A robot arm supporting a workpiece, a support mechanism in a form of a coordinate measuring machine supporting a detector head, and a fixation portion in a form of a contact block fixing the detector head to the workpiece are used to bring the contact block fixed to a table and the workpiece into contact to each other. The detector head measures the workpiece while a relative position of the detector head and the workpiece is fixed.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine that includes an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine. The extendable leg assembly includes a first member and a second member which move relative to one another when the extendable leg assembly changes length. The first member including an axial arrangement of magnets forming part of a linear motor for extending and retracting the extendable leg assembly, and at least one resilient member for absorbing at least some of any axial thermal expansion or contraction of the magnets in use.

A positioning apparatus including a moveable member moveable along a bearing guideway in a first dimension, the moveable member including at a first end thereof at least first and second bearing members which are preloaded against corresponding first and second sides of a concave corner of the bearing guideway.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine is provided that comprises an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine, and a constraint member associated with the extendable leg assembly for providing a predetermined part of the extendable leg assembly with substantially a same orientation relative to gravity for a same position of the component within the working volume. In a preferred embodiment, the orientation relative to gravity is maintained substantially constant, so that a plane defined by the predetermined part is substantially aligned with gravity, as the component is moved around the working volume.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine that includes an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine. The extendable leg assembly includes a first member and a second member which move relative to one another when the extendable leg assembly changes length. The first member including an axial arrangement of magnets forming part of a linear motor for extending and retracting the extendable leg assembly, and at least one resilient member for absorbing at least some of any axial thermal expansion or contraction of the magnets in use.

An apparatus and a relative method for measuring straightness errors of elongated-shape elements, such as bars, tubes and the like is presented. The measuring apparatus includes a supporting system for a bar, a first detecting system having one or more first sensors to detect the development of the longitudinal axis of the bar, and a central control unit. The measuring apparatus further includes a second detecting system provided with a plurality of second sensors to detect the forces the bar applies to the supporting system and acquiring means to acquire at least one physical parameter of the bar under measuring. The central control unit includes at least one data acquiring and processing module to acquire and process the data detected by said first and second detecting systems and acquired by said acquiring means, in order to determine the possible straightness error of the bar.

A non-Cartesian coordinate positioning machine is provided that comprises an extendable leg assembly for positioning a component such as a measurement probe within a working volume of the machine, and a constraint member associated with the extendable leg assembly for providing a predetermined part of the extendable leg assembly with substantially a same orientation relative to gravity for a same position of the component within the working volume. In a preferred embodiment, the orientation relative to gravity is maintained substantially constant, so that a plane defined by the predetermined part is substantially aligned with gravity, as the component is moved around the working volume.

A method for the mechanical correction of geometric motion errors of a positioning machine having at least two machine frame components and at least one axis movement assembly for the relative movement of the machine frame components, the at least one axis movement assembly comprising a plurality of axis guide components, each axis guide component and each machine frame component having a mounting surface. A mounting surface correction profile is determined for the considered axis, whereas the mounting surface correction profile describes the correction amounts in function of the position for the mechanical correction of the considered axis. The determined mounting surface correction profile is imparted to the mounting surface of the axis guide component or to the mounting surface of the machine frame component of the considered axis by machining.

A positioning apparatus, having first and second members relatively moveable in a substantially vertical degree of freedom. At least one energy conduit is mounted to at least one of the first and second members, which imparts a load on at least one of the members it is mounted to that varies dependent on the relative position of the first and second members. A compensatory member is configured to apply a load that varies, dependent on the relative position of the first and second members, inversely to the variation in load applied by the at least one energy conduit, so as to at least partially counteract the variation in load applied by the at least one energy conduit on said at least one of the members.

A device for receiving an object for three-dimensional measurement includes at least one bearing point for bearing the object, the at least one bearing point being configured to limit the object movement in at least one degree of freedom of the object and the entirety of all used bearing points being configured to limit the object movement in exactly all degrees of freedom of the object.