Facilities and Resources
![Metrology Lab](https://cpm.charlotte.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/239/2023/05/Metrology_Lab_2018-1000x108.jpg)
Our metrology research facilities are widely recognized as the best of any academic institution in North and South America.
Our advanced equipment and tailored laboratories are second to none. It is this specialty equipment, in this customized environment, that allows our researchers to earn this reputation. For instance, we’re the only university to have a coordinate measuring machine that weighs 8 tons, can accommodate an entire car, yet measures with accuracies of less 1/10th the thickness of a human hair.
The 33,000 ft2 Center for Precision Metrology includes a 1500 ft2 main lab facility and a separate 300 ft2 high accuracy coordinate measuring machine lab. A separate 1200 ft2 lab houses additional equipment for precision instrument design and development. The entire metrology lab suite has a precisely maintained environment that meets class 10,000 clean room requirements with temperature controlled to ± 0.1 °C at 20 °C (68 °F). These strict environmental controls are necessary to optimize the capabilities of the precision measurement instruments housed in the Lab.
The capabilities of the Lab include a wide variety of coordinate metrology, surface finish, and various traditional dimensional metrology instrumentation. Three computer-controlled coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) in the facility offer various touch trigger, scanning, and vision-based probing systems. For surface metrology, the Lab hosts a half-dozen tactile probe and scanning white light based instruments to measure two and three-dimensional surface finish. Several dimensional metrology instruments are also available for measuring both form and size including:
- Fizeau flatness interferometers
- roundness/cylindricity measuring machines
- 1D length measuring machines
- ID/OD gage
- gage block comparator
- gage block interferometer, etc.
Center resources include the following:
Manufacturing
- AGIE Mondo sinking EDM
- DMG Mori Seiki NMV5000DCG 5-axis milling center
- EOS M280 laser powder bed fusion
- Haas OM-2 mill with 30,000 rpm spindle
- Haas TL1 CNC lathe
- Haas TM1 CNC mills
- Makino a51nx 4-axis machining center
- Makino a55 machining center
- Makino U3 5-axis wire EDM
- Milltronics SL8-II slant-bed turning center
- Moore Nanotech 350FG diamond turning machine
- Moore Nanotech 650FG diamond turning machine
- NGK 50,000 rpm spindle
- Precitech Nanoform 350 DTM
- QED Q22-XE magneto-rheological finishing machine •
- Strausbaugh 6DF lap
Metrology
- Agilent (Keysight), API, HP laser metrology
- API Tracker 3, Faro Ion and Leica AT901 laser trackers
- API and Renishaw telescoping ballbars
- Bruker Contour GT-X scanning white light interferometer
- Digital Surf Mountains surface analysis software
- GOM ATOS ScanBox 4105 automated 3D scanner
- GOM ATOS Compact Scan structured light scanner
- Hart Scientific and Lion Precision temperature measurement systems
- Hart Scientific temperature calibration cells and baths
- Heidenhain KGM grid encoder
- Indigo micro-thermal measurement system
- Innovmetric Polyworks metrology suite software
- Leitz PMM 654 CMM (Quindos)
- Leitz PMM-F 30-20-16 CMM (Quindos)
- Lion Precision and API spindle analyzers and gages
- Mahr Precimar ULM 300
- Mahr MahrSurf LD 260 contour and surface measuring system
- Manufacturing Laboratories Inc. (MLI) MetalMax and Harmonizer
- Mitutoyo RA 1500 Roundtest roundness measuring instrument
- Moore Nanotech 100UMM ultra measurement machine
- Nikon HN-C3030 Gear Measuring Machine
- Nikon MM400 toolmakers microscope
- New River Kinematics Spatial Analyzer
- Taylor-Hobson FormTalySurf and TalyStep profilometers
- Veeco Digital Instruments dimension metrology AFM
- Zeiss F25 microCMM (Calypso)
- Zeiss Prismo 7 Navigator CMM (Calypso)
- Zygo NexView scanning white light interferometer
- Zygo NewView 5000 scanning white light interferometer
- Zygo Verifire AT phase-shifting interferometer
The CPM also has access to the cleanroom fabrication and materials analysis resources of the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications.