Rapp Systems Corporation

Coordinate Measuring Machine Programming

We are a software contracting company with more than 30 years of coordinate measuring machine software development experience. Our people have experience in nearly every kind of CMM application and systems programming. Our CMM programming achievements include:

Co-implemented the first commercial CMM software anywhere

Designed and implemented the first commercial servoed CMM software anywhere

Lead design of CMM controller firmware in 1979 which is still the foundation for several commercial CMM controllers today, more than 20 years later

Designed and implemented CMM inspection software for all types of prismatic parts

Designed and implemented software for inspection of many contoured parts. Some examples are:

Cams

Scanning color television picture tube glass faceplates

and the molds that form them

Space shuttle tiles

Jet engine turbine blades, disks, rotors, and stators

Gas compressor rotors

Designed and implemented inspection software for countless other parts ranging in size from needle points to military M1A1 tank hulls.

Designed and implemented software to analyze measurement data for both manufacturing and engineering applications

Designed and implemented software to provide feedback of CMM gathered data to machining systems

Designed and implemented software to statistically analyze measured data

Co-designed and co-implemented non-linear part feature pattern fitting

Designed and implemented many programs for testing CMMs themselves by measuring artifacts in compliance with existing and proposed B-89 CMM evaluation standards and other standards

Tested and evaluated many types of CMM probing systems such as point trigger, scanning, contact, non-contact, optical, capacitive, single and multiple axis, fixed, indexable, and continuously positionable.

Designed and implemented software to control vertical and horizontal arm CMMs, related automation, robots, operator signals in factories, and personnel and equipment safety systems.

Designed and implemented defensive measurement techniques to gather precision CMM measurement data from automobile engine plant parts while loaded semi tractor/trailer rigs occasionally roared by less than 10 feet away.

Developed innovative algorithms for solving many difficult and unusual measurement problems. We have a history of doing those things that others say can't be done

Developed many applications involving data processing. Our strengths include the use of many different programming languages, operating systems, data bases, networking systems, specialized hardware integration, unusual peripherals, etc