The new MarForm MMQ 400 Formtester from Mahr Federal is a ground-up redesign which is more robust, less sensitive to environmental influences, faster, more flexible and more accurate than earlier versions of the company’s measurement systems. In addition to an entirely new look, the MMQ 400 offers an array of features, including extremely solid construction with a generously dimensioned, reinforced steel base. All mechanical components have been optimized in CAD with Finite Element Methods and all motors and electronic components have been thermally isolated to enhance stability. Wherever possible, homogeneous materials were used in construction to minimize the effects of thermal expansion. The MMQ 400 is also larger and more flexible than its predecessor and can measure parts up to 60 kg (132 lbs) in weight. The Z-axis has also been redesigned, making it more stable and improving both accuracy and repeatability of measurements. Although larger than its predecessor, the overall footprint of the unit is smaller than comparable instruments as the controller and other electronics have been completely integrated into the design. The MMQ 400 eliminates the need for an air supply by using of a high-precision mechanical bearing for the rotary table. According to the company’s press releae, the mechanical bearing used in the MMQ 400 is up to 70 times stiffer than most bearings, making the system less susceptible to external forces such as vibration. Two versions of the MMQ 400 Formtester are available, one with a 350 mm Z-axis and 180 mm X-axis, and the other with a 500 mm Z-axis and 280 mm X-axis. All measuring axes are fully motorized and a selection of available probes, including the T7W 360 degree motorized by-directional probe, and the manual T20W probe, which further enhances measuring flexibility. Fully controlled by Mahr MarWin software, the MMQ 400 can evaluate all standard form parameters, including roundness, sector roundness, run-out, sector run-out, concentricity and coaxiality, total run-out, cylindricity, straightness, section-by-section straightness, parallelism, perpendicularity, angularity, flatness, conicity, and taper. The system has been especially designed to measure a wide variety of workpieces, including injection components, ABS components, valves, pistons and piston rods,crank- and camshafts, brake disks, gear shafts, ball-bearings, and more.