Coordinate measuring machines (CMM) are essential pieces of equipment for manufacturing firms of all sizes. By providing high-level metrological information about newly produced parts, CMMs play an important role in ensuring quality control and gathering data about the production line.
But businesses are increasingly opting to save money by purchasing used CMMs rather than investing in brand-new equipment. If your manufacturing company is looking for metrology solutions that offer excellent quality at a reasonable price, here are four ways you can find a good deal on a used CMM.
- Purchase from a Recognized Metrology Specialist
If you want to get fantastic deals on used CMM equipment that you will be able to rely on for years to come, make sure to purchase it from a company that specializes in metrology tools.
All too often, used CMMs purchased from general manufacturing equipment dealers or through online marketplaces are faulty in one way or another, and may require thousands of extra dollars to be spent on repairs before they are fully serviceable again.
- Find a CMM Designed to Meet Your Needs…
CMMs come in many different shapes and sizes, and the major challenge manufacturers face when shopping for a used CMM is finding one that fits the specific needs of their production line. There are four general categories of stationary CMM — bridge, gantry, vertical arm, and cantilever — and each has relative strengths and weaknesses depending on what parts and products they are measuring.
For example, gantry CMMS are ideally suited to handling extremely heavy parts, and are designed to make it easy for technicians to move around the machine itself. Cantilever CMMs, on the other hand, are meant to measure smaller, more delicate parts. Choosing a used CMM that is tailored toward the kinds of parts you will be measuring will help you get more value from it in the long run.
- …But Don’t Get Distracted by the Flashiest Models
Still, one of the things that makes shopping for a used CMM less stressful than shopping for other kinds of specialized manufacturing equipment is the fact that the general design of the basic CMM has changed very little over the past forty years.
Any stationary CMM that fits the scale and style you need for your shop floor will be perfectly functional for most manufacturing needs, so don’t spend extra money for capacity your production line doesn’t actually need.
- Update Software for any Used CMM
Just because you are purchasing a used CMM doesn’t mean you can’t run new software. The latest versions of CMM software make a huge difference in the performance and applicability of used CMMs, empowering them to do everything from gathering information about the production line’s performance to reverse engineering CAD plans for parts.
If quality control is the lynchpin of an efficient, sustainable production line, CMMs are the retainer that makes it function. If you want to improve the quality control of your production line with invest huge amounts of money on new equipment, follow these four tips and get a great deal on a high quality used CMM.
