Over the years, I have handled thousands of projects involving video measuring machines across industries ranging from precision hardware and plastic molds to consumer electronics and medical devices. The variety of parts is vast.
Customers often ask me, “What makes your video measuring machine different from others?”
My answer usually isn’t about comparing specs, but about three key functions:
Non-contact measurement that is stable and fast; can the system ‘understand’ complex parts on its own; and can it find edges and focus automatically without manual intervention.
These three aspects ultimately decide whether a video measuring machine is really easy and effective to use.
Many people think non-contact measurement simply means “using a camera to look without touching the part,” but it’s much more significant than that.
We once served a medical client measuring plastic syringe shells—thin-walled and transparent. Traditional contact measurement would easily deform the parts with even slight pressure. With a video measuring machine using a high-resolution camera and image processing system, we can precisely measure each hole diameter, spacing, and thickness without any physical contact.
Non-contact measurement is especially suitable for soft materials, thin parts, and micro components. It not only speeds up measurement but also prevents damage to the part and avoids human interference affecting results.
More importantly, non-contact measurement forms the foundation for batch inspection and unattended automated operation, greatly improving production efficiency and quality stability.
The real core of a video measuring machine lies in its software intelligence. We often say “fast and accurate measurement” isn’t just about hardware—what matters is whether the software can automatically recognize the shapes you want to measure.
For example, a mold part may have dozens of holes with different diameters, multiple chamfers, and arcs. Previously, manually finding edges and inputting commands was time-consuming and prone to errors. Now the system can automatically identify lines, arcs, angles, contours, and other geometric elements, speeding up the process and reducing errors.
This is particularly important for complex parts such as connectors and precision structural components. A single part with dozens of measurement features can be fully located, measured, and analyzed within seconds using intelligent recognition, significantly improving efficiency and accuracy.
Many new customers initially think “finding edges and focusing” are trivial tasks, but when measuring hundreds of parts daily, manual adjustment becomes a heavy burden.
The automatic edge-finding function enables the system to quickly and accurately detect edges under various lighting conditions, whether they are blurred edges, reflective surfaces, or chamfered edges, ensuring consistent results.
Automatic focusing uses a motorized Z-axis and image sharpness algorithms to find the optimal focus point independently, eliminating repeated manual adjustments—especially useful for multi-step or irregular parts.
One of our clients uses an auto-focus system to measure over 20 different height stations in one run. With one-click start, the entire measurement process runs fully automatically without manual focus monitoring.
As a technician with years of hands-on experience, I firmly believe whether a video measuring machine is good doesn’t just depend on the specs sheet.
What really matters is whether it helps avoid part damage, improves inspection efficiency, reduces human error, and achieves true automation.
Non-contact measurement solves the problem of part fragility and efficiency; intelligent geometric recognition addresses complexity and precision; automatic edge-finding and focusing enhance ease of operation and automation. These three foundational features form the core technical strength of optical measuring equipment.
If you are selecting equipment, pay close attention to these details, so you won’t be misled by surface-level specs and can choose the right tool suited for your production environment.