The subsidiary of Swedish IT conglomerate Hexagon, the division argues that the new brand better expresses what the company is now doing:
“As Hexagon Metrology, our core competence was dimensional metrology. But now, our customers want more.
“To meet these changing customer demands, we have developed our skillset to include expertise in new areas like statistical process control and CADCAM software. Although closely linked to metrology, these new capabilities take us beyond quality checking. They are about actively improving manufacturing and enabling customers to work in smarter ways. They are about driving productivity. They are about manufacturing intelligence.”
In terms of CADCAM software, Hexagon acquired Vero Software in 2014. In early September, it announced the acquisition of Camtech, a German dealer of Vero brand Edgecam.
“Adding Camtech to our direct sales footprint will enable Vero Software and Hexagon to better capitalise on the growing opportunities in Germany,” said Vero Software President Steve Sivitter. “Being close to our customers is the key driver of our global growth strategy, and acquiring key distribution partners enables us to achieve this growth while also gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience. By working closely and integrating with our other operations across German-speaking countries, Camtech will accelerate our ability to leverage the strengths of all our technologies and expertise in the region.”
In terms of statistical process control, the company acquired German software company Q-DAS, which is particularly active in automotive, in March 2015.
“The Q-DAS acquisition adds software to support the data management needs of a factory. While people, materials and methods can all lead to fluctuations in machine and process capability, Hexagon’s solutions will now provide the means to more accurately observe and evaluate the production process in real time, enabling workers to control and suppress fluctuations as they occur,” Hexagon said in March.
In a corporate podcast in November, global director of marketing communications at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Anne Williman said:
“The market is changing, the technologies are changing, the demands and so should the offering change, and of course the brands.
“Our customers are manufacturers, they’re acting in the manufacturing environment. To differentiate to our colleagues from agriculture, mining, geospatial, we are really acting in manufacturing. The intelligence part, it really represents the data. The ability to package and use data provides very intelligent solutions.”
