Alicona µCMM - Optical Coordinate Measurement Machine

µCMM, the first purely optical coordinate measuring machine (cmm machine), is used to measure extremely tight tolerances in high accuracy. Users combine advantages from tactile coordinate measuring technology and optical surface metrology:
The optical coordinate measuring machine offers high geometric accuracy of several optical 3D measurements in relation to each other, enabling the measurement of small surface details on large components and precisely determining the position of these individual measurements in relation to each other. The spectrum of measurable surfaces includes all common industrial materials and composites such as plastics, PCD, CFRP, ceramics, chrome, silicon.
Simple operation is implemented by single-button solutions, automation and ergonomic control elements such as a specially designed controller. Air-bearing axes with linear drive enable wear-free use and highly accurate, fast measurements. This makes the μCMM the ideal coordinate measuring system for permanent use – also in production.
- measurement of dimension, position, shape and roughness with only one sensor
- high accuracy over the entire measurement volume
- non-contact, optical coordinate measurement with Focus-Variation
- suitable for matte to highly polished components
- easy handling
- wear-free, robust and suitable for production
EUni:Tr:ODS,MPE = (0.8 + L/600) µm – EUni:Z:St:ODS,MPE = (0.15 + L/50) µm
The optical coordinate measuring machine offers high geometric accuracy of several optical 3D measurements in relation to each other, enabling the measurement of small surface details on large components and precisely determining the position of these individual measurements in relation to each other. The spectrum of measurable surfaces includes all common industrial materials and composites such as plastics, PCD, CFRP, ceramics, chrome, silicon.
Simple operation is implemented by single-button solutions, automation and ergonomic control elements such as a specially designed controller. Air-bearing axes with linear drive enable wear-free use and highly accurate, fast measurements. This makes the μCMM the ideal coordinate measuring system for permanent use – also in production.
Precise, Fast and Flexible
The expansion from 3 to 5 axes allows measurements of geometries that are otherwise difficult or impossible to access. High-precision tilting and rotating axes enable the measurement of GD&T and roughness parameters on the entire measured object.
Automation
MetMax
- This is the core thinking behind MetMax, the μCMM operating software. Thanks to this evolution, users do not need any specific metrology knowledge to perform robust measurements with the µCMM coordinate measuring machine. MetMaX contains all the necessary knowledge on how to acquire and evaluate 3D data.
- With MetMaX 3.0 you can perform shape measurements up to 3 times faster than with any other Bruker Alicona measuring device.

Pick and Place
- The μCMM can be extended with a collaborative robot arm to a complete Pick & Place solution. Users thus achieve automatic placement, measurement and sorting of components (OK/not OK) in production. The possible connection to existing production systems including ERP facilitates adaptive production planning.
- Vertical focus probing
- The latest technology enables the optical, lateral probing of components over the entire surface. Users measure holes and vertical flanks >90°.
Advanced Focus-Variation

Focus Variation
- Basically, Focus-Variation is applicable to surfaces with a large range of different optical reflectance values. As the optical technique is very flexible in terms of using light, typical limitations such as measuring surfaces with strongly varying reflection properties even within the same field of view can be avoided. Samples can vary from shiny to diffuse reflecting, from homogeneous to compound material and from smooth to rough surface properties.
- Focus-Variation overcomes the aspect of limited measurement capabilities in terms of reflectance by a combination of illumination, controlling the sensor parameters and integrated polarization. Modulated illumination means that the illumination intensity is not constant, but varying. The complex variation of the intensity can be generated by a signal generator. Through the constantly changing intensity far more information is gathered from the samples´ surface.
Technical Specifications
General Specifications
Resolution and Application Specs
General Specifications
Measurement principle | non-contact, optical, three-dimensional, based on Focus-Variation incl. Vertical Focus Probing technology |
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Number of measurement points | single measurement: X: 1720, Y: 1720, X x Y: 2.95 Mio., multi measurement: up to 500 Mio. |
Positioning volume (X x Y x Z) | 310 mm x 310 mm x 310 mm = 29 791 000 mm³ |
Travel speed of axes | up to 100 mm/s |
Coaxial illumination | LED coaxial illumination (color), high-power, electronically controllable |
System monitoring | 9 temperature sensors (accuracy: ± 0.1 K), 3 vibration sensors, internal current and voltage monitoring, incl. long-term logging, retrievable |
3D Accuracy 10360-8 | EUni:Tr:ODS,MPE = (0.8 + L/600) µm (L in mm) Axis accuracy based on ISO 10360-8. EUni:Z:St:ODS,MPE = (0.15 + L/50) µm (L in mm) Valid for single measurements, height step measurements. |
Resolution and Application Specs
Objective | 3000 WD8 | 1900 WD30 | 1500 WD23 | 1500 WD70 | 800 WD17 | 800 WD37 | 400 WD19 | 150 WD11 |
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Working distance | 8.8 mm | 30 mm | 23.5 mm | 69.4 mm | 17.5 mm | 37 mm | 19 mm | 11 mm |
Lateral measurement range (X,Y) | 5.26 mm | 3.29 mm | 2.63 mm | 2.63 mm | 1.32 mm | 1.32 mm | 0.66 mm | 0.26 mm |
(X x Y) | 27.64 mm² | 10.8 mm² | 6.91 mm² | 6.91 mm² | 1.71 mm² | 1.71 mm² | 0.43 mm² | 0.06 mm² |