Gloucestershire precision engineering firm Renishaw has developed a new Bluetooth enabled measuring device.

The latest product from the firm, which is the biggest private sector employer in Gloucestershire with a base in Wotton-under-Edge, is a replacement for the successful QC20 ballbar.

A ballbar is an instrument to measure any deviation a machine makes. The new replacement QC20 ballbar has been designed to meet the needs of the modern machine shop.

The updated QC20 ballbar is fully compatible with existing QC20-W programmes and processes.

Featuring the latest Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, it forms a robust wireless connection with the PC. Further advantages of the enhanced Bluetooth technology are superior power efficiency and a substantially longer battery life.

Ballbar testing provides a simple, rapid check of a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool's positioning performance to recognised international standards. This allows users to benchmark and track the performance of their machines, and to quickly diagnose problems that may require maintenance and the error sources that produce them.

From today, the QC20 ballbar replaces QC20-W ballbar in all countries except for China, Brazil, Russia and Mexico which will be available in the coming months.