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.
