Development towards a focus variation based micro-co-ordinate measuring machine

The increasing number of small and fragile parts that are being manufactured using micromachining technology has raised the demand for co-ordinate measurement machines (CMM) that can measure on a micro- and millimetric scale without contacting the part, thus avoiding damage to the surface of the part. These instruments are expected to measure on a micro- and millimetric scale with a measuring uncertainty in the nanometre range. A number of techniques used for contactless surface measurements exist, such as the focus variation (FV) technique, which have the ability to perform measurements on the micro- and millimetric scale in a short amount of time. These instruments may have the potential to be implemented in a non-contact micro-CMM platform. [Continues.]