Absolute Arms – Half a Century of Innovation

In ever-changing industries, we often look to the reliability and control of the familiar Absolute Arm, but who knew that 50 years later we’d be looking back at this state-of-the-art device and everything it has accomplished over the last half a century.

So, after a semi-century of making big things possible, what’s changed? Well apart from the obvious aesthetic changes and various iterations, the Absolute Arm is now more productive, more versatile, and more usable than ever.

Rolling back to 1973, the portable measuring arm was first developed by ROMER, co-founder, Homer Eaton. Looking back on his teens it doesn’t seem difficult to imagine that Eaton would go on to create and innovate. In his high school days, he would always be under the hood, bending exhaust tubes for hot rods in his garage. This was only the starting block for what would become a great career, where he created the first ‘Vector 1 tube measuring arm’, earning him the rightful title of the founding father of the articulated measuring arm.

What came next? Well, in 1986 Eaton and Romain Granger partnered and created ROMER SARL, whose factories are still standing as Hexagon’s Absolute Arms production sites across the globe.

Over the years, absolute measuring arms have undergone significant advancements. The introduction of laser scanning technology in the 1990s has allowed for non-contact measurements, enabling faster and more comprehensive data capture. The arms have become more lightweight, ergonomic, and accurate, with improved software capabilities for as much data analysis and visualization as you could imagine.

Of course, we’re just talking facts but what about the numbers? After all, we are driven by measurements. Well in the last half a century there have been:

Homing in on the here and now, the Absolute Arm is made to measure anything, anywhere, across a plethora of industries, from a pristine shop floor to a dusty workshop, the list is endless.

The latest generation of Absolute Arms are the most portable and versatile they’ve ever been, reducing inaccuracies and saving your business time (and money). If you’re considering upgrading your Absolute Arm to improve productivity, here’s a handful of reasons you should choose an Absolute Arm from Status:

Versatility – The Absolute Arm is the epitome of versatility. With our range of portable systems, we have the ability to easily swap out probes and sensors to suit the specific needs of the application, to suit you and your business.

Productivity – Save time, and guarantee accuracy. When it comes to swapping out sensors and probes, there is usually an increase in downtime, due to a more extensive recalibration. With a Hexagon Absolute Arm this worry is minimised, all thanks to their kinematic joint, in turn, time is saved and continued accuracy is guaranteed.

Usability – As we’ve said there’s no list longer than the amount of applications an Absolute Arm can be used. The latest models are more connective, more ergonomic, more usable and of course more accurate.

We could talk about this exceptional device until the end of time (but we’ll aim for a full century!), but what’s coming next? Whilst we can’t predict the future (we’d love to), we have no doubts about what’s ahead, another half a century of innovation, new technology and of course, precise measurements.

Ready to take a closer look? Get in touch with the Status Team on 0115 939 2228 or email info@status-cmm.co.uk.