The upgraded Pulse dongleHexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced an evolved version of Pulse, its real-time environmental monitoring solution for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). The latest release is designed to help manufacturers improve measurement quality and reliability as metrology continues to move closer to the production floor.
The upgraded Pulse introduces new hardware and platform enhancements that extend environmental sensing beyond the CMM itself. Manufacturers can now gain continuous visibility into key environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, vibration, shock, and probe deflection, all of which can directly influence measurement results. By providing this additional insight, Pulse helps reduce rework, avoid false measurement outcomes, and maintains confidence in inspection results, particularly in uncontrolled shopfloor 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.”
Addressing growing shopfloor challengesIn production-adjacent environments, factors such as temperature fluctuations, vibration, and unexpected physical events can influence measurement results, often without operators realising it or only after a part has been unclamped. Unlike climate-controlled metrology rooms, shopfloor conditions are inherently more dynamic, which makes it difficult to determine whether deviations are caused by environmental influences or issues that require corrective action.
To address this challenge, the evolved Pulse delivers several enhancements aligned with modern manufacturing and automation requirements. Through Hexagon’s Metrology Communication Interface (MCI), which is included with the purchase, Pulse can natively integrate with automation and factory systems. This allows environmental data to be exposed and consumed in a centralised and standardised manner by PLCs, MES platforms, dashboards, and automation software without requiring specialised IT integration.
The latest version also introduces enhanced probe deflection awareness, enabling operators to distinguish between general vibration or shock events and probe collisions that may require recalibration. This helps teams respond appropriately to issues while saving time and avoiding unnecessary intervention.
In addition, the platform has been designed with expanded interoperability and future readiness in mind, allowing seamless integration into third-party systems and supporting additional sensors and capabilities over time through a modular approach. Broader CMM compatibility further extends the value of Pulse, which can now be deployed across all Hexagon CMMs as well as mixed-fleet environments, enabling large manufacturers to standardise environmental monitoring across sites.
Together, these enhancements contribute to improved CMM availability, greater confidence in measurement results, and more reliable unattended and automated inspection workflows. New customers can purchase Pulse as a complete solution, while existing Pulse users can upgrade to the latest version through a simple plug-and-play sensor and software update.
Customers can learn more through their local Hexagon representative, or by ordering directly via Hexagon’s online channels.