Hexagon Metrology Press Release - August 11, 2006 - Hexagon Metrology Rolls Out Industrial Measurement Innovations at IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) in Chicago, IL, September 6 - 8, 2006
N E W S R E L E A S E Hexagon Press Contact: Belinda Jones, HiTech Marketing llc, (860) 399-1147, belinda.jones@hitechmarketing.com Hexagon Marketing Contact: Bill Fetter, Hexagon Metrology, Inc., (920) 906-7514, william.fetter@hexagonmetrology.com Link to press release: http://hexagonimts.com/content/view/13/15/ Hexagon Metrology Rolls Out Industrial Measurement Innovations at IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) in Chicago, IL, September 6 - 13, 2006 Hexagon Booth D-4303 hosts the famous Polen Special - the World's Fastest Four-Cylinder Airplane North Kingstown, RI - August 11, 2006 - Hexagon Metrology Inc. announced today it will roll out new industrial measurement innovations at IMTS (International Manufacturing Technology Show) 2006 being held at McCormick Place, Quality Assurance Pavilion, Chicago, IL from September 6 - 13, 2006. In Booth D-4303, Hexagon will exhibit its full complement of name-brand metrology solutions including Brown & Sharpe, Leica Geosystems, Sheffield, Romer, CimCore, DEA, Leitz, and TESA. The famous Polen Special, the world's fastest four-cylinder airplane, will be on display in Hexagon's booth during the trade show. Editors are invited to a personal tour of the Polen Special, and a brief junket of the Hexagon's unparalleled offering of measurement instrumentation and software. For media appointments with Hexagon, please contact Belinda Jones at 860-399-1147, or belinda.jones@hitechmarketing.com. New Product Announcements from Hexagon Hexagon Metrology will make a variety of new product announcements at IMTS including the introduction of the DEA Toro Machine used for sheetmetal applications, and the debut of the new Leitz Infinity Model CMM. Also on display at the Hexagon booth will be the new TESA probing system representing the latest evolution in probing technology for coordinate measuring applications. Hexagon will also present the latest 4.1 version of PC-DMIS software featuring a new Vision Module designed specifically for non-contact measuring applications. The CMM software is well known in the industry for its direct and seamless integration with CAD data, eliminating translation and maintaining the original design intent throughout the measurement process. Also on tap is PC-DMIS NC, the software solution for On-Machine Inspection for CNC machines, offering an advanced set of automatic inspection routines that run directly on popular CNC controllers. Dimensional verification to specifications, calculation of tool offsets, and statistics can be collected automatically, without operator intervention or interruption of the machining cycle. Demonstrations of the Leica Universal CMM will be held throughout the trade show featuring the T-Scan, T-Probe, and Leica LTD800 laser tracker being used to measure, inspect, or digitize small-to-large objects and complex surfaces with virtually no set-up time for inspection and reverse engineering applications. Land, Sea, or Air: Performance Requires Precision, and Hexagon Metrology Delivers. Spotlight on Polen Special IMTS visitors will get a rare and up-close view of the original Polen Special and the process used to capture surface data from the world's fastest four-cylinder airplane. Recently, a metrology expert from Leica Geosystems worked with owner Dick Keyt to accurately scan the entire historic aircraft using the Leica T-Scan paired with the Leica Laser Tracker. The 3D data is being used for aerodynamic analysis of the "Special". Please see the Polen Special Fact Sheet at the end of the press release for more information. Also in Booth D-4303, Hexagon will showcase Chris Fairchild's #62 Hooters sponsored Mercury-powered Champ Class Racing Boat, fresh off the 2006 racing circuit.Finally, on display is the Yamaha PW50 motocross bike used to win the 2003 Amateur Supercross National Championship, 4-6 Year Old 50cc Stock Class, driven by Derek Wittemberg, son of a Hexagon Metrology Account Manager. About Hexagon Metrology Hexagon Metrology serves the high precision measurement and inspection needs of Worldwide manufacturers with its extensive line of metrology hardware, software, accessories, and customer services. The company's name-brand portfolio of quality assurance products include Brown & Sharpe, DEA, Leitz, Leica Geosystems, Romer, Sheffield, TESA and PC-DMIS. Hexagon Metrology has an unrivaled installaed base of more than 1.5 million handheld, stationary and portable measurement devices, and over 25,000 seats of PC-DMIS metrology software. The company is a subsidiary of Hexagon Measurement Technologies, a business unit of Hexagon AB (Nacka Strand, Sweden), a publicly-traded company (Stockholmsborsen: HEXA-A). The Hexagon group consists of nearly 7,800 employees located in 30 countries. Call 1-800-426-1066 or visit www.hexagonmetrology.us for more information about Hexagon Metrology North America and its trusted brands. -- 30 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fact Sheet on the Polen Special Polen Special Image Available on Request/Image Caption: In July 2001, the Polen Special established a new world speed record for the FAI/NAA Class c1 310mi [500km] closed course. The Polen speed for this record was 303.5mph [487km/h] with only 180hp. The Polen Special was a creation of Dennis Polen with the help of his two friends, Jim Hergert and Darryl Usher. The project began in 1967 and the aircraft's first flight was in May 1972. The effort was similar to the Wright Brothers in that the project was undertaken by individuals, with no corporate assistance or financial help. The final assembly was in Polen's two-car garage in Portland, Oregon. The aircraft was turbo charged in the mid 1970s, but Dennis removed the turbo because it was difficult to manage. He found that flying the plane was not as much fun because the system required so much pilot attention. Since Dick Keyt's acquisition of the "Special," he has worked on reliability while returning the plane to its early performance. In July 2001, the Polen Special established a new world speed record for the FAI/NAA Class c1 310mi [500km] closed course. The old record set by Rich Gritter in a Questair Venture with a 280hp engine was at a speed of 284mph [457km/h]. The Polen speed for this record was 303.5mph [487km/h] with only 180hp. When Keyt wanted to modify his plane's aerodynamics and powertrain, the Leica T-Scan paired with a LTD700 Leica Laser Tracker was ideally matched to the job requirements. The Leica T-Scan offers three crucial advantages when compared to similar scanning solutions. First, it is virtually impervious to environmental light and the type of surface being scanned, thus requiring no surface preparation in most cases. Second, Leica T-Scan operates in a measurement volume of up to 98ft. which allows for the entire airplane to be scanned with just rudimentary repositioning of the equipment involved. On top of that capability, the point-cloud data collected by the Leica T-Scan requires no post-processing to generate a 3D rendition of the scanned object. All data is processed in real time right on the spot, and is immediately usable. Keyt teamed up with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to do an aerodynamics analysis of the entire aircraft. A few strategic design changes are intended to increase the airplane's already impressive aerodynamics and power output, letting Keyt fly his "Special" at higher altitudes and at greater speeds. These improvements will make sure the plane remains competitive in the sport aviation field in the years to come, living up to Dennis Polen's legacy and exposing this important piece of aviation history to even more flying enthusiasts.