Manufacturers continue to push for tighter tolerances, faster throughput, and greater process control. Traditional quality inspection often struggles to keep pace with these demands when measurement systems sit far from production. Moving parts off the floor introduces delays, handling risk, and missed opportunities to correct issues early.

Modern shop floor CNC coordinate measuring machines solve this problem by bringing high-accuracy inspection closer to production. Systems designed specifically for harsh environments now deliver reliable results without sacrificing speed or precision.

Built for Real Production Environments

The Mitutoyo MiSTAR Series CNC CMM demonstrates how shop floor inspection has evolved. Unlike laboratory-only CMMs, MiSTAR operates directly on the production floor while maintaining stable measurement performance.

MiSTAR withstands vibration, dust, and temperature variation common in manufacturing facilities. Its rigid construction and sealed components protect sensitive systems from contamination. This design reduces downtime and minimizes the need for frequent maintenance, even in high-use environments.

Available in two sizes, the 555 and 575, the system supports a wide range of part dimensions without expanding its footprint. Manufacturers gain flexibility without sacrificing floor space.

Accuracy Across a Wide Temperature Range

Temperature variation remains one of the biggest challenges in shop floor metrology. Fluctuations affect material size, machine stability, and measurement repeatability.

MiSTAR addresses this issue with a market-leading temperature accuracy guarantee from 10°C to 40°C. Real-time temperature compensation continuously adjusts measurements based on ambient conditions. This capability allows operators to trust results without moving parts to climate-controlled rooms.

ABSOLUTE scale technology further enhances accuracy. The system eliminates homing routines after power-up and ensures stable position reference at all times. Operators can resume measurements immediately, improving efficiency across shifts.

Speed That Matches Production Demands

Inspection systems must keep pace with modern production lines. Slow measurement creates bottlenecks and reduces throughput.

MiSTAR delivers best-in-class drive speeds that support near-line and in-line inspection. Fast positioning and scanning reduce cycle times without compromising measurement integrity. Manufacturers gain quicker feedback and can adjust processes before defects multiply.

By placing inspection closer to machining and assembly operations, teams reduce part travel and handling. Faster inspection supports lean manufacturing goals and improves overall equipment effectiveness.

Simple Installation and Operation

Complex infrastructure often limits where traditional CMMs can operate. MiSTAR removes many of these barriers.

The system runs on standard 120V power and requires no compressed air. Its compact footprint allows installation in tight spaces near production equipment. These features simplify deployment and reduce facility modification costs.

Operation remains straightforward, even for users with limited metrology experience. The Quick Launcher interface streamlines program selection and execution. Clear workflows reduce training time and operator error.

This ease of use allows more teams to perform accurate inspection without relying on specialized staff.

Consistent Results with Minimal Maintenance

Maintenance demands often discourage shop floor measurement. MiSTAR’s contamination-resistant design and sealed guideways reduce wear and debris buildup. Fewer moving parts exposed to the environment translate into longer service intervals.

Combined with stable scale technology and automatic compensation, the system delivers consistent results shift after shift. Manufacturers maintain confidence in measurement data while controlling operating costs.

Supporting Quality Where It Matters Most

Accurate inspection close to production improves quality at every stage. Early detection prevents scrap, reduces rework, and supports continuous improvement efforts.

At Willrich Precision Instruments, we help manufacturers select and support shop floor metrology solutions that match real-world production needs. Our expertise spans equipment selection, calibration, and long-term measurement support.

Shop floor CNC CMM systems like MiSTAR enable accurate, efficient inspection where it matters most. By integrating measurement into production, manufacturers improve productivity while protecting product quality.

At Willrich Precision Instrument, we are committed to providing our customers with the most advanced, accurate, and dependable dimensional inspection tools available. As a trusted metrology partner for more than 50 years, we continually expand our product offerings to make sure that our clients have access to the latest innovations in measurement technology. 

We are pleased to announce that the complete lineup of the Mahr Digimar height measuring instruments is now available for fast delivery through Willrich Precision, an authorized supplier of advanced metrology solutions. This includes the popular Mahr Digimar 814 SR, 814 C, 816 CLT, and 817 CLT Height Gage models. These instruments are designed for precision, reliability, and ease of use, making them suitable for a wide variety of inspection environments. When you source Mahr Digimar Height Gages through Willrich, you gain more than just access to high quality tools. 

You also benefit from our value-added gaging knowledge, ISO accredited support, and personalized guidance to make sure that you select the optimal solution for your inspection needs.

Available Models with No Delay

Willrich Precision understands that long lead times can slow production and limit productivity. Our selection of Mahr Digimar height gages is stocked and ready for shipment, allowing you to access the equipment you need right away. Immediate availability helps manufacturing teams maintain workflow, minimize downtime, and keep inspection processes running smoothly.

Measure Closer to Production

Mahr Digimar instruments are engineered to bring precise, dependable measurement capabilities directly to the production floor. This allows operators to verify part dimensions faster and more efficiently. 

When measurements are taken near the point of manufacture, teams reduce back and forth movement, improve part flow, and speed up decision making. 

Willrich supports this approach by offering tools that enhance shop floor accuracy without sacrificing metrology grade performance.

Flexible Measurement for a Variety of Applications

If your facility requires straightforward height measurements or more advanced 1D and 2D dimensional results, the Mahr Digimar series delivers. These instruments adapt to a wide range of inspection environments, from machine shops to quality labs. With Willrich’s expert guidance, customers can match each instrument to their specific applications, production goals, and accuracy requirements.

User-Friendly Operation and Smooth Handling

The Mahr Digimar 816 CLT and 817 CLT models feature intuitive touchscreen displays designed to simplify operation for both new and experienced users. Clear icons and guided functions reduce training time and support a smooth inspection process. Additional ergonomic features such as air bearings, comfortable grips, and stable guides ensure effortless movement along the work surface. 

Advanced Data Management and Reporting

Modern manufacturing environments require efficient, reliable data transfer. Mahr Digimar Height Gages support wireless and USB connectivity through MarConnect, enabling fast communication with PCs and quality systems. 

CLT models also include built-in PDF reporting, offering capabilities similar to a CMM without the complexity or footprint. Willrich’s metrology experts assist customers in integrating these reporting tools into their existing quality processes.

Options for Every Measuring Range

The Mahr Digimar series is available in several sizes, from 350 mm up to 1,000 mm measuring ranges. This variety allows customers to choose the perfect instrument for small components, large parts, and everything in between. As a dedicated metrology house, Willrich helps users identify the best range and performance specifications for their inspection tasks.

Contact Willrich Precision Instrument

Our team is ready to help you explore the full Mahr Digimar height gage lineup and identify the ideal solution for your measurement applications. 

Reach out to Willrich Precision Instrument at 866-WILLRICH (945-5742) or email [email protected] for expert assistance, product information, or personalized support.

In manufacturing, measuring tools and gauges are fundamental to producing parts that meet exact specifications. Tools such as calipers, micrometers, dial indicators, and advanced electronic measurement systems all depend on accurate calibration to deliver correct results. Regular gage calibration has long been important for maintaining quality, but there is also growing pressure from customers. Many companies now require that suppliers provide documentation showing that every step of the production process meets quality standards.

Even a small deviation in a measuring device can lead to errors, rejected parts, and production delays. For companies managing thousands of tools, implementing a consistent calibration program helps maintain reliability and reduces the chance of mistakes.

Challenges of Manual Calibration

Some manufacturers invest in specialists to handle calibration in-house for large inventories of tools. Dial indicators, for example, must be checked at multiple points along their range. They also need to be tested in reverse to verify the repeatability of their readings. Traditional calibration often uses a mechanical micrometer as a reference, with the operator moving the indicator to each point and recording deviations.

The process is demanding and requires careful attention. Operators can easily misread numbers or make mistakes when interpreting the dial. Dial indicators are particularly susceptible to errors if they are not viewed from the correct angle. Long-range indicators, which may measure over 12.5, 25, 50, or even 100 millimeters, require many points to be checked, increasing the chance of fatigue and mistakes.

Automated Calibration Solutions

To reduce fatigue and improve efficiency, automated calibrators have been introduced. These machines move the indicator to precise points while the operator records the readings. This approach reduces hand and arm strain and makes the process less stressful. Although these systems represent an improvement, they still require human involvement, which limits the overall speed and productivity of the calibration process.

The next step in calibration is full automation. Indicators can be mounted directly into a calibration tool, with the system programmed to measure and certify the device on its own. This allows the technician to prepare the next indicator, review certification reports, or start another calibration process while the machine completes the measurements.

Vision Systems and Modern Accuracy

Advances in vision technology have transformed the calibration process. Cameras can now read both dial and digital indicators. For dial indicators, the camera captures the pointer and calculates its position relative to the graduated scale. For digital indicators, the system scans the display and interprets the numbers to measure deviations automatically.

Automation combined with image processing makes the process faster, reduces the risk of errors, and allows more data points to be recorded than manual methods. Operators avoid repetitive strain while calibration machines handle the measurement work. The result is a process that is safer, more efficient, and capable of producing highly accurate, documented results for a wide range of tools.

The Future of Calibration

Calibrating gauges has moved from a manual, labor-intensive task to a highly automated and reliable process. Modern automation and vision systems allow manufacturers to manage large numbers of indicators with less effort and greater precision. As production standards continue to rise, automated calibration offers a method for maintaining quality, increasing productivity, and minimizing the strain on operators. The technology creates a workflow that benefits both the operator and the overall production process.

Willrich Precision Instrument Company offers a wide range of measuring equipment, gauges, and inspection tools designed for precision and reliability. These services include gauge calibration, repair, and contract inspection, helping manufacturers maintain accurate measurements and meet quality standards. By using Willrich’s products and services, readers can improve production consistency, reduce errors, and save time while ensuring their tools perform at peak accuracy.

Example of points required for checking an indicator.

Systems can “read” the indicator to capture its values.

Precision drives progress in every corner of modern manufacturing. Accurate measurement often depends on tools that operate behind the scenes. At Willrich Precision Instruments, we have spent more than 45 years helping companies build stronger inspection processes with calibrated tools, high-accuracy gages, and reliable metrology support. 

Experience continues to influence the products we develop, including our CMM Calibration Artifact: a tool that gives users a practical way to verify CMM performance between annual calibrations.

Measurements influence decisions across production floors, engineering departments, and quality labs. Our customers often describe a sense of uncertainty when a CMM begins producing unexpected results or when environmental changes introduce subtle variation. 

We developed the artifact to act as a stable reference that operators can use throughout the year. It gives them a clear picture of how their CMM behaves over time and helps them address drift long before it affects parts or workflows.

Understanding the Power of a CMM Calibration Artifact

A Coordinate Measuring Machine becomes one of the most relied-upon instruments in any quality program the moment it enters the shop. Once teams begin depending on it, the need for ongoing performance verification becomes obvious. 

Our artifact supports that process with ISO-17025 certified data gathered from our high-accuracy scanning CMM. These certified values offer users a reliable benchmark to compare against their own results.

Because the artifact reflects actual measured values, operators can better understand how their machine performs in real conditions. This approach helps teams spot minor deviations that might otherwise go unnoticed. When an operator sees that a cylinder, radius, or slot begins drifting outside normal expectations, action can be taken quickly and with confidence.

The artifact includes a set of tools that support immediate implementation:

• 3D STEP model
• Certified measurement point list
• DMIS program for automated checking
• Protective storage case to maintain surface integrity

The Value Behind Our Design Philosophy

A Practical Layout Built for Real Measurement Needs

We designed the artifact to reflect the features companies measure every day. You’ll find circles, widths, slots, radii, spheres, cylinders, and a cone arranged on a 10″ x 12″ A-2 tool steel plate. That range of shapes supports verification for perpendicularity, flatness, profile, angularity, parallelism, true position, cylindricity, and straightness.

Operators appreciate working with familiar forms, especially when training new team members. The artifact gives beginners a way to develop probing strategies and alignment approaches in a controlled environment. Experienced users like having a trusted reference that pushes the machine through a diverse set of movements. It lets them observe how the CMM handles angles, transitions, and multi-surface probing.

Material Stability That Supports Long-Term Accuracy

A-2 tool steel offers strong dimensional stability, making it ideal for repeated CMM checks. The material resists wear and supports the tight uncertainty values we provide: approximately ±0.00005″ over 12″. 

Certified ACTUALS That Replace Guesswork

Customers often ask about the accuracy of the artifact’s machined features, and the answer points directly to our philosophy. The artifact is not manufactured to a stated accuracy. 

Instead, we certify its geometry using our ISO-17025-accredited CMM. The ACTUALS from that inspection become the authoritative reference for users. This method avoids assumptions and gives customers real measurement data they can trust.

How the Artifact Strengthens Daily Metrology Processes

Supporting Production Stability

Even the most reliable machines experience performance changes over time. Temperature fluctuations, mechanical wear, probe usage, vibration, and long hours of operation all contribute to drift. The artifact offers a path to identify that drift early. Instead of waiting for an annual calibration, users gain an ongoing sense of how their machine behaves.

This insight supports production stability. When teams know the machine is running correctly, they approach inspections with confidence. When the artifact reveals variation, they can investigate quickly, locate the cause, and return the machine to accurate performance before errors reach customers.

Enhancing Internal Quality Controls

Internal audits benefit greatly from artifact-based verification. Teams use the artifact to track monthly results, maintain performance logs, and create data-supported documentation that strengthens their quality management systems. 

Because the certified values come from an ISO-17025 accredited source, they hold credibility during supplier evaluations, compliance reviews, and customer audits.

Supporting Operator Development

CMM programming and operation require a blend of technical knowledge and practical experience. The artifact helps both new and seasoned operators refine their skills. 

New users learn how to probe surfaces, manage approach vectors, and understand alignment strategies. Experienced operators use the artifact to validate program changes, test scanning routines, or verify probing paths after equipment updates.

A Closer Look at What the Artifact Includes

Certified Measurements and Uncertainty

Our certified values come directly from our high-accuracy scanning CMM. These readings reflect the true dimensional state of the artifact, including its circular features, cylinders, radii, and angular surfaces. The ±0.00005″ uncertainty over 12″ provides users with a clear level of clarity when analyzing drift.

DMIS Program for Repeatable Checks

The included DMIS program offers a consistent measurement path, making trend tracking far more reliable. When the machine follows the same method during every check, operators can compare results with greater confidence and draw stronger conclusions about machine health.

CAD Resources for Digital Integration

The 3D STEP model helps engineering teams visualize the artifact within simulation software or integrate it into training programs. Some customers also import the model into offline programming environments to refine inspection strategies.

Where the Artifact Fits in a Modern Inspection Environment

CMM Warm-Up and Verification Routines

Many customers use the artifact during daily warm-up periods to verify that the machine responds correctly before measurement begins. This approach gives operators a quick snapshot of performance each morning and supports consistent, predictable inspection results.

Pre-Production Validation

High-volume runs or critical parts often require additional confidence before production starts. The artifact serves as a quick validation tool that confirms there has been no unexpected drift overnight or after environmental adjustments.

Troubleshooting Aid

When unexpected measurement results appear, the artifact becomes a powerful diagnostic tool. Comparing the CMM’s readings against certified ACTUALS can reveal whether the issue stems from the machine itself, a probing setup, a fixture, or part geometry.

Our Background and Experience Strengthen the Artifact’s Value

Willrich Precision Instruments has supported metrology professionals for more than four decades with advanced measuring tools, calibration services, and custom instrument design. 

We built the artifact from that experience. Our work with manufacturers across aerospace, automotive, medical, and defense industries has shown us how important long-term accuracy can be. The artifact supports this need directly, giving teams a straightforward and reliable reference they can depend on.

We also help customers who require custom standards or specialized calibration artifacts. Some applications require unique geometries or precision features tailored to a part or process. Our background in custom metrology design allows us to support those requests with solutions that maintain accuracy and reliability.

Supporting a Stronger Future for Metrology

Your CMM plays a central role in your measurement strategy, and the ability to verify its performance throughout the year can transform the way your team approaches quality. Operators gain confidence, audits run smoother, and production decisions carry more weight.

The CMM Calibration Artifact fits naturally into this philosophy. Its certified values, stable construction, diverse geometry, and practical layout create a system that supports both day-to-day workflow and long-term planning. Many of our customers describe it as a “quiet anchor” for their measurement routine. It’s a tool that brings stability to an environment filled with constant motion.

Ready to Strengthen Your Measurement Confidence?

Your inspection process deserves a tool that supports accuracy and long-term stability. Our team is here to help you integrate the CMM Calibration Artifact into your workflow or to explore custom metrology solutions tailored to your application.

Connect with us today, and let’s build better measurement confidence together.