect to enterprise assets in enhancing access to the new lifeblood of manufacturing – data. In developing MAESTRO, Hexagon broke new ground in the CMM market by offering similar capabilities. According to the company, MAESTRO is “built for connected facilities with an end-to-end digital architecture and seamless automation integration.”
Making connectivity a core element of the product design and development process allowed for embedding advanced functionality that is synonymous with next-level production strategies. A digital-first architecture means data can flow in and out of the MAESTRO in supporting other quality-driven platforms via components as simple as sensors to more complex industrial controllers and systems.
MAESTRO’s integration into Hexagon’s Nexus ecosystem also simplifies the sharing of real-time data across multiple departments, teams and work cells. Hexagon sees this functionality as key in helping drive the primary benefit of any advanced manufacturing technology – empowering data-driven decision-making. Sharing this data so it can be leveraged throughout the facility or enterprise is what IIoT is all about.
Tipping the Scales
The final pillar MAESTRO shares with other IIoT devices is scalability. What’s unique is the straightforward manner in which Hexagon chose to enable upgrades. The decision to implement modular software and hardware packages means the MAESTRO, as well as its supporting platform, can react very quickly to changes in the marketplace stemming from new applications, updated compliance guidelines or constantly evolving customer demands.
According to Shawn Thelen, a Hexagon product sales manager, the upgradeability component was a key request from his customers – provided the process was not overly complicated. Hexagon’s approach seems to have met this challenge and delivered on another key aspect of the scalability pillar. By meeting evolving quality assurance needs more quickly, MAESTRO users could realize a key competitive advantage over those using platforms with legacy upgrade dynamics.
This approach also addresses a key component of any technology purchase – simplified implementation when performing updates. According to Hexagon, manufacturers can access the latest software, sensors, and additional capabilities in a manner that will not create production bottlenecks or negatively impact throughput.
This scalability functionality also flows through the company’s PC-DMIS, Metrology Mentor, Metrology Asset Manager, and Metrology Reporting Nexus Apps. MAESTRO will be offered initially in multiple sizes and configurations with future models and enhancements that will be based on a single platform in maintaining a focus on simplified scalability.
Additional specifications, demos, and pricing is available at https://hexagon.com/products/maestro.
Speed, simplicity, connectivity and scalability. These are the driving forces behind the latest CMM technology, and the most recent expansion of IIoT capabilities. But ideally, the introduction of Hexagon’s MAESTRO can serve as more than just a new product launch. For manufacturers embracing the promise of next-generation technologies, it could be a case study on the benefits of focusing on customer needs in delivering key solutions that can continue to advance manufacturing production capabilities.