Leica Unveils Absolute Tracker 3D Laser Scanner
 MIAMISBURG,
OH, Feb 4, 2008 – Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon company, today unveiled the
new face of laser tracking – the Leica Absolute Tracker. The all-new laser
tracker offers scaled-up features in a scaled-down, sleek housing for
ultimate portability and ease of handling on the factory floor. The product
introduces substantial advances in thermal stability and volumetric
accuracy, accelerated start-up times, major speed improvements, and a
maintenance-free internal design. The Absolute Tracker integrates
future-oriented technologies providing the basis for several new metrology
products being developed by Leica Geosystems. The measurement systems are
utilized for a wide range of industrial metrology applications in aerospace,
automotive, power generation, shipbuilding and general engineering.
 The
Leica Absolute Tracker's compact size, at only two feet tall (62 cm) and 48
lbs. (22 kg), enables the sensor and the stand to be safely operated and
maneuvered by one person. The laser tracker can be easily transported from
one site to another in an average station wagon. The system's overall robust
design and end-to-end reliability stand up to the toughest, most unforgiving
industrial environments.
"After 80 years of pioneering portable metrology solutions to measure the
world, Leica Geosystems understands industrial measurement like no other
company," explains Duncan Redgewell, Laser Tracker Product Line General
Manager. "The new Absolute Tracker builds upon this competitive advantage
and delivers the most technologically advanced product to capture, analyze
and present 3D coordinate data for dimensional control and other mainstream
quality operations. The measurement and inspection possibilities are
infinite when you combine the Leica Absolute Tracker with our suite of 6DOF
(six degrees of freedom) T-Products – the wireless Leica T-Probe, the Leica
T-Scan high-speed hand-held laser scanner, and the Leica T-Mac tracking
device for automated applications."
Advances in Accuracy, Speed, and Accelerated Start-up
Leica Geosystems combines the strengths of both measurement principles of
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 Absolute Interferometer is 15 times faster than the previous
model, with integration time down to 0.2 seconds. Another time-saving
benefit of the Leica Absolute Tracker is its ultra-fast typical warm-up time
of 6 minutes from a cold start, and a mere 3 minute warm-up time from a warm
start.
Industry's Best Thermal Stability Gets Better
New advances in thermal stability top off the major enhancement list. The
Absolute Tracker's heat-emitting components (IFM & ADM) are mounted far from
the head, and sensor temperature is continually regulated. The temperature
inside the new sensor varies by less than 1 degree Celsius. This improvement
translates into continuous "on-spec" operation with no need for intermediate
compensation routines. Leica Geosystems laser trackers typically need
calibration once a year, even if they are moved around on-site daily.
Unrivaled Six Degrees of Freedom
The Absolute Tracker takes full advantage of the most mature 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 is 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 9 cars in one setup or inspect large aerospace components, all
with minimal setup times.
The All-New Leica Absolute Tracker Product Line
The Leica Absolute Tracker product line has three distinct offerings. The
Leica AT901-LR is the top-of-the-line Absolute Tracker in terms of
application flexibility. Its measurement volume reaches a full 262 feet (80
m) when used with a corner cube, or reaches 98 feet (30 m) when measuring
with the Leica T-Probe, Leica T-Scan or the Leica T-Mac. The product is
ideally suited for tooling, part mating, assembly, and inspection
applications in the aerospace industry.
The Leica AT901-MR is a midrange laser tracker and is ideal for
automotive applications as it supports the placement of several
bodies-in-white within its measurement envelope. The sensor's measurement
volume is a full 163 feet (50 m) when inspecting with a corner cube. It
operates in a measurement volume of up to 59 feet (18 m) when used with
Leica T-Products.
The Leica AT901-Basic is an entry-level laser tracker with a measurement
volume of up to 262 feet (80 m). This product is ideal for basic metrology
applications and measurements with corner cubes only.
A new redesigned controller unit is capable of controlling any of the
three models, with backward compatibility to every laser tracker Leica
Geosystems has ever made. This feature is important considering the vast
majority of laser trackers produced by Leica Geosystems in the past 17 years
are still in service, including serial number 0001.
Application Software Supported
The new Leica Absolute Tracker supports the most popular metrology
software packages:
- PC-DMIS: 4.2 or higher
- Metrolog XG for Leica: 8.002* or higher
- Microlog: 2.01 or higher
- T-Scan Collect: 7.001 or higher
- PolyWorks: 10.1 or higher
- emScon**: 3.0 or higher
About the Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems
The Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems is a global supplier of
comprehensive hardware and software packages to the industrial metrology
market. These products integrate with popular CAD programs, various
build-and-inspect tools, and reverse engineering software. Using
state-of-the-art laser technology, Leica’s laser trackers and theodolites
make quality control, part mating, assembly and construction of large and
small parts easier and more accurate than ever. The U.S. headquarters for
Leica Geosystems' metrology products is located at the Hexagon Metrology
Precision Center in Miamisburg, Ohio. For more information about Leica
Geosystems' metrology products and services, visit their web site at
www.leica-geosystems.com/metrology, or call 937-353-1218.
About Hexagon Metrology
Hexagon Metrology serves the high precision measurement and inspection
needs of Worldwide manufacturers with its extensive line of metrology
hardware, software, accessories, and customer services. The company's
name-brand portfolio of quality assurance products include Brown & Sharpe,
Cognitens, Leica Geosystems, ROMER, Sheffield, PC-DMIS, DEA, Leitz and TESA.
Hexagon Metrology has an unrivaled installed base of more than 1.5 million
handheld, stationary and portable measurement devices, and over 30,000 seats
of PC-DMIS metrology software. The company is a subsidiary of Hexagon
Measurement Technologies, a business unit of Hexagon AB (Nacka Strand,
Sweden), a publicly-traded company (OMX Nordic: HEXA B). The Hexagon group
consists of nearly 8,200 employees located in 30 countries. Call
800-426-1066 or visit
www.hexagonmetrology.us for more information about Hexagon Metrology
Inc. and its trusted brands.
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