Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence North America has announced it has been awarded the 2016 Innovation in Manufacturing award by Providence Business News (PBN) and recognized as one of the region's fastest-growing, innovative companies. Innovation winners in ten categories were selected for having a new product or process making a significant impact on the marketplace and/or the enterprise. Hexagon entered their ground-breaking GLOBAL Advantage HTA (High Throughput & Accuracy) platform that was developed specifically to measure complex aerospace and land-based compressor blades. Award winners will be recognized at a special event hosted by PBN on Wednesday, September 21 at the Crown Plaza Providence-Warwick Garden Pavilion.

The rigorous demand on the Aerospace industry to increase engine performance and production, and the growing trend for shop-floor inspection were the key drivers of the GLOBAL Advantage HTA, the first comprehensive solution specific to blade inspection. Shop floor technicians utilize the specialized coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to gather high-density measurement data for advanced airfoil geometry analysis. The system is also used to perform rapid, non-contact scanning of blade surfaces with micron-level accuracy to inspect blade characteristics, airfoil, platform, root, shroud, and other intricate features. Highly polished blade surfaces can be easily measured without the need for secondary coating and cleaning operations, which is a requirement for many other non-contact technologies.