At AMB 2026, the international exhibition for metalworking in Stuttgart, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence presents solutions under the guiding theme 'From inspection to production-integrated quality assurance' that connect measurement technology and manufacturing into a seamless quality process.
'The demands on modern manufacturing companies are continuously increasing. While quality laboratories continue to play a central role in validation and analysis, quality assurance is increasingly integrated directly into manufacturing processes to enhance productivity, efficiency, and speed,' says Oliver Clarke, Region Vice President EMEA at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. 'At AMB, we demonstrate how digital manufacturing technologies, artificial intelligence, measurement technology, automation, and software come together to create a seamless manufacturing workflow – all the way to production-integrated quality assurance. This enables faster decisions and higher efficiency.'
Quality assurance becomes part of production
The focus of the trade fair appearance is on solutions that capture quality data directly at the manufacturing site and make it usable for process control without delay. With MAESTRO, Hexagon presents its fully digitized coordinate measuring system (CMS), which combines automation, intuitive operation, and real-time data on a common platform. The system shortens measurement processes and provides measurement results immediately for production control.
For the first time live, Hexagon presents the combination of the optical coordinate measuring machine VISIUS 542 and the measurement software PC-DMIS. It enables a seamless workflow for optical 2D measurements as well as classical coordinate measuring technology and simplifies especially inline and nearline applications.
Efficiently collecting and utilizing quality data
To detect deviations early and stabilize manufacturing processes, quality data must be captured, evaluated, and fed back into the manufacturing process directly during processing. Hexagon addresses this challenge with NC Server and MTM (Machine Tool Measurement): The NC Server software allows the execution of PC-DMIS measurement programs directly on the machine tool – using the same measurement logic that is also applied on coordinate measuring devices. This creates a uniform quality standard across manufacturing and quality assurance. Since quality data is captured directly during processing on the machine, manufacturing companies can detect deviations early, reduce transport times, and avoid additional measurement steps outside the machine. Beyond product validation, the measurement results can also be used for closed-loop manufacturing strategies, such as updating workpiece zero points, tool compensation, or process optimization based on real production data. Automated implementations can also be individually tailored to requirements and production environments.
At AMB, Hexagon demonstrates the interaction of MTM and NC Server live on a machine tool and shows how a seamless quality process can be realized.
'Only in live operation does it become clear how closely measurement technology, software, and machine tools are interconnected today. Thus, quality becomes an integral part of the manufacturing process and lays the foundation for competitive manufacturing,' says Micha Neininger, Director Machine Tool Measurement at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.
Measurement technology solutions for large-volume manufacturing
Manufacturers of large-format components in industries such as aerospace, energy technology, or shipbuilding face the challenge of increasing their production capacities without compromising precision. Therefore, at AMB, Hexagon presents a comprehensive portfolio of laser trackers that can also automate difficult-to-access and large-volume measurement tasks.
In addition, the company showcases the new OPC-UA support in SpatialAnalyzer, Hexagon's software for large-volume measurement and alignment tasks. It enables the direct connection of high-precision laser measurements to industrial control systems. 'In the manufacturing of large-format components, robots are indispensable. However, for highly precise machining steps, such as drilling holes with the required tolerances, their accuracy is often not sufficient. The larger the component, the more challenging its exact alignment becomes. With the new OPC-UA support, SpatialAnalyzer can coordinate quality checks as well as complex, measurement-supported manufacturing and assembly processes for OEMs and their system integrators,' explains Johannes Mann, Senior Director Industry Solutions at Hexagon.
Also on display at the booth is HYPERSCAN, Hexagon's portable measurement system for large-volume applications. It operates without conventional reference markers and provides reliable measurement results even in challenging industrial environments – even with moving or unstable components up to seven meters in size. If the measurement object is moved or the user changes position, the optical tracking continues automatically without the need for manual realignment.
Hexagon at AMB in Hall 9, Stand 9C51
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