While there will surely be discussion of metals versus composites at the Coordinate Metrology Systems Conference this year, metals may win out. Why? Because it’s the Silver Anniversary of the CMSC, well-known as the best-attended annual industry event for Coordinate Measurement Technology Professionals. This year, the annual CMSC crams three days full of industry topics, people and products into one place – Louisville, Kentucky. It’s a time and place where booths, tables and hallways are filled with people discussing ideas, concepts, and theories with their peers. The educational atmosphere encourages attendees to network and learn about the latest innovations in the field of portable 3D industrial measurement technologies. Conference attendees hail from prominent science/research laboratories, and diverse industries such as aerospace, space hardware, antenna, automotive, shipbuilding, power generation, and general engineering.

Scott Sandwith, a member of the executive committee, said that the highlight of the show for him is all of the discussion that happens between industry professionals. “I love to see all the people coming together and discussing the work that they do every day. The innovations that the industry has made in technology are remarkable, and that’s only enhanced by the exceptional people who work with it.” CMSC 2009 features whitepaper presentations by industry experts, advanced workshops and an Exhibition Hall packed with technology and service providers. Workshops feature user education and technical guidance, and Sandwith, also an applications engineer for New River Kinematics, thinks that’s a crucial part of the conference. “At the CMSC, education and sharing knowledge is so important. The conference brings together people who work together and people who may do so in the future,” Sandwith said. For example, NRK is hosting a presentation about “What’s New in SA” with Joe Calkins, one of the company’s co-founders. It’s for users as well as those who might be curious about how SpatialAnalyzer might work for their projects. The presentation is Wednesday, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and will include a question and answer session. Calkins thinks highly of the conference and said, “We never miss a CMSC—not since we exhibited the first version of SpatialAnalyzer in 1996. It’s the place to be in this industry and every year I look forward to learning something new.”

Many of the exhibitors will feature metrology systems such as electronic theodolites, laser projection systems, laser trackers, laser radar, photogrammetry/videogrammetry systems, scanning devices, and articulating arms. The CMSC is a society of users, services and OEM manufacturers of close tolerance, industrial coordinate measurement systems, software and peripherals. The society’s goal is advancement or development of any measurement system or software that produces and uses threedimensional coordinate data.

Besides meeting for discussion about trends, industry issues and networking, this conference has many fun events planned around it. This year’s event includes a tour of Churchill Downs and historic Bardsville.