ZEISS Research & Quality Solutions (ZEISS RQS) has introduced ZEISS TALOS, a metrology robot built for automated, high-volume inspection. According to the company, the system combines metrology-grade accuracy with robotic kinematics and reaches a measurement uncertainty below 100 µm over a 3.30 m working range.
The robot places its sensor precisely and repeatably without external tracking systems or reference markers, which ZEISS says supports reliable measurement of medium-sized and large components, including areas that conventional line-of-sight systems struggle to reach. A newly developed optical sensor covers both full-field geometry acquisition and precise feature measurement inside a single automated workflow.
One sensor for surfaces and features
The offering centres on the ZEISS TALOS MR metrology robot and the compact blue-light sensor ZEISS TALOS AX, which together form an integrated measurement unit. The metrology-grade ZEISS TALOS RT rotation table and the ZEISS TALOS Safeguard safety concept complete the package.
Dr. Jan Thesing, who heads ZEISS's 3D Optical Systems business unit, described the launch as a fundamental change in the automated metrology category: metrological capability is built directly into the system, he said, while the speed, reach and flexibility of robotic kinematics are preserved.
In optical metrology, it has long been difficult to pair rapid surface capture with precise feature measurement. ZEISS addresses that with two 24-megapixel cameras in the TALOS AX, which record at 100 Hz, or up to 200 Hz in a fast scan mode, together with a 500 mm measurement volume and four multidirectional feature flashes. According to the company, this allows both large surfaces to be captured for geometry analysis and digital twins and defined features such as holes, edges, bolts and threads to be measured.
Built for production conditions
The robot and the overall system concept are designed to withstand conditions typical of manufacturing, including temperature variation, vibration and dust. Measurement tasks can be prepared offline from the CAD model, while ZEISS INSPECT calculates the necessary measurement positions and robot paths automatically; ZEISS says this significantly cuts the time and effort needed to plan new tasks. One-click programming, efficient robot motion and a streamlined setup are intended to raise throughput and make more efficient use of measurement capacity. ZEISS INSPECT also supports complete analysis, report generation and integration of results into existing processes.
Target applications
ZEISS TALOS is intended for automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicle manufacturing, both close to production and in dedicated measurement rooms. Supported tasks span car bodies, hang-on parts and giga-casting components as well as aerostructures, jet engines, truck cabins and weld seams. High-resolution measurement data is used to evaluate component quality and deviations, and virtual tools can assess functional dimensions, gap sizes and flushness, for example in automotive assembly.