Status Celebrate 20-Year Tie Up With Hexagon

Independent measurement solutions provider Status Metrology and original equipment manufacturer Hexagon are celebrating a 'unique' 20-year partnership, which helped pave the way for a second user machine market in the UK.

Nottingham-based Status spotted the gap in the market in the late 1990s and pitched the idea of becoming a supplier of retrofit legacy CMMs alongside their established service and calibration operation to a number of OEMs.

"We spoke to all the manufacturers but it was only with Brown & Sharpe, which was later acquired by Hexagon, that we found synergy. They shared our vision that there were opportunities for upgrading machines," explained Tony Tillett, Status Metrology's managing director.

Since moving from Beeston in 2006 to their present site at Sandiacre, Status have more than doubled their workforce and extended their client base beyond the UK to Ireland and parts of Europe.

As well as supplying second user bridge, sidearm and gantry CMMs, Status also offer a selection of new machines, sensors and Hexagon's PC-DMIS inspection software. They have sold more than 500 software seat licenses and trained over 2,000 candidates in its operation.

"Although it's 20 years since we began working together, we continue to value our unique and dynamic partnership. It keeps us at the forefront of the latest measurement solutions and technology," said Tony.

David Brown, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence's UK general manager, said their relationship with Status demonstrated why collaborative partnerships were vital to long-term business success.

In recent months, Status have secured a series of new contracts including an order from CNTL, a local machining and fabrication business, which needed to update their quality control equipment after winning more work from Rolls-Royce, Bombardier and JLR.

A fully-refurbished bridge CMM, retrofitted with a Hexagon RC1 controller, jog box and PC-DMIS software, has been installed, enabling CNTL to inspect larger parts and multiple smaller components more efficiently.

"Our budget didn't quite justify a brand-new, PC-DMIS powered CMM so the Status solution was ideal. It means we have a futureproof hardware package with the flexibility of being able to add different sensor technology at a later date," commented Steve Rawson, CNTL's managing director.