Hexagon’s MAESTRO is setting a new benchmark in CMM technology with its fast, user-friendly and fully connected design to meet the real-time demands of aerospace & defence manufacturer. From turbine blades to fuselage components, manufacturers are under pressure to maintain compliance with stringent standards, reduce costs, and respond rapidly to shifting demand.

In advanced manufacturing environments, precision and responsiveness have become non-negotiable. The Hexagon MAESTRO Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) system, specifically designed for the smart factory era, is redefining quality inspection through speed, simplified operation, and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) enabled connectivity. MAESTRO integrates intelligence, automation, and adaptability with a focus on empowering aerospace & defence manufacturers to keep up with escalating production demands and tighter quality requirements. This article explores MAESTRO’s game-changing features, tech innovations, and how it meets the demands of today’s advanced manufacturing.

Why a Digital-First CMM Is Crucial for Aerospace

Aerospace manufacturers today need to deliver of backlogs and big order without compromising quality. This requires metrology solutions that can keep pace with rapid manufacturing speeds without becoming a bottleneck. Moreover, the Industry 4.0 principles demand that measurement systems provide smooth digital connectivity, real-time data access, and integration with broader smart factory ecosystems. 

Conventional CMMs often suffer from complex programming requirements that necessitate highly specialized skills, which leads to slower setup and increased risk of human error. Moreover, traditional CMMs tend to operate as isolated units with limited connectivity, resulting in disconnected data silos that impede collaboration and timely decision-making across teams. This lack of integration also limits the ability to implement predictive maintenance or to fully utilize IIoT capabilities. Hexagon’s MAESTRO CMM platform is designed to address all these challenges head-on. 

MAESTRO - A CMM Engineered for Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing

MAESTRO features an all-digital design optimized for integration with IIoT ecosystems. Its networked architecture facilitates real-time data exchange, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance. MAESTRO communicates measurement data and functions as a connected node within a broader manufacturing intelligence system. The system is designed for modularity and adaptability, which helps users to customize configurations to suit varying shop floor needs. 

Core Specifications

MAESTRO is engineered to deliver industry-leading performance with core specifications that set it apart. The CMM achieves measurement speeds up to 1100 mm/s. Rapid probe changeovers further enhance throughput, reducing bottlenecks in production. With its high speed, MAESTRO also maintains high accuracy with a specification of ±1.2 μm plus L/300. 

The system also employs advanced digital sensors that are automatically identified and calibrated upon installation. These sensors provide rich data streams that contribute to the machine’s self-awareness and enable predictive maintenance and real-time performance monitoring. Moreover, MAESTRO’s compact footprint allows it to fit into diverse manufacturing environments without compromising performance. This makes it suitable for integration into both existing production lines and new smart factory setups.

Intelligent Software Ecosystem that solves skilled labor gap

MAESTRO’s intelligence is embedded in its software ecosystem, which enhances usability, accuracy, and connectivity. For instance, the digital twin mirrors the physical machine in a virtual environment, enabling offline programming, realistic simulation of measurement routines, and collision protection. PC-DMIS, the globally leading metrology software, integrates seamless with MAESTRO and provides tools for measurement programming, data analysis, and reporting. Similarly, Metrology Mentor is another intuitive software that guides users through measurement processes with assisted no-code workflows. Additional Nexus software, like Metrology Asset Manager, offer cloud-based connectivity and real-time monitoring of machine status, calibration history, and utilization metrics. It enables remote access and management of the CMM fleet, facilitating optimized scheduling, predictive maintenance, and enhanced overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

The Four Pillars of the MAESTRO Revolution

Speed

MAESTRO delivers the fastest throughput in its class. This high speed is achieved through a combination of high acceleration and movement speed and synchronized wrist and machine axes, which move fluidly and in perfect harmony to accelerate both measurement and setup processes. 

One of MAESTRO’s standout features is its probe changeover capability. Early benchmarks show up to 50% quicker exchange times than with traditional systems. This translates to less downtime between measurement routines and more time spent on productive work. Moreover, accelerated calibration routines, offering up to 85% time savings, ensure that even complex measurement jobs can keep pace with high-speed production environments.

Simplicity

MAESTRO’s intuitive user interface and guided workflows, powered by Metrology Mentor software, make the most complex measurement tasks accessible to users of all skill levels. The system’s clear, modern display provides real-time status updates, operator instructions, and warnings, enabling quick, confident decision-making.

Every aspect of MAESTRO’s design works in concert to remove workflow complexity and reduce the risk of human error. This focus on simplicity ensures reliable, repeatable results and empowers teams to achieve more with less effort.

Connectivity

MAESTRO is engineered as an IIoT device from the ground up. Its open platform enables smooth integration with existing industrial automation systems and software environments with no additional hardware required.

Real-time machine health and performance data are always accessible from anywhere via cloud-based dashboards. Centralized reporting and asset management tools, such as Metrology Reporting and Metrology Asset Manager, facilitate data-driven collaboration and decision-making across teams. 

Future-Readiness

MAESTRO’s modular architecture and robust technology roadmap ensure that the system can be upgraded in the field at any time, even years after initial deployment. This allows users to add new features or incorporate the latest technologies as their business grows or requirements change.

Next-Gen Technology Driving MAESTRO’s Capabilities

MAESTRO is fast and intelligent. It combines a suite of next-generation technologies that simplify complex metrology tasks and ensure consistent measurement results with minimal manual intervention. 

Digital Twin

MAESTRO utilizes a digital twin, which allows users to program measurement routines offline with high confidence. This digital twin enables realistic simulations of part measurements, including probing paths and collision detection, ensuring validation of programs before actual execution. As a result, first-time-right measurement is achieved, reducing downtime and avoiding costly errors on the shop floor. The digital twin synchronizes instantly with the physical machine and its components, facilitating faster setup and smoother operation.

Smart Machine Eye

MAESTRO is equipped with an embedded camera system known as the Smart Machine Eye. It provides remote visual access to the machine during operation and allows operators and support teams to monitor measurements in real-time from any location. It also supports troubleshooting by supplying video recordings in case of unplanned stops or issues. 

Metrology Mentor

The Metrology Mentor software is an intuitive, assisted workflow tool designed to simplify CMM programming and operation. It enables users of all skill levels to create measurement programs quickly and reliably without needing to write code. The software guides operators through industry-standard compliant GD&T measurements. This approach reduces training requirements and operator dependency, which accelerates throughput and improves overall productivity in quality inspection processes.

Digital Racks & Probes

MAESTRO’s hardware ecosystem includes digital racks and probes that are automatically identified and initialized when mounted. This plug-and-play capability removes recalibration requirements when swapping sensors, enabling rapid changes between different measurement tasks or sensor types. 

These advanced technologies position MAESTRO as a highly connected, efficient, and adaptable CMM solution that meets the demands of smart manufacturing environments.

Seamless Integration with the Smart Factory

MAESTRO’s architecture is designed for seamless integration into digital manufacturing environments. For instance, MAESTRO provides real-time assessment of machine health, allowing manufacturers to monitor performance trends, schedule maintenance proactively, and maximize uptime. This integration ensures that metrology assets are not isolated components but vital nodes in a broader ecosystem of production intelligence.

The built-in Metrology Communication Interface (MCI) facilitates integration with automation systems, enabling MAESTRO to be incorporated into automated production lines. This interface supports near-line or in-line integration, allowing the CMM to communicate directly with robotic systems or other automated equipment. As a result, the measurement workflow can be automated easier than ever before.

MAESTRO’s open digital architecture supports connectivity with major industrial automation ecosystems. This interoperability ensures that quality data from the CMM is integrated into broader manufacturing workflows, facilitating data-driven decision-making and enhancing collaboration across departments. The digital platform also supports remote access and software updates, enabling continuous improvement of the smart factory’s metrology capabilities.

Performance that Grows with Your Business

Upgrade Pathways: Accuracy+ and Throughput+

One of MAESTRO’s standout features is its future-proof, modular architecture. Unlike traditional CMMs, MAESTRO allows users to enhance both accuracy and throughput at any stage of the machine’s lifecycle. The Accuracy+ and Throughput+ upgrade options allow users to boost the system’s precision or speed even years after installation. This flexibility allows users to respond to changing production demands or tighter quality standards without needing a complete hardware overhaul.

Support for Advanced Digital Sensors

MAESTRO is designed to keep pace with the rapidly changing sensor technology. The platform natively supports the latest digital sensors, including a tactile scanning sensor or a laser scanner. These sensors enable a broader range of measurement applications and deliver higher data fidelity, allowing users to tackle more complex inspection tasks as the product portfolio diversifies. 

The Platform of the Future: Continuous Innovation

Hexagon’s commitment to innovation is embedded in the MAESTRO platform. As an all-digital, IIoT-enabled CMM, MAESTRO is built to accommodate future technological advances. The system’s open architecture and robust technology roadmap mean that new software features, automation integrations, and hardware enhancements can be adopted. 

Sustainability by Design: EcoMode+

MAESTRO incorporates features that help reduce the environmental footprint and promote sustainability. For instance, the EcoMode+ function intelligently manages compressed air and energy consumption, optimizing usage based on operational needs. MAESTRO minimizes resource consumption during idle periods and maximizes efficiency during operation, helping organizations achieve their sustainability goals and reduce utility costs.

Industry Applications: Proven Across Demanding Use Cases

In the aerospace and defence sectors, MAESTRO delivers the high-speed and high-accuracy inspection of critical components like turbine blades, rotors, fuselage, tooling & jigs and freeform components. Its ability to adapt to complex geometries and intricate surfaces ensures that all components meet performance specifications without slowing production. Moreover, MAESTRO's compatibility with optical sensors and its advanced design enables fast measurement of aerodynamic surfaces and rotating machinery parts with minimal repositioning, which reduces cycle time.

The MAESTRO Advantage Backed by Hexagon Expertise

MAESTRO is the result of Hexagon’s decades-long leadership in metrology and digital manufacturing. It’s supported by Hexagon’s global MyCare service network, offering calibration, software maintenance, and on-demand technical support to ensure system longevity.

As a key component of Hexagon’s broader Manufacturing Intelligence portfolio, MAESTRO works in concert with other digital technologies to enable smarter design, production, and quality workflows in a connected, autonomous ecosystem.

Conclusion: A New Standard for Aerospace & Defence in Digital CMMs

Hexagon’s MAESTRO empowers aerospace manufacturers to enhance quality, reduce costs, and accelerate production by delivering speed, simplifying complex measurement tasks, enabling seamless digital connectivity, and offering a future-proof platform. As more and more industries embrace smart manufacturing, MAESTRO stands out as a critical enabler of this transformation, ensuring that quality inspection is not a bottleneck but a strategic advantage.

Explore how MAESTRO can help redefine your quality inspection processes by visiting the website: https://hxgn.biz/4j43jC4.

References

1. Hexagon. [Internet]. Available from: https://hexagon.com/

2. Hexagon launches MAESTRO the next-generation Coordinate Measuring Machine. (2025) [Internet] Hexagon. Available from: https://hexagon.com/company/newsroom/press-releases/2025/hexagon-launches-maestro-the-next-generation-coordinate-measuring-machine

3. MAESTRO – The all-digital CMM system. [Internet] Hexagon. Available from: https://hexagon.com/products/maestro