Download - Experiences of a Metrologic Dealer The UK’s Leading Range of 3D Measurement & SPC Solutions
Experiences of a Metrologic Dealer
The UK’s Leading Range of
3D Measurement & SPC Solutions
Measurement SolutionsMeasurement Solutions
Measurement Solutions was formed in 1998 after 6 years as Managing Director of CE Johansson in the UK ( joined CEJ originally in 1989 )
Johansson started to use Metrolog software ~1996 (Jowin) as the standard software for new CMM’s
Earliest version – Metrolog II v.1.38 (on floppy disks !)
We now have 5 people ;
1 Manager
1 Full-time Sales Engineer
1 Applications / Service Engineer
1 Full-time Service Engineer
1 Administration
We are advertising right now for 2 more people
All 4 engineers have the ability to provide sales &
applications support
Measurement SolutionsMeasurement Solutions
We are based in Peterborough, approx. 1 hour North of London
Our office includes a busy demo room with ;
CNC CMM with PH10 plus TP20 and SP25
Kreon Laser Scanner
Handyscan3D Handheld Laser Scanner
Faro Platinum and Silver Arms
Modular Fixture Systems
Photogrammetry System
We have an agreement with Faro such that we can loan a Faro laser tracker for demonstrations
A dedicated training room with 6 PC work stations
Expected turnover in 2007/2008 > €1million
Approx. 25% of turnover is CMM service, training & support
Measurement SolutionsMeasurement Solutions
Measurement Solutions became the UK Dealer for Metrologic Group in 1998
Our product range was Metrolog II – that’s all we had !
We have worked with Metrologic Group as it has grown into the company we all know now, with a strong product range ;
Metrolog XG
Silma XG
Metrolog V5
Silma V5
-Log XG
Metrologic CMM controllers and hardware
Measurement SolutionsMeasurement Solutions
In addition to Metrologic products, Measurement Solutions also offers a range of products / services ;
QDAS SPC Software
Handyscan3D handheld laser scanners
Kreon laser scanners
Used CMM’s
New CMM’s - AEH (China)
EasyFix modular fixtures
Aicon Photogrammetry
CMM Calibration and Service
The product line may appear to be big for a small company, but ALL products have one common link …..
….. They all work in some way with Metrologic software !
The UK MarketThe UK Market
The UK MarketThe UK Market
The UK market is extremely competitive, with too many players trying to sell into a market that is reducing in size
What software do we see in the UK market ?
Hexagon - PC-DMIS
Metris - CAMIO, STUDIO
Wenzel - Metromec, Open DMIS
Delcam – PowerInspect
Zeiss - Calypso
Other OEM software e.g. Virtual DMIS, Cosmos
Others – Axel, CMM Manager, Origin, CappsNT, Aberlink
The UK market is driven by hardware manufacturers – customers buy hardware with software, not software for hardware i.e. they prefer to buy hardware AND software from the same supplier
The market is driven by PRICE – discounting is expected and it is unusual to get an order without some discount being offered
How We CompeteHow We Compete
We have to accept that we cannot compete on price ;
Lower profit margins
Reduces the “value” of our products
The big OEM’s will drop prices significantly to win orders
We offer excellent levels of service and have built a family of very happy customers ;
High quality training
High levels of expertise – know your product
Excellent product support – be there with help and advice
Provide solutions – be able to offer hardware solutions as well as software
Make alliances – have good working relationships with other key players e.g. Faro
Build a strong reputation within your own customer base
How We CompeteHow We Compete
We know from experience that the competition provide bad service ;
The average wait for a service callout with Hexagon is 2-3 weeks
If you call the “warm-line”, you always have to wait for a call back
Check out any of the internet forums for “happy” customers ;
www.pcdmisforum.com
www.cmmtalk.com
www.yourcmm.com
http://forum.delcam.com
You won’t find entries for Metrolog – they are all happy customers !
Make sure your existing customer base receives high levels of service
High levels of service can bring added value - ~70% of licences in UK have maintenance contracts !
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
How We Prepare and Handle
A Metrolog Demonstration
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Before arranging a demonstration, make sure you know exactly what the customer wants to do with the software
Be prepared to customise the demo to suit his needs and application
If at all possible ;
Use his equipment (use the “Detector” application)
Use his parts and CAD data
Only use a “demo block” to demonstrate specific functions where the customer’s part is not suitable or does not have the right features
Make sure you visit before the demo to test the interface, check connections, etc.
Insist on using your own PC – make sure it has lots of memory and is reliable !
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
At the demo, ask the customer for 30 minutes before the demo ;
Prepare the interface connection
Check machine speeds – make sure the machine runs smoothly, and at least as fast as it does with the old software
Set up the MASTER reference sphere location
Qualify the probe head to run an automatic calibration
If possible, import the CAD file in advance
Start the demo by NOT showing them Metrolog
Instead, start the Setup Assistant
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Show the user the list of direct connections available
Explain that they can use the same software with any device
Tell them that they can buy ANY CMM in the future, unlike our competitors who will effectively “force” you to buy their equipment
Explain that if they have service issues in the future, we can offer a relatively easy hardware upgrade and they will still be able to run their existing programs
Did You Know …Did You Know …
No other software has a list No other software has a list of machine connections like of machine connections like
MetrologMetrolog
Optimise software performance by making best use of graphics hardware
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Also use the Setup Assistant to show the user how we can ;
Use multiple devices in the same measuring session
Select a variety of probing systems including specialist OEM equipment
Select the use of laser scanners
Error map the machine removing the need for expensive OEM calibration services
Now you are ready to start the demo …Did You Know …Did You Know …
Delcam PowerInspect has Delcam PowerInspect has no option to error map or no option to error map or
adjust a machine’s accuracyadjust a machine’s accuracy
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Start by calibrating probes ;
Have a probe file ready, and run the automated probe calibration
Explain that there is no need to build up probes (like PCDMIS) – the software is automatic
Show how easy it is to add probes
Save the probe file and explain that even if the power fails, the probes are saved
Show the user the automated backup – everyone has had Windows crash at some point !
Emphasise how quickly you can be ready to measure
Did You Know …Did You Know …
You can’t measure in PCDMIS You can’t measure in PCDMIS without defining the probe setup without defining the probe setup
in detail and it only supports in detail and it only supports standard styli – you can’t make standard styli – you can’t make
your own special stylusyour own special stylus
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Don’t spend too much time doing simple manual measurements – this is a demo, not a training course !
Only use the blue demo block if you have to – we still haven’t found a company that makes blue blocks !
Did You Know …Did You Know …
LK often use 2 screens LK often use 2 screens for CMM demonstrations for CMM demonstrations
as 1 is not enough !as 1 is not enough !
Highlight the easy to use interface including ;
Dockable tool bars
Customisable toolbars
Split screen functions
DRO functions (especially for manual devices)
Special toolbar and status window for Laser Trackers
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
As soon as possible, import the CAD file
When importing the CAD file ;
Show the ability to import multiple CAD models
Highlight the list of CAD import options available e.g. CATIA, ProE, etc.
Explain the filter options – we use the analogy of a complete aircraft, and the need to measure the light on the end of the wing
Highlight the possibility to be able to import HUGE CAD files
Did You Know …Did You Know …
Most software needs Most software needs “clean” CAD data“clean” CAD data
Show the CAD Database panel ;
Show the ability to easily manage CAD data
Explain that we don’t need “clean” CAD data as we can deal with the problem in Metrolog - quickly create a layer, then hide it
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
If possible, have a large set of CAD data available – we have managed to acquire complete car bodies for several cars
Did You Know …Did You Know …
Some softwares Some softwares consider >50 Mbytes consider >50 Mbytes
as “huge” !as “huge” !
Load the file(s) and show the customer the size of the data
Include ALL files when displaying file size i.e. the SU3 files AND the original IGES files – it makes the files appear bigger and Metrolog appear faster !
Show the ability to handle multiple CAD file assemblies
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
Try not to spend too much time showing specific details – keep the demo moving and interesting
Only show the “sexy” items that will impress – customers have a limited ability to remember a demo ;
The “GD&T Wizard” - does not require the user to understand GD&T symbols
Highlight the array of alignment options, especially the flexibility of the best fit, including scaling, limitations and the ability to select restrictions on individual features
Automatic CNC path generation – show the options available (a cylinder is often best so you can show the “thread” function)
Did You Know …Did You Know …
PowerInspect can’t recall PowerInspect can’t recall an alignment – you must an alignment – you must
recreate it each timerecreate it each time
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
ALWAYS show the reporting features of Metrolog
Download the customer’s logo from their website and include when creating a simple report layout
Have lots of sample report layouts using different logos and include pictures of parts on the report
Explain the “Auto-sticker” feature – nobody else has this
Use the function “Create all stickers” and point out that none of the sticker lines cross and that views have been automatically created – this always impresses !
Explain XG Office and how you can transfer data to an Excel spreadsheet automatically
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
At the start of the demonstration, open the Program window, click Record, then hide it again
Part way through the demo, open the window again and show that everything has been recorded – easy !
Copy the start of a program, then paste it into a new program – see how easy it is to manipulate programs !
Use the Grouping function to make a program easier to read
Did You Know …Did You Know …
If you need to edit a If you need to edit a program in PowerInspect program in PowerInspect it is quicker to start again it is quicker to start again
from the beginning !from the beginning !
Demonstrate to WinDemonstrate to Win
When competing with PCDMIS ;
Have a sample GM2 program and the “same” program in DMIS (this is what the user will see when using PCDMIS) – ask them which is easier to understand
Invest in a printed copy of the DMIS standard, and tell the customer he needs to know this to use DMIS – it’s big, it’s heavy and it usually works !
VERYHEAVY
Demonstrate to Win Demonstrate to Win
At every demonstration, create a customer folder in a central “CMM Parts” folder
When opening / saving files, make sure a list of customer names is seen in the Explorer window – leave the window on the screen long enough for the customer to see lots of names
This always impresses, even if they are not actually customers !
Demonstrate to Win Demonstrate to Win
At the end of the demonstration, with any luck the computer has not crashed !
If there is no crash, make sure you point this out to the customer
Did You Know …Did You Know …
It is normal for PCDMIS to It is normal for PCDMIS to crash during a demo – most crash during a demo – most users do not use the latest users do not use the latest version due to instabilityversion due to instability
Point Clouds Point Clouds
Point cloud analysis is definitely the next BIG THING
Traditional cloud software (Geomagic, etc.) has limitations ;
Only good for comparing to nominal CAD – without CAD, they are next to useless
A post process – when you finish measuring, you still don’t have a result as the data needs to be processed
Require the whole part to be scanned
Did You Know …Did You Know …
Geomagic can’t generate a Geomagic can’t generate a report if the point cloud is not report if the point cloud is not
compared to nominal CAD datacompared to nominal CAD data
Metrolog is able to use point cloud data “on-the-fly” and extract measurements in real-time
Metrolog does not need nominal CAD data to generate results
Metrolog only needs to scan the areas of the part where measurements are actually required
Point Clouds Point Clouds
Be aware that PowerInspect appears to have some strong point cloud functionality
They also have some nice features that we don’t have in Metrolog
This is probably our biggest competition for -Log, NOT Geomagic etc.
The good news …
… none of our traditional competitors i.e. PCDMIS have point cloud functionality !
… and Metrolog is probably the only solution for laser scanning with a CNC CMM
CMM Service - Use Every Opportunity CMM Service - Use Every Opportunity
We offer a service to verify the accuracy of portable arms (equivalent to ISO10360)
The service is one day, on site (Faro require the user to send the arm to a service centre, taking 2-3 weeks)
Our engineer always uses Metrolog for the verification
This way, the customer sees a demonstration of Metrolog …
… and pays us to provide the demo !
When servicing machines with other software, our engineer always shows -Log or Metrolog to users
USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE SOFTWARE TO CUSTOMERS AND GENERATE NEW LEADS !
Maintenance Contracts Maintenance Contracts
ALWAYS try to sell software maintenance contracts
The majority of UK licences have a valid maintenance contract
Offer the maintenance as a standard part of the quotation – not as an additional option
If the user wants to remove it from the quotation, it is his decision to reject maintenance
Sell the benefits – don’t emphasise the “penalties” of not having maintenance ;
2 new releases every year
Telephone and applications support
New Windows drivers with each release – this is VITAL now that many PC’s have automatic Windows updates
Updates for new processor types, graphics cards, etc.
Use the Internet Use the Internet
>50% of all enquiries come to us via the Internet
Keep your website up to date
Register on search engines – Google, Yahoo, etc.
Conclusions Conclusions
When demonstrating Metrolog, you have a limited time to impress – use the time wisely and prepare well
Try to use the customer’s parts for the demo – you must know your product and be confident
Have the possibility to show Metrolog on a variety of measuring devices ;
Beg, steal or borrow a portable arm, laser tracker, etc.
Practice, practice, practice !
Show the products at every opportunity ;
Make sure your service engineers can give a basic demo
If they can’t, use the demo CD
If you know any weak points about the competition, spread the word and tell the rest of us !
Experiences of a Metrologic Dealer
Thank You
… and Good Luck !