This video features Shawn Thelen and Jörg Deller from Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division introducing MAESTRO, their new generation Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). They explain how MAESTRO addresses long-standing industry challenges such as skilled labor shortages, the static nature of traditional CMMs, slow inspection processes, and disconnected systems. Designed from the ground up with a focus on five distinct user archetypes, MAESTRO integrates a no-code programming environment, a digital twin for automated inspection program generation, smart connectivity with MES systems, and a "smart machine eye" camera for operational monitoring. The goal is to transform quality control from a production bottleneck into a competitive advantage, improving throughput, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and facilitating fully automated "lights-out" manufacturing.
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0:00 Quality as a Power Play: Hexagon's new MAESTRO CMM is positioned as a transformative solution designed to turn quality control from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage for manufacturing.
6:25 Why CMMs Haven't Evolved: The discussion highlights that traditional CMMs have remained largely unchanged for decades, leading to major challenges including a lack of skilled metrologists, difficulty adapting to diverse and changing part production, slow measurement processes, and a lack of seamless integration into modern manufacturing workflows.
10:02 Building MAESTRO Around User Archetypes: Hexagon developed MAESTRO by starting from "ground zero" and defining five distinct user personas or archetypes, from expert metrologists to machine operators and automation specialists, ensuring the system meets varied user needs.
14:45 CMMs as a "Necessary Evil": Voice-of-the-customer feedback reveals that CMMs are often viewed by shops as a "necessary evil"—a required but cumbersome tool, typically used only for first-article inspections rather than integrated daily process checks.
21:40 All-Digital and CNC-Like Solution: MAESTRO is an all-digital CMM system built to bring CMM and machine tool worlds closer, offering faster, easier, and more adaptable functionality akin to CNC machines.
22:06 No-Code Environment and Digital Twin: A key innovation is MAESTRO's no-code programming environment, supported by a digital twin. Users can load CAD files with Product Manufacturing Information (PMI), and the digital twin automatically generates optimized inspection programs tailored to the specific machine and its sensor capabilities.
27:08 Seamless MES Integration: MAESTRO features bi-directional communication and automation interfaces, utilizing standard industry protocols like MQTT, enabling direct integration with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and broader automation systems.
28:46 Boosting OEE and ROI: The system aims to significantly improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by providing real-time data, enhancing plannability, and directly impacting the "quality" component of the OEE formula, leading to tangible returns on investment.
32:25 Speed and "Smart Machine Eye": MAESTRO boasts a 25-30% increase in throughput speed compared to previous models, achieved by eliminating traditional CMM "handbrakes" (delays between measurement points and probe head movements). It also includes a "smart machine eye" camera that records operations and triggers error recordings, acting as a "dashcam" for the CMM to aid in troubleshooting and service.
36:36 Getting Closer to Lights-Out Manufacturing: By enabling easier connectivity, automated programming, and robust operation, MAESTRO is a critical step towards achieving "lights-out" manufacturing, allowing for in-process inspection and potential self-correction without constant human intervention.
39:50 Availability: MAESTRO was officially unveiled on May 6th at the Control show in Germany. Orders will be accepted after Hexagon Live (June 16-19th in Las Vegas), with initial deliveries starting in Germany before expanding worldwide.