This video introduces the PolyWorks 2025 major update, designed to establish a "digital thread" for dimensional inspection within industrial manufacturing. The presentation details key improvements across the universal metrology platform, central data management, and digital connectors. It highlights advancements in CMM CNC operations, including expanded 3D laser scanning support and simplified programming, as well as new plugins for long-range portable measurement devices that enable hybrid contact/non-contact measurements with real-time guidance. Further enhancements focus on efficient CAD assembly management for complex product definitions, automated CMM programming for intricate entities, and innovative pre-realignment techniques for 3D scanning. The update also improves GD&T reporting by providing more actionable and detailed deviation information, crucial for effective corrective actions and manufacturing process evaluation.
PolyWorks 2025: Key Innovations for Dimensional Inspection
0:04 - Addressing Modern Manufacturing Challenges: The PolyWorks 2025 update responds to a 5% increase in global production, a demand to reduce time-to-market by 20-50%, and the growing complexity of part geometries across industries like automotive and aerospace, all of which necessitate more effective quality control solutions.
0:55 - Enhancing Productivity and Flexibility: InnovMetric's mission with PolyWorks 2025 is to help users measure more parts efficiently and flexibly, eliminating bottlenecks, simplifying complex tasks, and integrating processes through a robust "digital thread."
1:40 - CMM CNC Workflow Optimizations: The new version brings significant improvements to Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) CNC operations, focusing on the increasing demand for 3D scanning integration and the need to accelerate programming and measurement times.
2:27 - Expanded CMM 3D Scanner Support: PolyWorks Inspector 2025 now supports laser scanning on Renishaw-controlled CMMs and integrates the latest Keyence and LK 3D scanner models. It simplifies scan path programming by allowing easy definition of ideal laser scanner orientation with CAD model previews and reuse of paths for rapid additional scans.
3:13 - New Portable Device Plugins: New plugins are introduced for long-range portable measurement devices, including the Leica Absolute Tracker ATS800 and API Dynamic 9D Ladar. These enable hybrid measurement capabilities, combining single-point probing with surface scanning in a single inspection.
4:17 - Automated Measurement Execution with Portable Devices: The new plugins leverage programmable measurement execution for automated part inspections within the sequence editor, allowing for real-time measurement display, entity measurement with predefined points, and efficient scanning of complex surfaces.
5:48 - Simplified CAD Assembly Management: PolyWorks Inspector 2025 now imports the full structure and hierarchy of CAD assemblies, providing an efficient assembly tree for navigating and managing complex designs. This greatly simplifies the configuration and review of measurement processes.
7:43 - Reusing Sub-Assemblies for Efficiency: Users can easily reuse imported sub-assemblies from larger CAD files to create new inspection projects without the need for repetitive CAD file re-imports, saving significant time.
8:18 - Automated CMM Programming for Complex Entities: The software automates the setup of measurements for small and complex entities on intricate CAD surfaces. It automatically adjusts exclusion distances, positions measurement points on challenging features, and optimizes approach/retraction distances, eliminating manual adjustments.
10:10 - Innovative 3D Scanning Guidance and Realignment: A new technique provides robust pre-realignment and operator guidance from the very start of the scan for portable 3D scanners. This ensures continuous scanning, guides users to achieve full data coverage, and provides real-time quality feedback.
12:01 - Enhanced Repeatability for Multi-Part Inspection: Automated pre-realignment significantly boosts productivity for multi-part inspections, ensuring process repeatability even when parts are placed freely without fixed fixtures.
12:35 - Actionable GD&T Reporting: PolyWorks Inspector 2025 improves measurement reports by providing "actionable" GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing) data. Beyond simple pass/fail, it offers detailed information on measured deviations (e.g., hole center point coordinates, max deviations), enabling manufacturing teams to take precise corrective actions.
14:28 - Comprehensive Process Performance Evaluation: The enhanced GD&T information, integrated with PolyWorks Inspector's complete Measurement System Performance (MSP) toolkit, allows for thorough evaluation of manufacturing process performance.
14:51 - Conclusion & Availability: PolyWorks 2025 offers advanced connectivity for the latest measurement devices, streamlines handling of large CAD assemblies and complex entities, simplifies scanning, and provides deeper GD&T insights. Users are encouraged to download it from My PolyWorks to discover over 50 additional new features.