Leica Geosystems, part of the Hexagon Measurement Technologies group, will take the wraps off its all new laser tracker at MACH.

When it makes its debut, the fifth generation portable CMM - called the Absolute - will be the most robust, accurate, and thermally stable tracker on the market. The tracker - the most compact yet to emerge from the Swiss manufacturer - offers scaled up features in a scaled down housing for the best available portability and ease of handling on the factory floor. It weighs in at only 22kg and measures just 62cm in height. Other advances include quicker start up times, improved manoeuvrability and ease of use, faster operation, and maintenance-free internal design.

The Absolute family comprises three systems - the entry level Leica AT901-Basic which provides users with a measurement volume of up to 80m, the Leica AT901-MR, a midrange laser tracker with 6DoF (6 Degrees of Freedom) capabilities, and the range-topping Leica AT901-LR.

The Leica AT901-Basic is targeted at users with basic applications where measurements with just a corner cube are preferred.

The AT901-MR provides greater flexibility. The variant works in conjunction with Leica Geosystems' T-Probe, T-Scan and T-Mac products providing a measurement volume of up to 18m. When used with a corner cube, the volume increases to 50m. Absolute AT901-MR customers are expected to include automotive manufacturers which Leica believes will value the facility to fit several bodies-in-white within the product's large measurement envelope.

The top-of-the range Leica AT901-LR features similar large measurement volume and T-product compatibility benefits. It will be targeted at companies working in aerospace manufacturing with tooling, part mating and inspection applications. A volume of up to 30m is possible with the flagship tracker when measuring with T-products. When used with a corner cube, this increases to 80m.

All three models feature a redesigned controller unit with backwards compatibility covering every tracker the company has made.

Announcing the new product line-up Duncan Redgewell, the Leica Geosystems Laser Tracker Product Line General Manager, said: “With the Leica Absolute Tracker, we have introduced the most technologically advanced laser tracker on the market.

"It delivers the accuracy, robustness and thermal accuracy our laser trackers are known for in a compact, easy-to-transport package that looks absolutely great and keeps the focus on 6DOF solutions for maximum flexibility."

The company had not only responded to the changing requirements of the market, he added. It had assumed an active role in shaping the direction in which the metrology market as a whole was moving.

"With the Leica Absolute Tracker, we are introducing a line of products suitable for many different kinds of industrial metrology applications.”

Leica Geosystems laser trackers have been in widespread use in the global aerospace, automotive, shipbuilding, power generation and general engineering industries for well over 15 years. And the new Absolute product development specialists believe their latest generation portable CMM offers users many new measurement possibilities.

They also give advance warning that the new technology incorporated in the Absolute Tracker will pave the way for new, innovative metrology products from the company in the future.

Improved Accuracy, Speed, and Start-up Times
The new tracker combines the strengths of both the absolute distance meter (ADM) and an interferometer (IFM). The Absolute Interferometer (AIFM) technology (patent pending) ensures high-accuracy measurements in all operating conditions, with multiple built-in redundancies that guarantee superb accuracies throughout the measurement volume.

The new AIFM is now 15 times faster than its predecessor, with integration time down to 0.2 seconds. Another time-saving benefit of the Absolute is its ultra-fast typical warm-up time of six minutes from a cold start, and just three minutes for "warm starts"

Better Thermal Stability
The Absolute Tracker's heat-emitting components (IFM & ADM) are mounted far from the head and sensor temperature is continually regulated with the result that the temperature inside the new sensor varies by less than 1 degree Celsius. The significant advance facilitates continuous "on-spec" operation with no need for intermediate compensation routines. Leica Geosystems laser trackers typically need calibration only once a year, even when moved around on-site on a daily basis.

Unrivalled Six Degrees of Freedom
The Absolute Tracker takes full advantage of the best-developed 6DOF technology on the market. No other laser tracker manufacturer offers a scalable, all-in-one data acquisition solution comparable to the Leica T-Probe or Leica T-Scan. Impervious to changing environmental light, the Leica T-Scan covers a large range of surfaces, from near-black to shiny without powdering, and works in a measurement volume of nearly 100 feet.

The wireless Leica T-Probe can be used to probe hidden, hard-to-reach points, or points to which no direct line of sight exists. The device can be used to measure up to nine cars in one set up or inspect large aerospace components, all with minimal set up times.

Software Friendly
The new Leica Absolute Tracker will support the most popular metrology software packages.