Hexagon has launched METRICAL, an automated queuing, loading, and unloading system that enables autonomous inspection on coordinate measuring machines regardless of part size. The system is built to address what Hexagon calls a bottleneck: skilled inspection staff stretched between high-value programming and analysis work and the repetitive task of loading parts onto a CMM.
METRICAL ships in three configurations, with three, five, or seven preparation bays, so manufacturers can match the automation cell to production volume and factory layout. Hexagon says the modular design lets shops scale up incrementally and start automated inspection shortly after installation, without a lengthy integration project. The system works with Hexagon's new MAESTRO CMM as well as its existing GLOBAL CMM line, covering both new purchases and machines already on the shop floor.
What's new here is the shift from loading a CMM one part at a time to queuing multiple parts for the machine to work through on its own. That lets a CMM run measurement cycles overnight or across a weekend without an operator present, turning what was previously idle machine time into inspection capacity.
"As manufacturers face tightening labour markets, increasing product complexity, and pressure to maintain 24/7 production, inspection teams are often forced to balance high-value metrology work with repetitive manual loading tasks," said Jörg Deller, vice president of product technology hardware for the Stationary Metrology division at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. "METRICAL removes that bottleneck by automating part handling and enabling more continuous measurement cycles with minimal human oversight."
A visual software interface handles task setup and inspection scheduling, with dashboard-based monitoring giving real-time visibility into utilization and workflow status. Reconfiguring the cell for a new part runs through modular fixturing rather than a full reprogramming cycle, which is what lets the system flex across mixed or changing production instead of paying off only on long, unchanging runs.
Hexagon frames METRICAL primarily as a fix for inspection capacity rather than raw CMM speed, betting that many shops are short on measurement throughput more than on machine performance. The launch adds an automation layer on top of Hexagon's existing CMM lineup rather than a new machine, and the company positions unattended, off-shift operation as the main use case rather than a secondary benefit.
