Creaform, leader in portable 3D optical measurement technologies, has announced that BMW has integrated its HandyPROBE arm-free and portable probing system to its manufacturing process at its plant in Pretoria, South Africa. BMW has equipped the Quality Control Department of its 3 series product site with a HandyPROBE arm-free probing measurement system.

Wenzel Metromec, a Swiss company renowned for high quality inspection software, has developed an interface between the HandyPROBE and its Metrosoft CM inspection software. Thanks to this new gateway, BMW was able to maintain its existing Metrosoft CM inspection programmes and keep on using known inspection functionalities while improving their inspection process output through Creaform's TRUaccuracy technology, which ensures highly-accurate measurements, regardless of the surrounding environment or vibrations.

Said Jean-Fran?ois Larue, HandyPROBE product director, "The fact that BMW could benefit from the HandyPROBE increased accuracy, faster measurement process and automatic alignment feature without the hassle of having its entire crew trained on new software was a key selling point".

Added Marcel Lenherr, General Manager of Metromec, "Metrosoft CM is a very sophisticated metrology software with a large functional width and depth. For an automotive manufacturer like BMW, it is crucial to be able to use different brands and types of measuring devices with it. Thus, Creaform's HandyPROBE is a great addition to line-up of technologies supported by Metrosoft CM."