This video introduces Hexagon's new "Maestro" system, a groundbreaking redesign of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) aimed at revolutionizing manufacturing metrology. Addressing decades of stagnation in CMM technology, Maestro was developed from the ground up to tackle critical industry challenges, including the scarcity of skilled labor, the need for adaptable equipment, productivity bottlenecks, and the demand for increased autonomy. Key innovations include an all-digital architecture, a "no-code" programming environment powered by a digital twin for automated program generation, bi-directional integration with manufacturing execution systems (MES), and significant speed enhancements (25-30% faster). The system also features on-machine displays and a "Smart Machine Eye" camera for real-time diagnostics. Maestro seeks to make quality inspection a seamless, integrated, and predictive part of the production workflow, moving CMMs from a "necessary evil" to a central component in achieving overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Summarizing the Transcript: Hexagon's Maestro - A New Era for Metrology
0:00 Introduction & "Maestro" Nickname: The hosts introduce themselves, with one adopting the nickname "Maestro of Manufacturing," setting the stage for discussing mastery in the industry.
1:17 Hexagon's Broad Reach: Hexagon is highlighted as a company far beyond just CMMs and measuring, encompassing "manufacturing intelligence" by integrating hardware and software across various domains.
2:17 Quality as a Bottleneck: Quality checks, particularly CMMs, are identified as a critical but often bottlenecked area in manufacturing, requiring quality parts "on time every time."
3:36 Guest Introductions: The hosts introduce Sean Thielen, Product Sales Manager for stationary products at Hexagon (29 years experience), and Jörg Deler, General Manager of stationary measurement devices at Hexagon (17 years in metrology, based in Germany).
6:16 Defining Stationary Metrology: Stationary metrology refers to measurement devices where the part is brought to the machine, contrasting with portable metrology where the device is brought to the part.
6:55 The Need for "Maestro": CMM technology hasn't fundamentally changed in 40 years. Hexagon designed Maestro from scratch to address major customer challenges:
7:38 Expertise: Lack of super-skilled CMM operators.
9:07 Productivity: CMMs are often too slow and isolated, slowing down overall production.
9:30 Autonomy: Systems need to reduce operator influence, be faster, and integrate with the overall workflow.
10:50 Persona-Driven Development: Maestro's development began by identifying and understanding five user archetypes:
11:55 White Collar Metrologist: The traditional, highly skilled expert (5-10% of users, decreasing).
12:16 Metrology Supervisor & Operator: The growing majority, with changing ratios of programming and operation roles.
12:42 All-rounder: Individuals in small/medium enterprises who handle all aspects of quality.
13:03 Automation/Production Guys: View CMMs as a mere "brick" in the production process, prioritizing ease, speed, and seamless integration over metrology expertise.
14:45 CMM as a "Necessary Evil": Customer feedback consistently labels CMMs as a "necessary evil," used out of necessity rather than as an integrated tool for workflow improvement. Mike confirms this perspective at his shop.
21:11 "CNC-like CMM": A core goal for Maestro was to bridge the gap between CMM controllers and standard CNC machine controllers, making them speak a "closer language" for easier integration.
21:40 All-Digital CMM Solution: Maestro is designed to be fast, easy, connected, and adaptable, bringing metrology closer to the machine shop floor.
23:47 Bi-Directional Communication & Uptime: Maestro features workflows similar to machine tools, shares data bi-directionally with MES systems, and is built for robustness, aiming to provide uptime metrics like MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures).
25:06 No-Code Programming with Digital Twin: The system aims to eliminate traditional CMM programming. Users load CAD models with Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), and the digital twin automatically generates inspection programs tailored to the specific machine's capabilities.
27:10 "USB of Metrology": Maestro components (sensors, racks) are self-identifying, simplifying setup and configuration, similar to plug-and-play USB devices.
28:50 KPI & OEE Improvement: Maestro aims to improve key performance indicators (KPIs) like uptime, availability, and plannability. It facilitates tracking Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE = Availability x Performance x Quality), which is impossible without robust quality measurement.
34:44 On-Machine Display & Smart Machine Eye: Maestro includes a display on the machine for real-time status and a "Smart Machine Eye" camera that acts like a "dash cam," recording machine activity and triggering recording upon errors for diagnostics and remote support.
36:03 Significant Speed Increase: Maestro is touted as the "fastest machine in the world," demonstrating a 25-30% performance improvement over previous models due to ground-up design, removal of "handbrakes" (delays), and synchronized 5-axis movements.
38:35 Enabling In-Process Inspection & Automation: Maestro moves towards easier integration for automated in-process inspection and closed-loop feedback to machine tools (e.g., setting offsets). It uses industry standards like MQTT, making it accessible to automation engineers without requiring them to learn a "third language" of metrology.
42:04 Availability: Maestro was revealed on May 6th at the Control show in Germany. Orders will be accepted from Hexagon Live (June 16-19, Las Vegas), with deliveries beginning a few weeks later.
43:59 Key Takeaways: Integration & Bottleneck Resolution: The hosts emphasize that Maestro's primary value lies in its seamless integration, ease of use, and ability to break down communication barriers between different manufacturing processes, directly addressing the inspection bottleneck in shops.