A recent discussion started with a familiar complaint: someone said they could not get a Renishaw TP20 to report a certified ring gage correctly. Predictably, the replies split into the usual camps. Some assumed the machine had to be faulty. Others assumed operator error. Still others flatly rejected the premise, as though a CMM struggling with a ring gage were too absurd to consider.

AI in quality is no longer a future concept. Entering 2026, it’s a practical tool we can use right now.

Integrating new measurement technology into an existing quality workflow is one of the most deceptively complex tasks in dimensional metrology. Whether you’re upgrading your CMM software, moving to a new platform entirely, or simply installing a modern release after years of static processes, stakeholders will always expect one thing:

Over the last year, I’ve been deeply involved in a project that forced me to rethink how quality organizations store knowledge, retrieve information, and support the people doing the real work on the floor.