As a Project Engineer who uses your products in the metal fabrication industry, I can see an abundance of uses in integrating both CAD software products and your M1 Caliper/Tomahawk. Personally, I can see a massive use of using the Tomahawk to not only QC inspect but also send field measurements directly to a CAD software like Autodesk or Solidworks. This could also pair to the M1 Caliper if I were to send a cut list of material to the shop from CAD and they can use whatever cutting means is required with the M1 Caliper making the exact cuts needed.
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Hey Gregory, appreciate the suggestion! We do plan to release an API for all of our products to integrate into external software and hardware.
Is QC something you do now? If so, it would be great to hear more about your current workflow and what tools and processes you use now
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I will certainly second this in terms of integration within CAD software! Whether it be for QC to verify dimensions on finished product or investigating other dimensional accuracy not specified on shop drawings.
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Thanks for the feedback Andrew! Is there software you use now to do this or how do you record measurements presently when QCing something?
Currently there is no software integration in terms of dimensional QC checks. There is a template/form made up for each piece that lists which dimensions need to be verified and then a spot to write down the measured value. Given the large number of dimensions to be checked, I have seen some technicians taking multiple measurements and then recording onto the form which obviously can present other problems in and of itself.
are the forms on paper that are filled out or digital? What kind of parts and assemblies are you making?
the forms are all on paper and then scanned in once completed.
The company I am with manufactures different precast concrete products, and I deal specifically with bridge girders & deck panels
I agree with what Andrew mentioned. I currently don’t QC heavily but when the other engineers and I do, it’s often with standard tape measures, Milwaukee, digital levels, dial calipers and a few other inspection tools. I do however use solidworks to design the blast proof and sound proof hanger style doors in which we have solidworks print out cut lists for large lengths and quantities of steel to them give to the shop. I feel a good integration could be achieved with solidworks sending cut lists to band saws using the M1 Caliper and then welders using the Tomahawk to fuse beams together while checking lengths and matching drawings.
Also speaking on the topic of large lengths, it would be a nice idea to make a 50ft version of the tomahawk. The doors we manufacture are typically 50ft lengths with 30ft height.
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Great feedback! We are working on a native feature to help with QC/inspections like this that we will be sharing in coming weeks. Longer term we certainly will have an API to allow for integration into software that makes sense
What do you use to measure the 50 and 30 foot door lengths now?
Usually either a 35ft tap or a 100ft roll up but to my knowledge no one on the market makes a 50ft tape and I know for sure no one makes a digital tape like the Tomahawk much less something over 35ft
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Also not sure the difficulty involved but if future iterations are made of the tape it would be really cool to include/enable a gyroscope that could function as a digital levels. But again take that as it is, I know very little of digital programming and that field and it could or is probably physically impossible with keeping size in mind. All in one tool does sound nice to think about for measuring and leveling 
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When I hear QC, I instinctively think calibration, measurement and testing. I thank the aerospace industry for that. That said, the published error tolerance for the T-1 would need compared for accuracy against a calibrated measurement testing instrument and verified in a controlled diagnostic and testing facility in order for it to be used as a precision measurement instrument. This would be periodic testing or required testing after a fall from X height, e.g. knocked off a ladder. Leaned this lesson when a calibrated dial caliper knocked off a fuselage.The agony!
Regardless,
I don’t believe the T-1s’ design intended to have a high resolution for accuracy. The advertised scale is 1/16” and/or 1mm with an error of less than 0.02” (+ / - 1/32”) [corrected entry] (0.5mm).
Thoughts?
Hey, the accuracy for the T1 is rated for 0.02" (0.5mm) on the digital side. The larger issue the the tape blade printing (which is an issue on any tape measure).
One of the things that digital tapes have going for them is they can be “hard zeroed” in the sense that if you have a master reference, you can set the zero or scaling to any value you choose. This may make the printed tape blade slightly inaccurate against the master value but would ensure the digital display is accurate.
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Thank you for pointing that out. I have corrected the entry.
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I have the same situation, we want to use a bluetooth connected tapemeasure for QC.
An easy way to implement it is to have a mode where when it is connected to a computer it acts like a keyboard and sends the measurement in keystrokes ending with the enter(return) key. that way you can easily use it in Excel or other programs.
We use Mitutoyo calipers with the UWave bluetooth module that do exactly that and it works like a charm.
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Having bluetooth keyboard emulation will be a future feature as well to share just the measurement and. then API capability for more information being sent in various formats
And what about a situation when you want to use the ROCK app and connect another app to it? Like a Floor Planer to quickly import measurements like from a BLE laser meter? Not sure, if it can emulate a BLE device which will be the used for other apps…
hey Randy, we are always open to considering integrations with other apps, what floor planer software/app are you using now?
Hi Derrick,
I have been using Pro version of their Android App https://floorplancreator.net/ that allows me quickly create an accurate drawing. I am pretty sure that if you will provide API he will implement. But the crazy idea with emulation of a BLE laser meter would be nice as well.