Measuring Software Capabilities Enhanced with New Features

Wilcox Associates Inc., a Hexagon Metrology company, has announced the release of PC-DMIS 2009, the latest version of its market-leading CAD-based metrology software. PC-DMIS 2009 is a family of software products covering a variety of metrology hardware platforms and solutions sold under the banner of Enterprise Metrology Solutions (EMS). PC-DMIS 2009 rolls out enhanced versions of PC-DMIS CMM and PC-DMIS Vision software, and also introduces new products such as PC-DMIS Planner and PC-DMIS Reporting Suite.

“PC-DMIS 2009 is a very significant release for Wilcox,” said Ken Woodbine, president of Wilcox Associates, Inc. “Far from being simply an incremental release of PC-DMIS, 2009 is the culmination of development projects we have been working on for several years, and represents the tightest integration yet of the product suite. It also brings together new hardware categories that have been added to the Hexagon Metrology group since the last major release of PC-DMIS. The m&h machine tool probe integration with PC-DMIS NC for CNC machine tools is one of the most significant. The development team is extremely excited about this release and we know our customers will be too.”

Feature Highlights
The core product of the EMS suite is PC-DMIS CMM, which is used primarily on automated Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), offers many new functional and visual improvements across the board. A new feature is Protected Mode Execution, a “run-only” mode with password protection against all editing or changing of the program or reports. This mode is ideal for the company that has a library of programs and wishes for operators to run them and interact with them without being allowed to alter them in any way.  This is of particular relevance for companies with medical certification requirements, such as FDA.

The software's new visual programming enhancements include visualization of specific move paths before and after a selected feature, visualization and animation of the machine’s working volume within the model view, and translucent clearance plane visualization. Additionally the Grid View is expanded to allow points to be rapidly defined at any cross section automatically.

PC-DMIS 2009 offers enhanced Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) support for all standard GD&T calculation methods including ASME and ISO, plus additional option selections, and real-time dimensional calculation. New CAD support for the growing JT format is included as well.

Other new measurement capabilities for non-contact 3D laser probes include the display of laser stripes, measured features, and measured points. New laser hole and cone auto-feature measurement are also added.  

PC-DMIS 2009 is now available for shipment with new Hexagon Metrology brands Brown & Sharpe, DEA, Leitz and Sheffield, plus is retro-fittable as a software upgrade for most other CMM makes and models.  Existing customers with current software maintenance agreements are eligible for a free upgrade to PC-DMIS 2009. The release software can be downloaded from www.WilcoxAssoc.com.

About Hexagon Metrology
Hexagon Metrology is part of the Hexagon AB Group and includes leading metrology brands such as Brown & Sharpe, CE Johansson, CimCore, CogniTens, DEA, Leica Geosystems (Metrology Division), Leitz, m&h, PC-DMIS, QUINDOS, ROMER, Sheffield and TESA. Hexagon Metrology brands represent an unrivaled global installed base of millions of CMMs, portable measuring systems and handheld instruments, and tens of thousands of metrology software licenses. Hexagon Metrology empowers its customers to fully control manufacturing processes that rely on dimensional precision, ensuring that products manufactured precisely conform to the original product design. The company offering of machines, systems and software is complemented by a wide range of product support, aftermarket and value-added services.  More information can be found at www.HexagonMetrology.com

High-Res Image: PC-DMIS 2009 Copyright Notice: For Offical Press Purposes Only; no other uses permitted