The world of measurement technology is complex with a range of hardware, extensive analyses, and software and Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions is at the front of the market and is making moves in the UK to grow its presence
The company now has a complete product portfolio to meet the needs of customers and now offers a complete range of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), optical and multi-sensor systems, scanners, microscopy systems for industrial quality assurance, as well as metrology software.
In the early part of 2025, Zeiss will grow its UK presence when it moves into a new facility in Lutterworth – three times the size of its current one in Rugby – giving it more space to host bigger customer events and to better showcase its extensive product portfolio.
Penelope Howes, marketing manager IQS for UK & Ireland, explains that her team have created a comprehensive product portfolio platform and is taking a “consultative approach” when working with customers so it can provide them with the best solution to meet their requirements.
The approach it has developed guides customers to better understand the best complement of software and machine technology that can most effectively support an application or process. Zeiss service application engineers work closely with them and provide investment options before they decide what it is the “best-fit” for their needs.
Zeiss is now ideally positioned in the market, after the acquisition of GOM Metrology it can now offer the entire suite of quality and metrology solutions to customers, as UK & Ireland national aftermarket manager Sam Brookhouse notes.
“In the past, if cycle times were a big factor for the customer, we had optical capabilities but limited in the applications they were best fit,” he says. The COMET had 100, 200 and 400 FoV, so small components. However, the limitations within the software restricted the suitability for many applications.
“Now, we have a completely comprehensive portfolio with software sitting in the heart of it. Allowing us to offer, possibly multiple best solutions to meet as much of the customer’s criteria as possible. This fits in perfectly with our application engineers as their mindset is they always want to put forward the perfect solution to the customer.
Innovation Day
Software is a fundamental part of a measurement machine and can be the differentiator for customers, who seek a user-friendly, intuitive, easy-to-use and flexible system that can meet all their metrology needs.
In June, Zeiss held several ‘ZEISS Software User Days’ at its Zeiss Quality Excellence Centre in Rugby for customers who have taken out a Software Maintenance Agreement (SMA), where it trained users on the latest features and benefits within the latest release of the software.
The day demonstrated the significant benefits the software brings to the Zeiss IQS portfolio of technologies and, was focused upon enabling customers to improve their quality inspection processes in UK manufacturing.
The event included a range of masterclass sessions, where engineers from across its UK customer base had the opportunity to ramp up their knowledge, while also tap into the expertise of application engineers from the UK and Zeiss’ head office in Germany.
Brookhouse explains there were a few key aspirations for the Software User Days: “Firstly, it was to showcase the new features across a range a different applications to help enable customers transfer this back into their business.
“That then feeds into how we wanted to share our expertise. The biggest benefit of taking out an SMA is that you get the latest version of the software each year, but the other side is you also get various add-ons, such as us sharing our expertise.
“We have 14 service application engineers in the UK and globally, more than 950 so we have huge expertise across the business. There are not many applications that the Zeiss team has not come across so we can share that knowledge with our customers.
“We also wanted to give customers a bit of insight into the new technologies and show our full portfolio. We have steered that to how the software works and shown customers there is more than one way of measuring a parts, and the differences between technologies.
“And, fundamentally, we want all our customers to leave the day thinking, that was a really good session and I got value from it.
“Customers taking the learnings back to their businesses and implementing improvements is fundamental, and ensuring they utilise the latest features.”
With quality and metrology technology moving at a rapid rate with upgrades and functions coming thick and fast, Zeiss believes if customers take out an SMA when they acquire a machine, they can gain more value and benefits from their investment.
Howes explains: “The Software User Days will become an annual event in future and it helps to show customers the value and bene ts of being an SMA customer, as they get can upgrade to the latest platforms and gain access to such events.”
She adds: “In the Software User Days we have run meet-the-developer sessions and they all overran as customers had so many questions to ask them, a rare opportunity for a customer to have direct access to R&D colleagues from Germany. These sessions help them to better understand the capabilities of their Zeiss machines.”
