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A new contour and surface roughness measuring system that is said to be well suited for quality control of plastic automotive and aerospace plastic parts as well as medical devices has been launched by Mitutoyo America Corp., Aurora, Ill.

According to the company, the Formtracer Avant is a revolutionary hybrid measuring system that measures advanced contour and surface roughness features with high precision, speed, flexibility and efficiency in one machine. Key features include:

â–ª  Quick Sensor Exchange Without Turning Off Machine: The first of its kind, the Avant features a unique “Hot Swap” ability to quickly change between surface and contour detector heads without the need of tools or powering off the control unit.

â–ª  Stylus Protection Function: New stylus protection function controls the downward movement of the stylus, reducing risk of damaging the stylus tip∙.

&²Ô²ú²õ±è;â–ª&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Easily Add/Retrofit Optional Detectors: All Formtracer Avant models can be upgraded and retrofitted with optional detectors for better measuring application versatility.

&²Ô²ú²õ±è;â–ª&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Operation Keys Added to Remote Joystick Box: Operation keys are integrated with the remote joystick box, making part programming and work piece set up easier than ever before.

&²Ô²ú²õ±è;â–ª&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Best-In-Class Drive Speed:  The high-speed drive unit and column axis reduces set-up time, improving efficiency and increasing throughput.

&²Ô²ú²õ±è;â–ª&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Unprecedented Versatility: “Hot swapping” heads along with an inclining X-axis drive, double-sided conical stylus for continuous measurements of upper/lower surfaces, and a wide variety of optional accessories to measure nearly any type of workpiece makes the Avant Series one of the most versatile machines of its type.