
Shaping the Future of CMMs Through Design Innovation
Metrology News recently sat down with Marcus Eales, Founder and Director of Aberlink, to explore how the company is reshaping the traditional coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with innovative design, advanced materials, and fresh approach to metrology. This commitment has led to a creative, design-focused range of metrology products that deliver top-tier performance and installed in over 40 countries worldwide.

Founded in 1993, Aberlink has built an impressive track record of growth driven by innovation. For over 31 years, this philosophy has been the foundation of all its patent-protected product development, with ‘Innovative Metrology’ as a central tenet of the company’s mission which was recently honored with the 2024 United Kingdom Kings Award for innovation.
Q: The metrology industry has deep-rooted traditions in precision and accuracy. How challenging is it to introduce new innovations into such a well-established market, and what has been your approach to overcoming resistance to change?
A: In a market so steeped in tradition, the demand for innovation has only grown stronger. Our Fulcrum, a rotary axis manual CMM, illustrates this perfectly. Traditionally, unless companies invested heavily, they were limited to one or two dimensional metrology tools like verniers, micrometres, and height gauges. This made even basic measurements of three dimensional features like PCDs, tapered seats, and angled faces challenging and calculation heavy. With the Fulcrum, we shifted to measuring these features directly as the three dimensional elements they are, simplifying processes that were previously complex and prone to error.
Q: How would you explain the price advantage of Aberlink’s CMMs compared to those from other major global suppliers, and what factors allow you to offer competitive pricing without compromising on quality?
A: Aberlink’s competitive pricing is a result of our unique in house approach. We handle every stage of production ourselves: from design and machining to assembly and software development. This end to end process not only eliminates the need for third party vendors but also allows us to maintain strict quality control at every stage. Our agile management structure, with minimal bureaucracy and no middle management, further enhances our efficiency and speed to market. Together, these factors enable us to provide high-quality, innovative CMMs at a fraction of the cost of other suppliers without sacrificing quality.
Q: Could you share the core design philosophy behind Aberlink’s innovative CMMs? How do you balance innovation with simplicity in your designs to ensure both accuracy and usability?
A: At Aberlink, we don’t wait for the market to request new products or features, by then everyone is asking for the same thing, and the competitive advantage is lost. Instead, our approach is to anticipate needs and create products that customers aren’t yet asking for, no one asked Steve Jobs to make an iPod or iPhone, we focus on envisioning solutions that truly elevate ease of use and functionality in metrology. Our innovation lies in simplifying designs, making them accurate and reliable. You know you’ve got a design right when after multiple iterations someone looks at it and thinks, “I could have done that.” Think of how the Dyson vacuum cleaner looked so simple after 5127 prototypes!
Q: Can you describe any specific obstacles or scepticism Aberlink faced from manufacturers when launching your cutting-edge CMM technologies?
A: Originally potential customers were sceptical that a small company could produce equipment that showed greater innovation and at a lower cost than the established players, but as we’ve grown this scepticism has disappeared. In fact, it’s often the opposite, now many customers worry that with the big three players if there is a problem they’ll be wasting hours trying to convince an online chat bot to put them through to a real person in a call centre in the latest low wage economy, while Aberlink customers pick up the phone and call Mike Anders. We name names, we make it personal!
Q: Aberlink has become known for its user-friendly metrology software interface. What challenges do you face in developing CMM solutions that appeal to both experts and non-experts?
A: Our software is our greatest asset, over 80% of customer demonstrations at our UK site result in an order, this is almost entirely because of the software. While the software has evolved into a sophisticated, comprehensive metrology suite, including CAD programming, common zone tolerancing, Vision, GDT callouts, etc, I’ve always insisted that the first five minutes of a demonstration is as simple as it has always been: you can still walk up and measure a diameter using the same mouse clicks as you would have 30 years ago. Metrology software should be as easy to pick-up as a phone app, you should be sucked into its functionality not intimidated by it, our aim is for anyone to be able to use our software immediately, but to continually discover the functionality that lies beneath the simple interface.
Q: What key trends in the metrology industry do you see shaping the future, and how is Aberlink positioning itself to lead or respond to these changes?
A: A major shift in metrology is moving from simply acting as a go/no-go gauge at the end of production to becoming a critical feedback mechanism in a closed-loop production line. This approach transforms final inspection into more of a confirmation step, certifying a fully controlled process. While larger industries like automotive and aerospace have embraced this philosophy for some time, Aberlink is pioneering accessible in-process metrology for smaller machine shops, even for sole operators. By simplifying what were advanced metrology benefits and making them accessible to smaller operations, we’re empowering them to achieve higher precision and control, which translates into greater efficiency and quality.
Q: What does Aberlink envision as the future role of CMMs in next-generation manufacturing, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0 and the increasing demand for automation and smart technologies?
A: As manufacturing moves toward Industry 4.0, CMMs will play an increasingly vital role in autonomous quality control within automated production lines. This shift is essential to address skill shortages and higher labour costs in engineering while reducing waste and process variation. However, a CMM must be precisely tailored to its application to maximize its effectiveness. The Aberlink Extol shop floor delta structure CMM was designed specifically with an automation interface and industry 4.0 in mind, not as a set of protective covers to be added on to a CMM designed originally for the inspection lab.