Selecting a Dimensional Inspection Vendor
Anyone in manufacturing knows fully well that it is vitally important to reach out to competent contractors when you need to outsource your next dimensional inspection. You always need to make sure that your dimensional measurements are as accurate and precise as humanly (and mechanically) possible in order to avoid slight deviations or errors that can potentially cost thousands to fix and recover from. A good metrologist means you will recieve a highly accurate measurement in a quick period of time, which can then be booted up in your computer aided design (CAD) program for your engineers to play with; a bad metrologist means impecise parts and mistakes that have a great cost in both time and money.
This underscores exactly how important it is to spend a significant amount of time and energy on making sure that you have found the right metrologists for the job before they begin. You should always ask any potential metrologists about their accreditation and research which standards they are certified to meet before considering them any further. If everything seems in order you should then find out how long it will take to get the results of the dimensional inspection back, and whether or not they can set up the final product to be usable in your own native CAD program, or find out if you will need to translate it to your CAD on your own.
In the end cost is really only a secondary consideration when it comes to selecting the right vendor for your dimensional measurements. You need to be sure they are extremely accurate, precise, and quick long before you wonder how much they want to charge you.