InnovMetric, the independent software development company that empowers manufacturers of every size to transform their 3D measurement processes digitally, today launched PolyWorks 2022, the latest release of its smart 3D metrology digital ecosystem. PolyWorks 2022 offers new key functionalities that significantly expand the capabilities of its three ecosystem foundations: 

• The universal 3D metrology platform now facilitates multipiece inspection when CAD data is not available as well as introduces a universal data hub 
• Digital connectivity between data and people is improved by enabling the deployment of global metadata management strategies and the programming of alerts that automatically detect failing dimensions and notify the right people in real-time 
• The collaboration between probing operators and their measurement hardware is raised to a new level by mixed reality display technology that enhances the operators' perception of 3D metrology

PolyWorks 2022 also demonstrates InnovMetric's commitment to open solutions by releasing an API to query data from its data management solution and inject it into third-party software applications. 

"For decades, the main mission of 3D hardware and software manufacturers, including ourselves, was to deliver state-of-the-art technologies to create data from 3D measurements. This strategy proved to be highly successful for market players and fueled a major growth in 3D measurement technologies in manufacturing organizations. However, as the amount of 3D measurement data grew exponentially, new data management complexities also emerged, which led us to reconsider our company's mission. Today, PolyWorks goes beyond data creation by managing data storage, opening access to data enterprise-wide, and enabling digital data flows between hardware, software, and people," said Marc Soucy, President of InnovMetric. 

Universal platform extensions 

Manufacturing organizations often need to measure and inspect multiple pieces even though they do not have access to a reliable 3D CAD representation of those pieces, for example, in the early stages of a product engineering cycle or after having physically adjusted the design on the shop floor. To address these measurement scenarios, the PolyWorks universal platform offers a new feature measurement guide technology to guide probing, scanning, and feature extraction when measuring and inspecting multiple pieces in the absence of CAD data and nominal feature components. Users can inject a CAD model and nominal feature components at any point later in the process and propagate these changes to already-measured pieces. 

The PolyWorks universal platform also features a new universal data hub that brings all relevant data under one roof: 

• Inspection projects can be created automatically from third-party software measurement results and shared digitally enterprise-wide 
• Native CAD and QIF MBD file readers import all GD&T control types to ensure digital interoperability with the product definition processes 
• Users can also use a more accurate device to measure a dimensional control and inject the measured value within a scanned or probed object for reporting purposes 

Improved digital connectivity for consumers of 3D measurement data 

In a 3D metrology context, metadata consists of important attributes describing the part design, piece fabrication, and 3D measurement processes. PolyWorks 2022 ensures meaningful and usable metadata by managing shared properties common to multiple inspection projects and piece templates. Unified and synchronized shared properties empower searches, filtering, and analysis across the broad centralized 3D metrology data archive. 

Users can quickly assemble an investigation team using the PolyWorks modern digital communication technologies. PolyWorks 2022 also enables production teams to program alerts that monitor incoming measurements and notify the right people by e-mail when a dimension is out of control. Notifications enable real-time reactivity, including a hyperlink that instantaneously opens the problematic piece within a Web-based 3D viewer. 

More efficient probing workflows through mixed reality display 

Mixed-reality display technology enhances the perception of 3D metrology by superimposing holograms on inspected pieces and offering an instinctual gesture-based user interface. The PolyWorks 2022 mixed-reality solution provides new visual guidance and feedback capabilities that optimize the efficiency of probing operators. In addition to overlaying guidance geometry and measurement instructions on the inspected piece, it also displays probed points, measurement results, and the digital readout in real-time. It allows users to invoke common probing functionalities remotely. 

Open solution 

Manufacturing organizations need open solutions to interconnect their multiple enterprise solutions and optimize their efficiency digitally. InnovMetric is proud to announce the availability of an API for its data management solution. Based on the OData open protocol, the PolyWorks 2022 secure REST API allows third-party software applications to access the hierarchy of workspaces, projects, pieces, and the measurement objects and controls of individual pieces. The PolyWorks REST API is compatible with data analysis solutions, such as Tableau, PowerBI, and Excel. It allows users to inject parametric URLs referring to measured pieces into other enterprise solutions, such as PLM, ERP, or MES solutions, and transfer information to other digital systems using programming languages, such as Python and C#.