Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division (Hexagon) has announced an evolved version of Pulse, its real-time environmental-monitoring solution for coordinate measuring machine (CMM) environments, designed to help manufacturers improve measurement quality and reliability.
The latest Pulse hardware and platform enhancements extend sensing beyond the CMM itself, enabling continuous visibility into environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, vibration, shock, and probe deflection, that can directly impact measurement results. This added insight helps manufacturers reduce rework, avoid false results, and maintain confidence in inspection outcomes, especially in uncontrolled shop floor environments.
Luca Sala, product manager digital solutions at Hexagon, said: “As metrology continues to move closer to production, manufacturers need greater visibility into the environmental conditions that influence measurement reliability, Pulse complements the CMM by extending its sensing capabilities beyond the machine itself, helping customers maintain accuracy, reduce downtime, and operate with greater confidence in real-world production environments.”
In production-adjacent environments, temperature fluctuations, vibration, and unexpected physical events can directly impact measurement results, often without operators realising it, or after it has been unclamped. Unlike climate-controlled metrology rooms, shopfloor conditions are inherently more dynamic, making it difficult to identify whether deviations are caused by environmental factors or by events that require corrective action. With this, the upgraded Pulse introduces several hardware and platform enhancements aligned with modern manufacturing and automation trends.
Native integration with automation and factory systems — through Hexagon’s Metrology Communication Interface (MCI), included with purchase, Pulse data can be exposed and consumed in a centralised, standardised way by PLCs, MES platforms, dashboards, and automation software without specialised IT integration.
Enhanced probe deflection awareness: allows operators to distinguish between general vibration or shock events and probe collisions that may require recalibration, helping teams respond accurately while saving time and avoiding unnecessary intervention.
Expanded interoperability and future readiness: seamless integration into third-party systems and a modular platform is designed to support additional sensors and capabilities over time. Broader CMM compatibility: Pulse can now be deployed across all Hexagon CMMs as well as mixed-fleet environments, helping large manufacturers standardise environmental monitoring across sites.
Together, these enhancements help improve CMM availability, increase confidence in measurement results, and support more reliable unattended and automated inspection workflows. New customers can purchase Pulse as a complete solution, while existing Pulse users can easily upgrade to the latest version through a simple, plug-and-play sensor and software update. Installation requires no specialised service support and can typically be completed in just 5min.