NORCROSS, Ga., Aug. 16, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems announced today it has delivered seven LTD800 laser trackers to Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems (El Segundo, Calif.). The laser trackers are Leica's top-of-the-line, portable coordinate measurement systems (PCMMs) used for industrial measurement and inspection applications.
Leica Laser Trackers will be first utilized for real-time quality assurance in the tool-build phase of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) program, then transitioned into manufacturing production applications. Northrop Grumman will use the laser trackers to measure and monitor the fuselage structure, map critical interface joint data, and provide as-built data for assemblies. The precision measurement capabilities of the LTD800 enables manufacturers to validate designs, build-and-inspect, confirm close tolerance work, perform alignments and part mating, and capture 3D coordinate data on-the-fly.
For more than two decades, the Leica Metrology Division has developed Laser Trackers, Theodolites, and other leading edge measurement equipment and software that set metrology standards in aerospace, automotive, and general engineering industries.
The F-35 is a multi-role stealth fighter designed to meet the unique needs of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Northrop Grumman is partnered with prime contractor Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth, TX) to bring the F-35 to fruition. The company will design and integrate the aircraft's center fuselage and weapons bay.
Northrop Grumman is also the prime contractor for the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which surveys large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy and provides the U.S. Air Force with near-real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery. The company utilizes two Leica LTD500 laser trackers to gather composite 3D coordinate data and to monitor tool building for the production of the Global Hawk.
Leica Geosystems offers a comprehensive metrology product line ranging from entry-level Theodolite systems, to the traditional LTD600 build-and-inspect tracker, to the state-of-the-art LTD800/700 trackers working with Leica's innovative Local Positioning Technology (LPT) -- the wireless, armless T-Probe and high-speed T-Scan.
About Leica Geosystems
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information even in 3D. Those who use Leica products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by 2,400 employees in 21 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is a publicly listed company, registered with the Swiss Stock Exchange (SWX).
About the Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems
The Metrology Division of Leica Geosystems is a global supplier of comprehensive hardware and software packages to the industrial metrology market. These products integrate with popular CAD programs, various build-and-inspect tools, and reverse engineering software. Using state-of-the-art laser technology, Leica's industrial measurement products make quality control, part mating, assembly and construction of large and small parts easier and more accurate than ever. Leica's laser tracker technology is most widely used, with over 1,600 installations worldwide. In addition there are about 1,500 Industrial Theodolite Systems in use, which customers confirm are the most accurate in their category.
Link to press release: http://www.leica-geosystems.com/metrology/en/press/lgs_1075.htm?id=672