Technological change is moving quickly, especially in manufacturing, and if your production line features a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), there is a good chance its efficiency could benefit from the attention of contract programming with specialized metrology knowledge. While your business may already have an in-house programmer, hiring a contract programmer who understands the complexities of CMM technology and software, and knows how to maximize the potential of your equipment, is worth it in the long run. Depending on your particular needs, contracting expert help may be more economical than hiring another full-time staff person.
Metrology software is being updated every year, and with new versions of industry standard software like PolyWorks Inspector that drastically expand what CMMs are capable of doing, engaging contract programmers to leverage software capacity to customize your CMM equipment’s pathways to optimal effect will help you get the most out of this new software. If you are looking for CMM contract programming services here are a few things to keep in mind.
First, hire programmers who will be able to work with your current programming staff to help facilitate training and knowledge sharing. This is especially important if you are hiring a contractor to help with the installation of new software or equipment. When considering potential hires, find out whether they offer a training package to help teach your own staff how to get the most out of the new programs.
Second, find out if a programmer can help you increase the efficiency of programs you are already running. If you are hiring an expert contractor, it is more cost-effective to bring them on for a more extensive review of your whole operation. They may be able to find hidden efficiencies that wouldn’t be obvious if they were only focussing on one particular program or machine.
Finally, if you need programmers to help with more sophisticated tasks, like writing programs for complex applications such as customized logic routines, blades and gears, or guided routes for portable inspection using ROMER Arms or Leica Laser Trackers, make sure they are able to provide a clear description of the work they have done for future programmers to refer to. This will not only give your in-house team a resource to refer to should they need to make changes, it will also make things easier next time an upgrade is needed.
We are living through a time of systemic and accelerating technological change. The Internet of Things is streamlining production lines and fundamentally altering how manufacturing works by increasing the capacity for responsive problem solving among machines themselves. This has far-reaching implications for the industrial sector as a whole, but it is also creating huge opportunities for increased profit margins and reduced waste for those who are able to harness the power of this new technological paradigm.
CMMs are only one important facet of the assembly line, however, and with modern factories now requiring a sophisticated understanding of a whole range of different programs, functions, and machines, expert knowledge is more important than ever. If you want to optimize the functionality of your CMM equipment, save yourself time and money by hiring contractors who already have an intimate knowledge of metrology programming, equipment, and software to make the most out of CMM advantages.
